Pioneer Hi-Bred's Web site boasts that their genetically modified (GM) Liberty Link corn survives doses of Liberty herbicide, which would normally kill corn. The reason, they say, is that the herbicide becomes "inactive in the corn plant."

They fail to reveal that after you eat the GM corn, some inactive herbicide may become reactivated inside your gut and cause a toxic reaction. In addition, a gene that was inserted into the corn might transfer into the DNA of your gut bacteria, producing long-term effects. These are just a couple of the many potential side effects of GM crops that critics say put the public at risk.

The four major genetically modified crops are (see photo above, left to right) corn, cotton, canola, and soybeans, all of which have approved Liberty- and Roundup-tolerant varieties. In the United States, consumers wishing to avoid them are forced to eliminate all products containing soy and corn, as well as canola and cottonseed oils. Or they can buy products that are organic or say "non-GMO" on the package.

To learn more about how these herbicide tolerant GM crops can create havoc in your body, read Jeffrey Smith's full article in the July/August edition of Touch the Soil magazine.