Epigenetics: Our children's children etc. effects of pharmaceutical drugs and GMOs

I was listening to the CBC radio program, Quirks and Quarks this weekend and one of the segments included a discussion abbout new discoveries in "epigenetics", which is the study of how environmental effects and variables from an earlier population generation effects a later generattion.

It was suggested that reduction in smoking by grandparents could lead to less cancer in grandchildren, or something like that.

What wasn't discussed was, the massive increase in population use of prescribed drugs, particularly psycho-pharmacologicals in the general population since the 1980's. Since 2010, GMOs have been consumed by most of American and western societies.

If epigenetic theories are real, then, what will be the genetic effects of recent population consumption of these new chemicals that could have affected our genetic makeup?

I'm most concerned about the pharmaceuticals from an epigenetic perspective, but I have no science to base my apprehension upon.

I agree.

GMO means the plant cells produce pesticides.

This is good for controlling bugs. Humans are bugs.

We have more bacteria in our gut than cells in our body.

Without proper digestion cells cannot be produced effectively.

Our food is eating GMO and we have been eating it fifteen years or more.

Cure for caner.... stop monsanto

Originally posted by surfin4it

I'm most concerned about the pharmaceuticals from an epigenetic perspective, but I have no science to base my apprehension upon.

The old CBC, BH (before harper) would have reported on the epigenetics you speak of, I bet.
They did after all present one of the most truth-filled docs on 9 11, not that long after it happened.

They used to be the national network we counted on for the news as close as it gets, but they've been muzzled too.

All the best on your research - sounds plausible, and you have provided some very good points. I'm thinking it will be tough to find, by design.
And some still wonder if we're being lied to. Aaagh.

Epigenetics is absolutely real.

Studies have been done on drosophila as well as mice.

The drosophila (water flea, if memory serves) studies showed that when exposed to predators, drosophila specimens grew spines as a defense. The offspring retained the feature for several generations even after the stimuli was removed.

The studies on mice showed the effects of diet on future generations.

If what we eat and drink can affect futures generations, then it would make sense that medications could produce a similar lasting effect.

Time will tell, I suppose.

I didn't post a source, but, the information I mentioned is straight from a course on cell biology and genetics.

S&F

reply to post by surfin4it


I learnt about that in bio, yes they do think that things can effect us several generations down. for example a study of gmo that caused rats to go sterile in 3 generations. while theres no idea of gmo will affect our dna dont expect it to be good.

In three generations of feeding GMOs, hamsters became sterile and grew weird/scary hairs on the inside of their mouths.

After enough generational feeding of GMOs, pigs gave birth to empty sacks of water instead of live babies.

After eight generations of letting a GMO grass grow to feed cows, it suddenly produced cyanide gas and killed an entire field of cows.

(*I don't have time to post sources right now, but a quick google search will yield copious amounts of information about all of this.)

I refuse to take part in this experiment. The movie Children of Men and the photos of ugly things washing up downshore from Plum Island come to mind...

reply to post by manicminxx

After eight generations of letting a GMO grass grow to feed cows, it suddenly produced cyanide gas and killed an entire field of cows.

if thats the story i think it is, that grass wasnt true gmo and the gas was from hydrocyanic acid the grass produces

I cannot help but wonder if this reliance on GMO will just be another genetic
Hurdle that we have jumped so many times before inour history.

Im no fan of GMO but it cannot be any different (in terms of how we are affected)
Than other periods in history where some catastroohic event caused a sudden
Change in diet or a even a change in the cells of our food.

At some point in our future as the population doubles again and again,
We are going ti have to come up with more concentrated foods and suppliments
Or learn to farm on an extraterrestrial body. Either way our bodies are going to
Need to adapt to new ways to nurish or we will perish.

A larger forum outside a capitalist corporation is all that can be done to help to
Control the changes and get ahead of the side effects.

reply to post by surfin4it


Good questions.

Some of my older threads cover the science of epigenetics - as adaptive response to environmental change, evolutionary mechanism, etc. You might find some answers there.

...And you're right - sounds like Quirks and Quarks choked on that one. No doubt the 'communications strategy' intends to "focus on the positive" and address those things it's in our individual power to control - but the effect is to blame the victims and I think that's unconscionable.