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Essay / The Case for Genetically Modified Foods
As Rifkin (nd) said: “Many genetically modified foods will be safe, I am sure. Will most of them be safe? Nobody knows,” that’s absolutely true. In 2018, Dr Mehmet Oz invited guests to debate on his show on the theme “Genetically modified foods: useful or harmful? ". Initially, Hirshberg, Van and Brody stated that GMOs could have negative effects on humans. Examples include transgenic plants that can cause harmful pollution to the environment, superbugs that can resist drugs in agricultural fields, and other health-related contaminations such as cancers and food poisoning. On the other hand, Bernhoft, Smith, McGloughlin and the host argued that GMOs also have some benefits. For example, GMOs can help plants resist pesticides, increase the nutrient content of foods, and help produce medicines from genetically modified plants. Although many people have debated the safety of using GMOs, some people feel the same way as Hirshberg, Van, and Brody. Nevertheless, we completely agree with Bernhoft, Smith and McGloughlin that genetically modified foods are beneficial to humanity in terms of providing more nutrients, helping the body fight health problems and support for the development of the pharmaceutical industry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The first and most important reason to support GMO products is that genetically modified foods normally contain many more nutrients than dietary supplements. It can be said that GMOs are not only very nutritious but also provide more benefits to consumers in the same quantity as the normal food. According to Dr. Bernhoft (2018), one of the reasons GMOs are invented is to increase the nutrients in plants. For example, by genetically combining blueberries and tomatoes, the offspring may contain anthocyanin, an antioxidant that can prevent cancer. Additionally, Smith said GMO rice called "golden rice" contains a lot of beta-carotene which is needed in certain parts of the body to help strengthen the immune system and skeletal metabolism. Therefore, we believe that humans could get more nutrients from GMO plants. The next paragraph will further discuss the pesticide resistance of GMO products. The next reason is that genetically modified foods, as mentioned earlier, are resistant to pesticides. Today, many products sold to consumers are mostly filled with contaminants, including insecticides. Additionally, prolonged consumption of contaminated food can affect long-term health due to the accumulation of toxins in the body. Even though we can clean the ingredients thoroughly before cooking, we may still get pesticide residue. Bernhoft argued that GMO plants normally have the ability to resist harmful chemicals. For this reason, they are likely to be free of chemicals as they contain no contaminants. In addition, the consumption of GMOs would be an alternative way to avoid contamination. The final body paragraph will further clarify the development of the pharmaceutical industry following the use of GMO products. The last important reason is that genetically modified foods contribute to.