Popeye’s Problem
Last month I read an article about two research projects currently underway that, taken to their extremes (and that’s the plan), will develop vegetables that actually contain vaccines. The article was sent to me by HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., who occasionally contributes to the e-Alert.
After reading the article I called Dr. Spreen and we had a chat about genetic engineering, both of us becoming a little angry at the fact that there are brilliant researchers out there who seem to be completely lacking in the common sense department. As we went back and forth, it became clear to me that he had a number of important points to make, so I asked him to give us his take on the troubling consequences of tinkering with the natural laws of the garden. And this is what he had to say
For those not predisposed to the joys of having needles stuck in their bodies, this has the ring of amazing convenience. We’re talking one of those incredible advances in modern medicine here, a technological quantum leap.
I guess I’m weird (probably not much doubt about that) but I had a slightly different reaction/horror.
The venerable Dr. Joseph Mercola said it best; “This is one genie that should be left in its bottle.” How right I believe he is.
There is more than one issue here. I’d certainly prefer to eat my vaccine, like the old sugar cube deal for polio when I was a kid, rather than have somebody shove a nail in me. Whatever your beliefs concerning immunizations and their side effects, this route of delivery sounds pretty desirable.
However, three small issues come to mind (though I’ll bet there are lots more): first, wouldn’t you like to know when you’re getting a drug that someone else has decided you need? Since spinach leaves with or without the drug would presumably look the same you could have a problem there. What if the drug adversely affects a developing fetus, or reacts against certain drugs, or causes side effects in certain types of people? We’ve already had our wake-up call with StarLink corn, a genetic variant that was ‘supposed’ to be only for farm animals, and never meant to reach human consumption. Too late. It’s now everywhere, whatever the long-term affects of this mutant strain, and it can’t be stopped.
Second, wouldn’t you like to know just who has decided what new drug should be administered to your body? With this neat new route of delivery it’s no longer your family doc, nor is it anyone else you can readily identify. You won’t know for sure how many drugs are being administered, or their purpose, so you can’t look into what testing was done, what a drug company did to get approval, or why someone wants a certain medication inside you.
But say you’re a trusting soul (not recommended for those with only one body to inhabit). There’s still that third little issue. This one’s already an issue today, with the use of fluoride in our water supplies. Whether you are pro or con in the fluoride controversy, there is one simple problem that nobody can dispute:
You can’t control the dose.
In the case of vaccines in your salad, spinach lovers like Popeye could have a real problem, while your veggie-phobic, junk food junkie teenager ends up getting no “protection” at all.
Yeah, I know, we could all force down the veggie that we KNOW contains the vaccine. But then you’re still back to the StarLink corn situation (which is now unstoppable and no longer a theoretical problem): How do you keep the drug veggie away from the organic farm next dooror ANYBODY’S farm?
This is one horse that doesn’t seem to be quite out of the barn yet. I’m going to continue studying this issue and will let you know how you can get involved to keep our vegetable supply drug free.
Good Health,
Allan N. Spreen, MD
Some things just don’t need “improving”
Dr. Spreen briefly mentioned the use of fluoride in our drinking water, a subject that I addressed in a July e-Alert (“Where the Yellow Went” 7/15/02). I received several e-mails about that e-Alert, and a couple of them were quite angry that I would even think of questioning the benefits of fluoride in every glass of tap water. But Dr. Spreen’s point here is on the mark: the benefits of any sort of mass-medicating are outweighed by the dangers that arise when the dosage can’t be controlled.
I think that most people would be very surprised to discover that high levels of fluoride in drinking water do not provide high levels of dental health – in fact, just the opposite. Excessive fluoridation can actually cause teeth to become brittle and vulnerable to decay. That’s just one of the reasons that quite a few countries (including France, Germany and Japan) have rejected the use of fluoride in their water supplies.
But the news gets worse. Recently some of the large marketers of bottled water have begun selling the idea that kids who get their drinking water out of bottles may not be getting all the fluoride they “need.” Their answer: fluoridated bottled water! Not only is the concept of “improving” water a wrongheaded idea, it’s dangerous if kids start getting fluoride in both their tap water and their bottled water.
Want to do your kids a favor? Keep giving them the unfluoridated bottled water. If they’re doing a good job of brushing and getting regular check-ups at the dentist, then their dental hygiene will be just fine – without the fluoride.
To find out more about the dangers of fluoride in tap water, take a moment to read this message from William Campbell Douglass II, M.D., “How does the government help big industry get rid of millions of tons of toxic waste? Easy. They add it to your drinking water!”
In the meantime, like Dr. Spreen, I’ll keep a lookout for continuing developments in the genetic modification of crops. As he made clear, this is a situation that presents many problems, and – so far – no workable solutions.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
