Health
Related: About this forumThe Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods
Chinese researchers have found small pieces of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and organs of humans who eat rice. The Nanjing University-based team showed that this genetic material will bind to proteins in human liver cells and influence the uptake of cholesterol from the blood.
The type of RNA in question is called microRNA, due to its small size. MicroRNAs have been studied extensively since their discovery ten years ago, and have been linked to human diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. The Chinese research provides the first example of ingested plant microRNA surviving digestion and influencing human cell function.
Should the research survive scientific scrutiny, it could prove a game changer in many fields. It would mean that we're eating not just vitamins, protein, and fuel, but information as well.
That knowledge could deepen our understanding of cross-species communication, co-evolution, and predator-prey relationships. It could illuminate new mechanisms for some metabolic disorders and perhaps explain how some herbal medicines function. And it reveals a pathway by which genetically modified (GM) foods might influence human health.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-very-real-danger-of-genetically-modified-foods/251051/
Tumbulu
(6,278 posts)to have not tested the products of this powerful technology 20 years ago when the first gmo plants were commercialized remains unconscionable and continues to be a blemish on the scientific community in the US.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)which is not to excuse the arrogance of GMO advocates but to expose it. To think that we have all the answers is folly!
BadgerKid
(4,553 posts)It's supposedly a natural way to lower cholesterol.