A report published in the March 1 issue of Environmental Sciences Europe has revealed a connection between genetically modified foods and significant risk of developing organ disruptions, particularly in the liver and kidneys.

The research was conducted by a team of scientists including Gilles-Eric Séralini, professor of molecular biology at the University of Caen in France. Séralini and his team reviewed 19 animal based studies, some of which showed that consuming genetically modified corn or soybeans led to the organ disruptions, with male kidneys responding the worst.

A number of male rats who were fed Monsanto’s MON863 corn developed smaller kidneys with significant inflammation among other markers of disruptive kidney filtration and function problems. Some animals experienced changes in metabolic rates in the liver. Female genital cancers increased in the second generation, and some of the animals who were fed genetically modified organisms had altered body weights in at least one gender, which is considered to be a very strong predictor of side effects displaying in various organs related to toxins in the diet.

According to Jeffrey Smith, author of “Seeds of Deception,” Séralini’s study falls short in being able to determine whether any of the particular problems are a result of the pesticides applied directly to the GM crops, or as a result of the engineered seeds themselves, which causes genetic changes to the plants’ DNA.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture suggests that at least 70 percent of processed foods in U.S. supermarkets now contain genetically modified ingredients. 93 percent of soy, 86 percent of corn and 93 percent of cotton and canola planted in the U.S. in 2010 were genetically engineered.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Photo: Tim & Selena Middleton

Internet site reference: http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/19-studies-suggest-link-between-gmo-foods-and-serious-organ-damage/