By Betty Murray
Monsanto doesn’t exactly have a clean record. Over the course of its history, the GMO giant has developed products that are a hazard to your health — but they wouldn’t admit to it. Do you know how what you put in your body affects your health?
Here are a few examples of products Monsanto has brought to the market that are downright dangerous.
Saccharin – The artificial sweetener saccharin, which is found in products such as Sweet ‘N Low, is how Monsanto got its start. Studies conducted during the 1970’s, including this study by the National Cancer Institute ,found that saccharin caused cancer in test rats and mice. Saccharin was later delisted from the NIH’s Carcinogen List. Why? Pressure from consumers and studies conduced by the sugar and sweetener industry lead to the removal of a known carcinogen from the list. The official document stated that: “although it is impossible to absolutely conclude that it poses no threat to human health, sodium saccharin is not reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen under conditions of general usage as an artificial sweetener.”
PCB’s – Knowing full well that PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls) were toxic and lead to serious health effects, Monsanto continued producing PCB’s until 2001 when the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants banned PCBs globally. (PCB’s were banned in the US in 1979) In 2003, Monsanto paid out more than $600 million to residents of Anniston, Alabama, who suffered serious health problems including liver disease, neurological disorders and cancer after exposure to PCBs.
Agent Orange – In the early 1960s, Monsanto was one of two primary manufacturers of Agent Orange, a herbicide/defoliant that was used for chemical warfare during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange produced by Monsanto contained high levels of dioxin. As a result of exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, an estimated 400,000 people were killed or maimed, 500,000 children were born with birth defects and 1 million people suffered disabilities or other severe health problems. What’s worse is that Monsanto was allowed to appeal for and receive protection from the U.S. government against any veterans seeking compensation for their exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
RoundUp – Used to fight weeds in crops and plants, RoundUp (produced by Monsanto) contains glyphosate, which has been connected to tumors, altered organ function, infertility, cancer and premature death in rats. Despite the health risks, Monsanto has produced “RoundUp Ready” crops, which are designed to withstand the dangerous weedkiller — meaning farmers can literally saturate their crops with RoundUp to kill weeds, without killing the plant itself.
These are just a few of the products developed by Monsanto that have been proven to cause serious health problems. Monsanto seems to have the government on its side, allowing the company to continue to produce these dangerous products. For more about dangerous and deadly Monsanto products, read this article on gmo-awareness.com.
Betty Murray, CN, HHC, RYT is a Certified Nutritionist & Holistic Health Counselor, founder of the Dallas-based integrative medical center, Wellness and founder of the Metabolic Blueprint wellness program. Betty’s nutrition counseling practice specializes in metabolic and digestive disorders and weight loss resistance. A master of the biochemistry of the body, Betty teaches her clients how to utilize nutritional interventions to improve their health. Betty is a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine and the National Association of Nutrition Professionals.
