Hybrid foods are either viewed in a positive or negative light. They cannot naturally occur in nature; humans have to intervene and crossbreed two different plants to yield a hybrid plant. Hybrid foods, however, are not recent news. The ancient Mayans altered plants in order to produce a sustainable and long-lasting crop. Let’s tackle the topic of hybrid plants below.

What Are Hybrids?

Crossing two different varieties of a fruit or vegetable with each other will yield a hybrid produce item. A common hybrid food is the grapefruit, which is a hybrid of a sweet orange and a pomelo, and it was crossbred on plantations in the 18^th century. The important thing to understand is that hybrid foods can occur both in nature and on a farm or plantation.

Open Pollination

Open pollination happens when an insect, bird, wind, or other natural mechanisms cross-pollinate two different species of plant. There are no restrictions between the flow of pollen, which is why open-pollinated plants are genetically diverse. Open pollination causes a greater variation within plant populations, and this can change with the climate and time of year.

Hybridization

This is a more controlled method of pollinating two different plant varieties or species. Human intervention is necessary for this to happen. It is important to note that a hybrid plant is genetically unstable, meaning that the seeds cannot be re-used after the initial harvest. The hybridized plant will produce a higher and larger yield than the parent varieties because they will have a higher carbohydrate makeup. The nutrients and phytochemicals from the parent varieties are diluted in the hybrid plant.

Corn is probably the most infamous example of a hybrid food, given that new corn hybrids were produced in the 1930s, so that farmers could easily cultivate the crop. The other reason was so that it could grow more easily and be more resistant to insects and drought. Milford Beeghly perfected a breeding technique to obtain hybrid seed corn that grew taller and produced higher amounts of ears. Since the days of Beeghly, corn has transitioned from being a hybrid food to a genetically engineered crop.

GMOs vs. Hybrids

A hybrid plant is crossbred and is not genetically modified, according to the NonGMO Project. Scientists combine different DNA genes, viruses, and bacteria from different species of plants and animals to create genetically engineered foods, which are typically patented, for example, the Honeycrisp apple. In a genetically engineered plant, the genes have been altered to continually produce specific traits that don’t change when hybrid plants are replanted. GMOs change the genetic makeup of the seed so that the genes from other species and organisms are inside the plant. The seeds also contain chemical pesticides to ward off insects. This is why GMO foods are not the same as hybrid foods. This is also why GMO produce items are available throughout the year.

Having Said All That…

Hybrid foods can become genetically modified and patented, but they do not inherently contain GMOs. Certain hybrid foods contain a lot of essential nutrients and beneficial enzymes, which are better and easier for the body to absorb than synthesized nutrients that are created in a lab and come in pill form. People have the right to be wary of hybrid foods because certain hybrid wheat, for instance, is bred to have triple the gluten. The goal of avoiding this hybrid should be because of the increased gluten percentage, not because it is a hybrid. As a consumer of produce, it is difficult to know if the nutritional content of your hybrid produce is low, medium, or high. Concerning yourself with the location and growing conditions of your produce is the best way to know the nutritional content, and an easier way to know if GMOs were used or if it was an open-pollinated hybrid.

Sometimes we need to step back and analyze the foods for what they are. Were they grown with chemicals? Were concentrated toxins sprayed on the crop? Are there nutritional deficits? These questions need to be answered when it comes to your decision about eating or not eating hybrid foods. We aren’t advocating for them, but we aren’t against them. We are merely telling you to weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision. Be wary of the GMO-laden foods, though!

A Hybrid Food List

• Pluots
• Broccolini
• Angello
• Black Galaxy Tomato
• Grapefruit
• Limequat
• Pineberry
• Carambola
• Seedless Grapes
• Pineapples
• Seedless Watermelons
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Seedless Persimmons
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Kiwis
• Seedless Citrus Fruit
• Several Date Varieties (like Medjool)
• Cashews
• Beets
• Seedless Apples

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“Parthenocarpy, meaning virgin fruit, is the natural or artificially induced production of fruit without mature seeds.

Originally, humans discovered and cultivated seedless fruit from genetic mutations. It is a mutation or defect of the plant because it can no longer sexually reproduce. However, parthenocarpy of certain fruits on a plant is of value. Seedless fruits are very desirable especially in edible fruits with hard seeds such as orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and banana.

Naturally, all fruits have seeds. However, genetically engineered seedless fruits are in high demand because of their hassle-free convenience.

Have you really looked at a seedless watermelon? They are more oval-shaped, like a ball. If you find white seeds inside of a watermelon it is a sign of genetic engineering and this can be harmful to the human body.

The watermelons with white seeds lack vitality and are deficient in minerals and other nutrients. The texture will also be different than compared to the real thing. The genetically engineered product will also be unnaturally high in sugar, which is why it tastes sweeter. Basically, you will have unnaturally high sugar content and unnaturally low mineral content.

