Question

What are the effects of biotechnology with relation to human health?

Answer 1

Effects of Biotechnology on Human Health are:

1. Allergies: GMO crops could potentially have negative effects on human health as well. Consumers have developed unexpected allergic reactions. e.g. Researchers used a gene from the Brazil nut to increase the production of Methionine in soybeans. The insertion of this gene inadvertently caused allergic reactions to the soybean in those with known nut allergies (“Biotech Soybeans”).
2. Long-Term Effects: Because GMO technology has been available for such a short amount of time, there is relatively little research which has been conducted on the long-term effects on health which we cannot anticipate at this point.
3. New Proteins: Proteins that have never been ingested before by humans are now part of the foods that people consume every day. Their potential effects on the human body are as of yet unknown.
4. Food Additives: GMOs also present us with the possibility of introducing additional nutrients into foods, as well as antibiotics and vaccines. This availability of technology can provide nutrition and disease resistance to the people of those countries that don’t have the means to provide these, otherwise. However, there is the possibility of the creation of antibiotic and vaccine-resistant strains of pathogens.