The Amish have been an insular people in the United States for nearly 200 years, ever since they arrived from Switzerland and other parts of Europe to avoid religious persecution. Many non-Amish assume that since they avoid such modern technologies as telephones, automobile, and even zippers, the Amish must also eschew genetically modified crops and pesticides. These assumptions came out in a blog that appeared in the anti-GMO website Natural News and other sources, claiming that a recent study showing low cancer rates among Amish in Ohio meant that the people’s simple living practices, including using organic (and non-GMO) farming, were making them healthier.
Natural News extrapolated the cancer study:
Another important factor not specifically examined in the study is the fact that the Amish grow and raise all their own food. They employ time-tested, organic methods that provide them with healthy fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and other untainted foods that most Americans never get. Rich in living enzymes, vitamins, and nutrients Amish food is grown and raised the way it should be, resulting in improved health. While some may ridicule their secluded lifestyle, the Amish commitment to simple, productive lives and clean, local food is benefiting their health in ways that the rest of America can only dream about. When compared to a life of sitting in office buildings all day, eating processed and genetically-modified junk food, and popping prescription medications, it becomes clear which lifestyle is truly deserving of contempt.Contempt aside, Natural News did get one thing right: the Amish indeed do have lower cancer rates than do other Americans. And they mostly followed the researchers’ conclusions on what may be leading to these rates: more exercise, less reliance on labor-saving devices, avoidance of tobacco.
But here’s where Natural News is wrong: the Amish use pesticides, and they use genetically modified crops in their fields. Enthusiastically........To Read More....
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