(Natural News) A new type of rice could soon be joining the usual brown and white varieties on the shelves of your grocery store: purple rice. Chinese scientists have developed a type of rice through genetic modification that they say can lower your risk of some types of cancer and diabetes. On the surface, this sounds like a winning proposition – and for those who sell the rice, it very well could be. However, there are a few reasons you might want to think twice before eating this colorful grain.
The science backing the benefits of the compound that colors this rice is pretty solid. The rice gets its violet hue from anthocyanins, a type of pigment that boosts antioxidants. It is naturally abundant in certain fruits and vegetables, and it has indeed been shown to have numerous health benefits. In addition to their protective effect against diabetes and cancer, anthocyanins have also been linked in studies to lower risks of cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and neurological disease. In addition, they have a strong anti-inflammatory action and can even help control or prevent obesity.
This is certainly an impressive list of benefits, but why would anyone want to eat genetically engineered rice made using a system called TransGene Stacking II when they could get the same effects from the foods that grow naturally on our earth?
This food is far from natural, and scientists have gone to great lengths to create it. Past attempts to engineer the production of anthocyanin in rice were unsuccessful because of difficulties transferring the genes into plants effectively.
Researchers are still assessing the safety of this Frankenfood, but it could end up being about as good for you as purple ketchup. No one knows what long-term effects consuming these lab-created foods could have on the human body. A similar attempt at enriching rice through genetic modification, golden rice, ended up being a huge flop that ultimately made headlines for its connection to birth defects rather than saving the world. (Click to Site)