Comments on: What You Eat Affects Your Genes: RNA from Rice Can Survive Digestion and Alter Gene Expression http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: William Edwards http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29540 William Edwards Sat, 13 Oct 2012 19:55:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29540 How the body handles food is a process developed by the body through generations of trial and error. The human genome, DNA, remembers the big threats and the big rewards. Some would call it instinct. The body responds and remodels to fit its current environment. When you start to feed the body foods that it doesn't recognize it responds with genetic switching to accommodate the new foods. It may or may not respond correctly. When it responds incorrectly you have disease. It may be the Metabolic Syndrome diseases. It may be cancer. It's making it's best guess based on its memory of the past. Packaged and processed foods lack the synergy and total nutrition of fresh wholesome foods. They are but chemically enhanced zombies of what was once real food. I primarily eat organic non-GMO foods without labels and that I know where it came from. Restaurant and fast foods are out. It's not always possible but it greatly enhances my odds for survival. Being vegan helps. How the body handles food is a process developed by the body through generations of trial and error. The human genome, DNA, remembers the big threats and the big rewards. Some would call it instinct. The body responds and remodels to fit its current environment. When you start to feed the body foods that it doesn’t recognize it responds with genetic switching to accommodate the new foods. It may or may not respond correctly. When it responds incorrectly you have disease. It may be the Metabolic Syndrome diseases. It may be cancer. It’s making it’s best guess based on its memory of the past.
Packaged and processed foods lack the synergy and total nutrition of fresh wholesome foods. They are but chemically enhanced zombies of what was once real food. I primarily eat organic non-GMO foods without labels and that I know where it came from. Restaurant and fast foods are out. It’s not always possible but it greatly enhances my odds for survival. Being vegan helps.

]]> By: Daniel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29516 Daniel Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:56:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29516 The largest rice consuming countries, on contrast, eat the smallest quantity of animal products. Animals contain "bad" cholesterol, so therefore there is check and balance. Its Americans that have health and food issues because of companies like monsanto altering our diets, through (GM) with permission from congress, that eliminates the economic checks & balances of our food system; by creating surplus, from subsidies, to control the market there by forcing corn into everything, literally- everything. I would concede that we now have a lot of GM corn miRNA in our bodies. WE NEED LABELING LAWS SO THE CONSUMERS HAVE A EQUAL INFO TO MAKE DECISIONS AND LET THE FREE MARKET DECIDE THE FATE OF GMOs. The largest rice consuming countries, on contrast, eat the smallest quantity of animal products. Animals contain “bad” cholesterol, so therefore there is check and balance. Its Americans that have health and food issues because of companies like monsanto altering our diets, through (GM) with permission from congress, that eliminates the economic checks & balances of our food system; by creating surplus, from subsidies, to control the market there by forcing corn into everything, literally- everything. I would concede that we now have a lot of GM corn miRNA in our bodies. WE NEED LABELING LAWS SO THE CONSUMERS HAVE A EQUAL INFO TO MAKE DECISIONS AND LET THE FREE MARKET DECIDE THE FATE OF GMOs.

]]> By: J2 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29514 J2 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:39:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29514 Part of the problem about the whole GmO issue is that you've got a lot of people with financial interests telling people these modifications are safe, that everything's under control, trust us, you're a sucker and an idiot, etc. But the truth is that there are absolutely no good long term studies on GMO safety, and there is plenty of evidence that unexpected things happen when you are dealing with complex systems, not all of which are good. Being cautious is a valid survival strategy, and when someone tells us we're stupid for being cautious, I find it wise to be skeptical... Part of the problem about the whole GmO issue is that you’ve got a lot of people with financial interests telling people these modifications are safe, that everything’s under control, trust us, you’re a sucker and an idiot, etc. But the truth is that there are absolutely no good long term studies on GMO safety, and there is plenty of evidence that unexpected things happen when you are dealing with complex systems, not all of which are good. Being cautious is a valid survival strategy, and when someone tells us we’re stupid for being cautious, I find it wise to be skeptical…

]]> By: Jim Mooney http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29513 Jim Mooney Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:13:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29513 That makes sense. People from corn-fed states are kind of corny ;') Seriously, I read that the Chinese had discovered a tRNA herb that helps with the flu, but the herb wasn't mentioned. Since I get persistent flu, I'd sure like to know what that is. Anyone know what it is, or where I could find it? That makes sense. People from corn-fed states are kind of corny ;’)

Seriously, I read that the Chinese had discovered a tRNA herb that helps with the flu, but the herb wasn’t mentioned. Since I get persistent flu, I’d sure like to know what that is. Anyone know what it is, or where I could find it?

