Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Altered Genes, Twisted Truth

There’s no doubt in my mind that the battle against obesity begins in the gut (or to be more precise, with the whole microbiome). And that optimally healthy microbiome is established during a normal, vaginal birth and is supported by ongoing breastfeeding. Watch the Microbirth documentary - you won’t be disappointed. 

Of course taking the microbiome’s establishment back a step further, the work I’ve been doing for more than 30 years to get prospective parents into great shape (including optimising their gut health) before conception makes more sense than ever. So scientists tinkering with the bacteria that inhabit the gut, as a means to deal with the obesity epidemic is a bit creepy. It's also shutting the door after the horse has well and truly bolted!

I’m right in the middle of reading Altered Genes, Twisted Truth: How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public. This is Steven Druker’s riveting exposé of how GM organisms have been released on an unsuspecting public under the GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) clause, when there has never been consensus amongst scientists about their safety (an absolute prerequisite for GRAS). The subtitle of this excellent book really sums it up.



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