Eating the genetically engineered food will cause the body to lose minerals and thus energy. If the food you eat is devitalized, then you too will be devitalized, as you are what you eat.

Today, people are eating too many seedless fruits. People are eating seedless grapes, seedless pineapples, seedless bananas, seedless oranges, and seedless watermelon. Yes, these fruits are very sweet but again, they are also very low in mineral content, throwing off the body’s natural balance.

Hybridization versus Genetic Modification

Genetic modification takes place when the plant’s genes are permanently modified. Hybridization is when the seeds of two plants are cross-bred to cultivate certain traits.

Hybridization has taken place for thousands of years. Genetic modification is very young, and unproven. The only advantages to genetic modification are to make the plant more resistant to pests, pesticides and disease. There are no known advantages to humans ingesting genetically modified foods.

Disadvantages of eating seedless fruits

Since seedless fruits are genetically modified, it’s important to know the disadvantages of eating genetically modified foods:

• The safety of genetically modified foods is not proven.
• There are early links between consumption of genetically modified food and cancer in humans.
• Genetically modified foods may be linked to the development of allergies.
• Genetically modified foods may introduce animal by-products into fruits and vegetables, which will cause significant issues for people with dietary restrictions.
• Genetically modified foods cannot be recalled.
• Foods modified to resist disease tend to pass along this quality to humans, which may be contributing to the decrease in the effectiveness of antibiotics.
• Genetically modified foods change the soil’s flora and fauna, which make it difficult for long-term viability of the soil to grow future crops.
• The genetically modified genes of the food may impact the genes of the person eating it. This can create long-term and possibly irreversible health problems.
• Insects pollinating or eating genetically modified foods can develop the same types of resistance, which can throw agricultural ecosystems out of balance.
• All of the above challenges may be irreversible.

Solutions

It would be wise to abstain from eating genetically engineered foods as well as hybridized foods, especially fruits. Eating organic and seeded fruits whenever possible is the healthiest option.

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Hybrids tend to be vigorous growers, uniformity of shape and earlier more sustained flowering, larger flowers or vegetables, or larger fruits.

Heirloom or Open Pollinated (OP) plants are simply varieties that are capable of producing seeds that will produce seedlings just like the parent plant. Not all plants do this.

Plant breeders cross breed compatible types of plants in an effort to create a plant with the best features of both parents. These are called hybrids and many of our modern plants are the results of these crosses.

While plants can cross-pollinate in nature and hybrids repeatedly selected and grown may eventually stabilize, many hybrid seeds are relatively new crosses and seed from these hybrids will not produce plants with identical qualities.

Anyone can select and eventually stabilize their own seed or even hybridize new plants, but plant and seed companies have recently begun patenting their crosses so that only have the right to reproduce the hybrids they’ve developed. Monsanto is at the forefront in this capacity.

Hybrid Foods

Today we are inundated with hybrid foods, whether we are aware of this fact or not. Hybridized foods also fall under the category “products for convenience”.

Now ask yourself, “Is the majority of what you’re eating being shipped (to a market)?” If so, there’s a great chance the food or product contains hybridized ingredients.

Characteristics

Have you ever seen a watermelon that is shaped more like a basketball rather than a traditional oblong shaped watermelon? Well, this kind of watermelon-like creation is a hybrid. It’s not an actual watermelon. It’s watermelon-like!

Real or actual watermelon has seeds in it, black seeds at that! It is oblong in shape, and not oval-shaped like a basketball. Believe it or not, you will even find this kind of watermelon-like product at so-called health food stores.

Hybrid foods are created by cross breeding multiple foods within the same species. By breeding two parent samples of a particular food, a superior food can be made. Hybrid food has become increasingly popular because it provides food supply increase and hardiness and increased nutrition. The most common hybrid foods include vegetables, fruits, and rice.

Some common hybrid fruits are:

• Grapefruit
• Boysenberries
• Lemon
• Orange
• Pineapple
• Apple
• Nectarine, and
• Cantaloupe

Common hybrid vegetables include:

• Beets
• Carrots
• Corn, and
• Potatoes

Common hybrid nuts and seeds include:

• Cashews
• Oats
• Rice, and
• Wheat

Brown, white, and “wild” rice are hybrids. Commercial “soft” wheat is a hybrid. Alfalfa sprouts and most commercially available legumes are hybrids.

Genetically Engineered Foods

Using the latest molecular biology techniques, plants have been modified to enhance desired traits. In comparison to breeding, genetic engineering can create desirable looking plants in a shorter time with more accuracy. A specific gene can be isolated and transferred from one plant to another.

Many herbs (plants) are genetically engineered, as well as grafted. Some are also sprayed with harmful toxic chemicals allegedly to protect them.

Common hybrid herbs include:

• Peppermint
• Queen Anne’s Lace
• Peach Leaf, and
• Spearmint

Disadvantages

Many herbs are no longer natural and because there is a heavy demand for these particular herbs, these herbs are man engineered and harvested, herbs such as Echinacea, Goldenseal, Comfrey, and St. John’s Wort to name a few. Their original strains may have been natural, but today, many of them are unnaturally grown.

