Book Review: Seeds of Deception

Americans are consuming Genetically Modified food every day and the majority of the people are not aware of it. Unlike Europe, where GM foods are clearly labeled(if they are even offered), Americans have been kept in the dark as to what has been happening with their foods. Except for a few sparks of concern(Starlink Corn, for instance), it has mostly been held under wraps.

Seeds of Deception, by Jeffrey M. Smith is a book that was written to educate the public about this very serious issue. It is not fear-mongering, as every claim, point and study that is talked about is cited in the back of the book. Smith names names and gives you the connections of the people involved in the Genetically Modified foods and how they are pushed on the American people.

Genetically Modified foods have the potential to effect our immune systems(ie. cause allergic reactions, diabetes, etc), contain unnaturally high doses of toxins, and forever change the DNA structure of the plants this earth currently produces. This is only a small part of what has been scientifically proven, but has been held under wraps by the likes of Monsanto and the FDA.

One example: Roundup Ready soybeans, engineered to be able to withstand high concentrations of Monsanto's herbicide named Roundup, are known to contain a much higher amount of tripsin inhibitor. One study found that a certain strain of GM soybeans contained as much 27% more tripsin inhibitor than do natural soybeans. There is no separation of natural soybeans and Roundup Ready soybeans, with the exception of Organic Soybeans(which cannot be grown 'naturally with herbicides/pesticides' and cannot be GM). Tripsin inhibitor has been identified as a major allergen. The UK does extensive research on allergies and food sensitivies, and found that in March 1999 soy allergy jumped a whopping 50%. The soy that was in the UK at that time was primarily imported from the US and a significant percentage of that was the Roundup Ready variety. Not long after this, Ireland also experienced the jump in soy allergy. It was during this time that the UK banned GM foods until they were further tested and proven safe BEFORE being put on the market. (page 160)

Some other examples in this book are: GM corn causing respiratory, intestinal and skin reactions in 39 people living adjacent to a GM(Bt) corn field and breathing the pollen when it was pollinating, GM foods not having the same nutritional value(often far less) as natural foods, problems with antibiotic resistance as a result of Antibiotic Resistant Markers being placed into the DNA of foods, and the list goes on.

This is definitely a book to get your hands on and find out for yourself what is going on in our food supply and what is going into our bodies without our being aware of it. Only with this knowledge can we avoid GM foods and attempt to get our government to care more about the people and less about the money.

Here is a site to get you started and keep you updated on the newest happenings regarding Genetically Modified foods and other related issues: Seeds of Deception.


After reading this book, I am looking at my personal experience with allergies. I have had pollen allergies as long as I can remember, but the food allergies didn't really hit full-force until I moved to OH, in the farmhouse surrounded by corn and soy fields. I wonder whether my already-compromised immune system just couldn't handle the corn and soy anymore? I wonder whether there was some biological shift from my breathing in all the pollens of GM corn and soy(not to mention the Roundup) and that was what caused me to start reacting to many many foods? Just a thought...