Are GMOs OK to eat while pregnant?
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Pregnancy can be a beautiful time of life, but it’s one that comes with information overload. From books and apps to the well-meaning (and sometimes less-than-helpful) suggestions from family and friends, it can be overwhelming.
As a first-time expecting mom, my life seems to center around food: food aversions, food cravings, foods to avoid. It often has me researching the best foods to eat to feel better and keep baby growing healthy and strong.
As I have researched the best foods to eat, I stumbled on the question: Are GMOs OK to eat while pregnant?
What’s a GMO?
According to the World Health Organization, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms in which the genetic material (i.e., DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. Genetic modification allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another. In the case of food, crop seed can be genetically modified, which results in genetically modified food.
Focus on nutrient-dense foods
From physician advice to medical websites, the most common and straightforward advice I’ve found is for pregnant women to eat nutrient-dense food. Important nutrients to consume in food or supplements are folate, calcium, iron, protein and vitamin D.
Genetically modified foods and their non-GMO counterparts are nutritionally the same. And whether a food is GMO or not, the most important thing to focus on is getting a nutritionally sound diet.
The best thing we can do as soon-to-be moms is to get the most nutrients we can to sustain our babies and help them grow.
As with any pregnancy questions or concerns, consult your physician as it pertains to your nutrition. If you’d like more information on GMOs, below you can find some of my favorite resources when researching the topic and choosing the best foods for my growing family.
- “OMG, GMOs!”: Bill Nye (yes, the science guy) has a great podcast called Science Rules! In this episode, Bill and his guests dive in and cover all things GMO-related.
- GMO Answers: The website GMO Answers is an initiative committed to responding to your questions about how food is grown. Its goal is to make information about GMOs in food and agriculture easier to access and understand.
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Want to learn more about GMOs? Read our other blog posts on GMOs.