Why Being GMO Free And Plant-Based Matters To Us
It’s 2018. We’ve never been exposed to the amount of news and general information that we are today. Between the constant bombardment of social media, the 24-hour news cycle broadcast on thousands of different television channels every second of every day, to the events we hear about from our family, friends, and coworkers...it’s enough to make your head spin.
Going a level deeper, many of us feel responsible for being quality human beings. We would say all of us feel that way, but it doesn’t always seem that way in the present day and age. Regardless, most people make an effort to be conscientious about what they put in they put in their bodies, what kind of environmental impact their lifestyle is causing, and the like. And while we are told to care about x issue one day and y issue the next, there exist some fundamental principles which guide our organic skin care brand here at Aleavia Plant-Based Skincare.
Among those principles are having organic skin care products that are plant-based, cruelty-free, organic, natural, non-toxic, chemical-free, paraben-free, environmentally-friendly, free of all fragrances and dyes, and safe for everyone in the family (even babies).
400 Companies That DO NOT Use GMOs In Their Products
We recently noticed an article by realfarmacy.com, titled 400 Companies That DO NOT Use GMOs In Their Products. While we weren’t listed in this article, we bring it up because we certainly could have been! With that in mind, we wanted to take today’s post to highlight the rationale behind having some of the principles listed above. Perhaps you are familiar with GMOs and the many reasons they ought to be avoided, but there are many who aren’t. Keep reading to find out how consuming genetically modified organisms is something you should strongly consider avoiding.
What Are GMOs?
Let’s start with the basics before we get too far into the weeds. As the Non GMO Project states on their GMO Facts page, “Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional cross-breeding methods.”
As scientists become more adept at their engineering practices, their level of control continues to improve. What was once a concept almost exclusively used for withstanding herbicides has turned into scientists developing artificial traits in plants and other crops. For example, some GMO technology affords altered apples to be more resistant to browning, thereby increasing their shelf life. However, it must be noted that there is no evidence that existing GMOs on the market have done anything like what the biotech industry has indicated they would. There is no verifiable improvement in drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, an increased yield, or other categories intended to benefit consumers.
GMO Safety
GMOs have been shown to be unhealthy and dangerous. While the biotech industry produces propaganda pieces akin to “tobacco science,” the US Government does little to protect its own people, let alone inform the public of the experimental processes their food has undergone.
Health
First and foremost, GMOs are simply unhealthy. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has put their foot in the ground in their demonstrative recommendation that doctors should suggest non-GMO diets for all of their patients. There have been numerous studies performed on animals, as unfortunate as they may be, which have shown immune system disorders, accelerated aging, infertility, gastrointestinal disorders, and even organ damage.
But we don’t even have connect the dots using animals; there has been plenty of research performed on the general American public as well. After GMOs were introduced to the public in 1996, it took just nine years for the percentage of the public with three or more chronic illnesses rose from 7 to 13 percent. On top of that, reproductive disorders, digestive problems, and cases of autism are all on the rise, among other issues. To be clear, this is a case of correlation and not causation, as more research needs to be done in order to confirm more direct links, but there are multiple public health associations and environmentally-aware groups that recommend the public be proactive about knowing what is in their food and beauty products. For an organic skin care brand like ours, we hope it’s becoming easier for our readers to understand why being organic and GMO-free is integral to our mission at Aleavia.
No Help From The Government
As much as we’d like to think the powers that be would be concerned with their citizen’s health to the point that they would be proactive about determining the adverse effects of GMOs, such a thought seems more and more like wishful thinking these days.
Example: the US FDA doesn’t necessitate safety studies for GM products, and neither do they require the labeling of GMO products as such. The FDA says there is no evidence concerning the effects of GM food, but this is far from the truth. We encourage our readers to take the time to learn the details for yourselves. Independent research is being squashed and even suppressed in some sectors, so make sure you are in state of mind where you can handle reading some hard truths about the state of the world, nutrition, and public health.
GMOs in Cosmetic Products
As farmers continue to increase their use of GM crops, it isn’t only our food that is impacted. Whether you choose to try Aleavia and our organic skin care products or not, we encourage you to take a look at the ingredients listed on the cap of your current skin care line. Here are a few to keep an eye out for:
- Cornstarch
- Lactic acid
- Alcohol
- Sodium citrate
- Soy isoflavones and other soy-based products
- Amino acids
- Vitamin E
- Lecithin
- Vitamin C
- Citric acid
- Vegetable protein
- Glycerin
Consider Aleavia Plant-Based Skin Care
Aleavia is an organic skincare brand that cares about the wellbeing of our customers. We are passionate about making all-natural skincare products that not only are effective in cleansing, brightening, and nourishing skin, but also do not raise any eyebrows when it comes to the how element of the equation. We are transparent about what our plant-based skin care products contain, and we always will be. Shop our vegan skin care brand today!