The Gold that doesn't Glitter?

Hey everyone, Kristen again. In todays post I’d like to tackle something that really piqued my interest while doing my research. If you've been keeping up with our posts then you've  probably already heard it mentioned somewhere. 

Golden rice

Vitamin A is a vitamin that dissolves in the fat of our bodies. It is not a vitamin that can be produced by our bodies naturally and therefore we need it in our diets.  It is necessary for a multitude of functions in the body such as:

• ·        Boosting your immune system
• ·        Aiding your vision
• ·        Supporting bone and teeth growth
• ·        Allows organs such as the kidneys, heart and lungs to function better

A deficiency in Vitamin A would lead to:

• ·        Blindness
• ·        Chronic infections
• ·        Impaired immune response
• ·        Impaired function of certain organs

In poorer countries with limited access to food, many adults and children suffer from nutritional diseases, including vitamin A deficiency diseases (VAD). according to the world health organization,

"An estimated 250 000 to 500 000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight"

At the same time, rice is a proficient staple that is part of the diets of many individuals rich and poor alike.

From this its plain to see how rice was a good candidate to undergo genetic modification increasing its nutritional value with vitamin A.

Note the vivid yellow colour 

How was this done?

A certain variety of rice was chosen and enhanced by modifying three genes resulting in the crop being able to produce and store beta carotene. Beta carotene is what the body converts into vitamin A. Two men, Peter Beyer and Ingo Potrykus, were the first to publish a paper in 1999 with proof that Golden rice is possible.(Ye et al., 2000) 

However, anti GM organizations such as Greenpeace are insistent that golden rice is only an illusion claiming that is a “fake remedy” and “ a technological fix that may generate new problems.”

In my opinion, golden rice is definitely not a cure all or an instant fix. But if there is some possibility that GM technology can potentially aid in easing the struggles of the those who are hungry in the world, shouldn’t it at least be given a chance to be further developed? Either way, looking at either side of the debate is very interesting. If you are interested yourself, feel free to follow the links and do some research.  

See you in the next one.

Sources
Greenpeace International, "Special Report: Golden Rice" (2016) retrieved from:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/agriculture/problem/Greenpeace-and-Golden-Rice/

Mayer Jorge, "Golden Rice Project" (2005) retrieved from:
http://goldenrice.org/index.php

Images
ISAA "Golden Rice Technology" (2006) retrieved from:
https://www.isaaa.org/kc/inforesources/biotechcrops/The_Golden_Rice_Technology.htm

Heben "10 Unexpected Benefits of Eating Golden Rice" (2017) retrieved from:https://drhealthbenefits.com/food-bevarages/grains/health-benefits-of-eating-golden-rice