Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD

A recent study published in the open-access journal, African Journal of Biotechnology, entitled " Addressing the issue of horizontal gene transfer from a diet containing genetically modified components into rat tissues " has been making the rounds on social media and throughout the anti-GMO community. Before we break down the study, it's important to note that it follows up on a 2013 study by Spisak, et al, in PloS One (1), that caused some controversy, because it's results suggested that whole plant genes crosse from the digestive tract into the human blood stream. These findings were immediately jumped upon by the typical anti- GMO media (Natural News, Collective Evolution, etc etc  here ,  here ,  here ,  here ) where the story incited fear that trans-genes in plants could be floating around in our blood stream. The actual study wasn't specific to GMOs; actually, GMOs are only briefly mentioned. The findings were controversial because the idea that whole g...

The term anti-nutrients seems to come up a lot when considering ancestral diets, and for those trying to eat a diet more in line with this concept. For one, I don't think antinutrients is truly the best of describing these plants compounds - calling phytic acid or lectins 'antinutrients' automatically assumes that they are bad in all forms and all concentrations. You'll hear me say this a lot - Nutrition is Toxicology. There is nothing that is inherently bad for you, in and of itself. It depends on the quality, quantity, and form. Don't get me wrong, phytic acid may be something you want to consider, especially if you're a vegetarian with low iron, but it's also been looked at as having anti carinogenic effects (1) - there is definitely not enough of a body of research to draw any overwhelming clinical significance out of this, but there's at least a hint that it's not all bad (phytic acid will probably get its own post later). Anywho, let's ...