]]> By: David Tribe http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29512 David Tribe Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:13:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29512 There is a history of safe use of these small RNAs in food, as they are common in major plant material appearing in our diet Endogenous small RNAs in grain: semi-quantification and sequence homology to human and animal genes. Ivashuta SI, Petrick JS, Heisel SE, Zhang Y, Guo L, Reynolds TL, Rice JF, Allen E, Roberts JK. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Feb;47(2):353-60. Epub 2008 Nov 27. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are effector molecules of RNA interference (RNAi), a highly conserved RNA-based gene suppression mechanism in plants, mammals and other eukaryotes. Endogenous RNAi-based gene suppression has been harnessed naturally and through conventional breeding to achieve desired plant phenotypes. The present study demonstrates that endogenous small RNAs, such as siRNAs and miRNAs, are abundant in soybean seeds, corn kernels, and rice grain, plant tissues that are traditionally used for food and feed. Numerous endogenous plant small RNAs were found to have perfect complementarity to human genes as well as those of other mammals. The abundance of endogenous small RNA molecules in grain from safely consumed food and feed crops such as soybean, corn, and rice and the homology of a number of these dietary small RNAs to human and animal genomes and transcriptomes establishes a history of safe consumption for dietary small RNAs. PMID: 19068223 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] There is a history of safe use of these small RNAs in food, as they are common in major plant material appearing in our diet

Endogenous small RNAs in grain: semi-quantification and sequence homology to human and animal genes.
Ivashuta SI, Petrick JS, Heisel SE, Zhang Y, Guo L, Reynolds TL, Rice JF, Allen E, Roberts JK.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Feb;47(2):353-60. Epub 2008 Nov 27.

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are effector molecules of RNA interference (RNAi), a highly conserved RNA-based gene suppression mechanism in plants, mammals and other eukaryotes. Endogenous RNAi-based gene suppression has been harnessed naturally and through conventional breeding to achieve desired plant phenotypes. The present study demonstrates that endogenous small RNAs, such as siRNAs and miRNAs, are abundant in soybean seeds, corn kernels, and rice grain, plant tissues that are traditionally used for food and feed. Numerous endogenous plant small RNAs were found to have perfect complementarity to human genes as well as those of other mammals. The abundance of endogenous small RNA molecules in grain from safely consumed food and feed crops such as soybean, corn, and rice and the homology of a number of these dietary small RNAs to human and animal genomes and transcriptomes establishes a history of safe consumption for dietary small RNAs.
PMID: 19068223 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

]]> By: Veronique Greenwood http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29511 Veronique Greenwood Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:44:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29511 @Kodak, here's what happened with the Photoshop stuff: http://blogs.nature.com/news/2011/11/mispaste_its_the_new_typo_1.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Frss%2Fnewsblog+%28News+Blog+-+Blog+Posts%29 It turned out to be a "typo," and the researchers have corrected it; it doesn't seem to have affected the results. Thanks for letting us know! @Kodak, here’s what happened with the Photoshop stuff: http://blogs.nature.com/news/2011/11/mispaste_its_the_new_typo_1.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Frss%2Fnewsblog+%28News+Blog+-+Blog+Posts%29

It turned out to be a “typo,” and the researchers have corrected it; it doesn’t seem to have affected the results.

Thanks for letting us know!

]]> By: David Alton http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29510 David Alton Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:01:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29510 Not a surprise to me!! I was given prednisone for asthma and became allergic to all the foods I ate during the week I was on the drug. Clearly the corticosteroid had opened up the intestinal lining and let larger molecules of food through and my immune system identified them as dangerous. I am still allergic to all these foods after 20 years. Not a surprise to me!! I was given prednisone for asthma and became allergic to all the foods I ate during the week I was on the drug. Clearly the corticosteroid had opened up the intestinal lining and let larger molecules of food through and my immune system identified them as dangerous. I am still allergic to all these foods after 20 years.

]]> By: KODAK http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29509 KODAK Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:03:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29509 Some russian bloggers have spotted what seems to be the signs of Photoshop used for falsifying Western blot images: http://progenes.livejournal.com/136078.html Specifically, these figures have copy-pasted images: http://photo.qip.ru/photo/ttanchik/3925801/large/95022606.jpg http://photo.qip.ru/photo/ttanchik/3925801/large/95022607.jpg Some russian bloggers have spotted what seems to be the signs of Photoshop used for falsifying Western blot images: http://progenes.livejournal.com/136078.html
Specifically, these figures have copy-pasted images:
http://photo.qip.ru/photo/ttanchik/3925801/large/95022606.jpg
http://photo.qip.ru/photo/ttanchik/3925801/large/95022607.jpg

]]> By: donga1 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29508 donga1 Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:54:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29508 Read the article. The researchers exposed rat cells to 1000 times higher concentration of the miRNA than natually found to get that effect. Unless you start eating 1000 times more rice, you're fine. Read the article. The researchers exposed rat cells to 1000 times higher concentration of the miRNA than natually found to get that effect. Unless you start eating 1000 times more rice, you’re fine.

]]> By: Ago2 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/#comment-29507 Ago2 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:33:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=31928#comment-29507 Instead of freaking out about GMO and scifi scenarios, why can't we logically dissect the data presented in the publication? The concentration of the miRNA that gets into a human/mouse cell from digesting rice is unlikely to be near the concentration used in some of the experiments. Can any other lab find plant miRNAs in their small RNA libraries from animal tissues? It is interesting to imagine that there is potential to modify health by understanding which plants contain 'transferable miRNAs' that could be beneficial for preventing or delaying certain human diseases to which one is genetically susceptible. Instead of freaking out about GMO and scifi scenarios, why can’t we logically dissect the data presented in the publication? The concentration of the miRNA that gets into a human/mouse cell from digesting rice is unlikely to be near the concentration used in some of the experiments. Can any other lab find plant miRNAs in their small RNA libraries from animal tissues? It is interesting to imagine that there is potential to modify health by understanding which plants contain ‘transferable miRNAs’ that could be beneficial for preventing or delaying certain human diseases to which one is genetically susceptible.

]]>