Seaweeds like chlorella, spirulina, and blue green algae, as nutritious as they are, are harvested in man-made lakes and ponds and cannot be found in the wild. Harvested foods are far safer than genetically engineered and grafted foods.

We need to be aware of genetically engineered foods.Our state of optimal health and wellbeing depends on it. Nothing we eat or could eat is safe or spared from possibly containing genetically engineered ingredients. Consider the following:

Eating genetically engineered (GE) foods may cause defects (imbalances) within the human body. Because the molecules of hybrid and GE plants are altered, it stands to reason that the molecules of the human makeup also become altered and this altering manifests in human behavior, actions, and thoughts in the form of defective or faulty behavior, actions, and thoughts. After all, you are what you eat.

Addiction

Genetically engineered foods also help the business of addiction. The greatest addiction on our planet is sugar addiction so it’s no wonder why hybridized fruits are real sweet, sweeter than what Nature intended.

But it doesn’t just have to be sugar to cause an addiction. Anything hybridized can lead to addiction of the hybridized product.

Dherbs has warned people for years that tobacco used in cigarettes and other tobacco-based products contain GE tobacco. The modern day tobacco strains are ten times more addictive than the tobacco used in earlier times.

Soy

Health conscious individuals who are vegan and vegetarian need to be very conscious about consuming soy products.

There is no other food (or crop) that is more genetically engineered than soy, well, perhaps with the exception of corn.

The less soy one consumes, the better. However, the only soy that should be consumed today is one that has a label on the product with the word “non-GMO” written on it. This means the product contains no genetically modified food organism, at least to the knowledge of the manufacturer. So, the product may contain non-GMO soy, but it may contain ingredients that are GE simply because these ingredients were sourced from some other company who may have used GE ingredients.

This is why food-labeling laws for notice of GMO ingredients are necessary and very important. All companies should take responsibility and inform customers and consumers of what they are eating. If GE and GMO foods are so safe as is claimed by GE and GMO proponents, why not give the people notice of these kinds of foods and/or food ingredients in certain products.

Pesticides

Whether the pesticide is sprayed on the crop or genetically engineered into the crop, it will eventually end up in the bloodstream. Consider the following:

“In 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) looked at pesticides in the blood of ordinary citizens. Of the thirty-four pesticides tested, the average person had thirteen in his/her bloodstream, and blood levels of chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate pesticide banned for residential use in 2001 because of its negative effects) were found to be twice as high in children as in adults. The CDC report showed that children and women of child-bearing age carried the heaviest pesticide burdens – which is alarming, because pesticide exposure in the womb and during the first three years of postnatal life has been found to lower birth weight, increase the incidence of birth defects, and hinder normal neurological development and reproduction.”

Source: Lipski, Elizabeth. “Digestive Wellness For Children.” California: Basic Health Publications, Inc. (2006), p. 22

Heirloom Open Pollinated Plant vs. Hybrid Plants

The difference between an heirloom open pollinated plant and a hybrid plant is that an open pollinated plant has one parent and a hybrid plant has two parents.

Hybrid seeds are seeds that result from the cross pollination of two inbred pollination plants.

Many health conscious individuals who decide to grow their own crops by purchasing seeds may not know that many seeds sold in packets, sold from nurseries and even sold from mail order are F1 hybrids.

You can always tell a hybrid fruit or vegetable because they are usually very large. The tomatoes you see nowadays are much larger than what you saw back in the 1970s. Tomatoes in supermarkets are much larger than the tomatoes you will find in your natural garden and that’s because they are hybrids.

Hybrids vs. Genetically Modified Organisms

Hybrids should not be confused with Genetically Modified Organisms or (GMOs) which can be any plant, animal or microorganism that has been genetically altered using molecular genetics techniques such as gene cloning and protein engineering. Plants like corn that has the pesticide Bt engineered into its genetic makeup to make it resistant to certain pests are GMO crops. Bt is a natural pesticide, but it would never naturally find its way into corn seed.

If you’re thinking about starting your own organic garden, make sure you get informed about the seeds you will use to start and maintain your garden.

Recommendations

Hybrid foods are everywhere so if you eat you’ve got to be eating some hybrids.

If you want to make eating hybrids work for you, David Wolfe recommends that you eat small amounts of fruits and vegetables. Mix bananas with fat (avocados, nuts, olives) and it will lessen the hybrid effect on the system.

If you eat more green-leafed vegetables and avocados, nuts, or olives with hybrid sweet fruits or vegetables it will decrease their effect on the blood sugar and increase the utility of elements in the food.

Hybrid grains, and legumes should be soaked and sprouted, and absolutely never cooked.

As long as they are raw, the body can draw nutrients from them and can deal with them.

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