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You’ve probably heard the initials GMO being used to describe foods you purchase at your local grocery store but might not understand what the term means exactly. In case you aren’t familiar, GMO stands for genetically modified organism, which sounds kind of scary when you break down what it might mean.
In short, GMOs can be plants, animals, viruses, or any bacterial organisms that have human-made modifications to their genes. These modifications are not naturally occurring, which is why so many Americans are concerned about the potential harm that genetically modified products could cause.
For this reason, more and more companies are signing on to the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit organization that certifies that goods are created and manufactured free from genetically modified organisms. A number of big brands have signed on in recent years, including Trader Joe’s and Chipotle.
Some environmental groups, however, are still not satisfied and are taking things a step further by demanding mandatory labeling of all genetically engineered foods. It doesn’t sound like a radical idea—after all, shouldn’t the consumer know what she is putting in her body?
To help clear the air surrounding GMOs, how they’re used in food, and whether they present a danger to consumers (and/or the environment), we asked some common questions about this umbrella term.

What are GMOs, really?

To fully understand what GMOs are and how they work, you have to go back to their inception—on the farm. “Crops that are genetically modified, or engineered, have a specific gene or trait from another species inserted into its DNA in order to adopt that trait as part of its genome,” explains registered dietitian Jennie Schmidt of Schmidt Farms in Ray, Michigan.
[pullquote align=”center”]In Jennie Schmidt’s experience and perspective as a farmer, genetically modifying organisms is not always a bad thing.[/pullquote]
“Conventional breeding includes hybridization, cross breeding, grafting, chemical or radiation mutagenesis, polyploidy, and protoplast fusion—all of which ‘modify’ the genes of the plants they are breeding, and all of which are acceptable means of plant breeding in the certified organic system.”
In Schmidt’s experience and perspective as a farmer, genetically modifying organisms is not always a bad thing.
For example, golden rice recently gained approval in numerous countries (including the U.S.). Golden rice is rice that has daffodil genes inserted into it to increase the amount of vitamin A that rice is otherwise lacking. This is important because vitamin A deficiency is a public health crisis in some developing nations. According to the World Health Organization, more than 250,000 children go blind each year as a result of vitamin A deficiency.  
Another way that GMOs make their way into our food supply is through crops that have been modified with the goal of withstanding the effects of herbicides and pesticides, and some GMO crops are designed to survive periods of low water or drought.

What is the history of GMOs?

Many people don’t know this, but the first GMO was not a food at all. Instead, it was a pharmaceutical—human insulin, which was approved in 1982. “This allowed for production of … insulin that is genetically identical to human insulin … rather than harvesting pancreas[es] of pigs and cattle at the slaughterhouse and extracting insulin that was less pure and more allergenic for insulin-dependent diabetics,” Schmidt explains.
The first genetically modified food crop to be sold was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1994. It was engineered to have less bruising and a longer shelf life, but it was highly unsuccessful because it did not have the fresh-picked flavor of in-season tomatoes.
Various field crops soon followed suit, including soybeans, corn, and cotton, which were engineered with insect resistance or herbicide tolerance and approved for use in commercial production.
“For us, adopting Bt corn (corn that’s been genetically modified) and herbicide-tolerant crops was just next steps of agricultural innovation,” says Schmidt. “My father-in-law saw the adoption of tractors in the ’30s and ’40s, the adoption of hybrid seeds in the ’50s and ’60s, the adoption of synthetic fertilizer in the ’50s and ’60s, the adoption of computers in the tractors in the ’80s and ’90s, so the adoption of these so-called GMOs was in his words ‘a no brainer.’”
These, she explains, were common-sense practices to adopt to reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment. In short, farmers saw benefits.

Are farmers who do not use GMOs negatively affected by the use of GMOs?

One of the main apprehensions non-GMO farmers have is cross-contamination of their crops with GMO crops. “Non-GMO farmers are concerned that pollen from GMO crops could blow into their non-GMO fields and [they could] actually get sued for not properly paying for GMO seeds,” explains Roger E. Adams, PhD, a Houston-based dietitian, nutritionist, and founder of eatrightfitness. “Careful farming practices can prevent this, however, lawsuits of this type are mostly blown out of proportion and many farmers grow non-GMO and GMO crops on the same farm.”

Are GMOs safe?

The World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have all come to the same conclusion that there is not enough evidence to support the belief that GMOs are unsafe.
Still, the concept of how they are created—the cross-breeding of DNA to create a food product that is not naturally occurring—does leave consumers with some unsettling concerns.
John Bagnulo, PhD, a food scientist and the director of nutrition for Functional Formularies, believes that GMOs are inherently risky to whoever eats them because our microbiome is easily influenced by these “loosely” held genes. (Loosely held refers to the instability of GMO genes being introduced to the microbiome. As Bagnulo explains, “Once there is genetic modification, genes are much more easily swapped when exposed to microbes.”)

How many products in the U.S. currently use GMOs? What are some of the most common items that incorporate GMOs?

There are only 10 crops that are genetically modified and produced in the United States currently: corn, soybeans, cotton, non-browning potatoes, papaya, squash, canola, alfalfa, non-browning apples, and sugar beets.
[pullquote align=”center”]Studies show that GMOs are making their way into 70 to 80 percent of conventional processed foods in the U.S.[/pullquote]
It’s also worth noting that a growing number of alfalfa-based animal feeds are genetically modified. Because of this, Bagnulo explains, most conventional milk is produced with GMOs—and it’s not just milk. Studies show that GMOs are making their way into 70 to 80 percent of conventional processed foods in the U.S., according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, since the majority of foods and beverages are produced with one or more of the ingredients listed.

Are food products in the U.S. required to have GMO labels to indicate that they have been genetically modified?

In July 2016, President Obama signed the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law, which set a nationwide standard for the disclosure of genetic material that has been modified through DNA techniques. As part of this law, however, a food manufacturer can choose among a set of options to disclose the presence of GMOs in their food. One of these options is a mere electronic scanner or digital link on the packaging that takes the consumer to a website containing this information. Kind of sneaky, right?

Also known as winter cherry and Indian ginseng, ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has recently gained a lot of popularity. There are a number of scientifically-proven benefits of ashwagandha—and the time-tested remedy could potentially have dozens of uses.
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which is a type of herb that helps one’s body adapt to stress. According to Erin Stokes, ND and Medical Director at MegaFood, adaptogens have been used for thousands of years in the traditional Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda. “Ayurveda, a Sanskrit word, literally means the ‘science of life’,” Stokes says. “The highly developed traditional system of medicine is centered around establishing balance in different systems of the body.”
While ashwagandha isn’t new, it’s becoming increasingly popular in wellness communities. Ashwagandha isn’t the only kind of adaptogen that exists, but it’s one of the most widely-used and well-researched of all, Stokes says. The root, leaf, and fruit of the plant are used for medicine.
Adaptogens reportedly work by targeting our cortisol levels. When we’re stressed, our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, which increases the production of a stress hormone called cortisol. It’s normal and healthy to experience stress once in a while, but chronic stress leads to chronically high levels of cortisol. This has a damaging effect on our physical and mental health.
Because stress can affect the entire body, it follows logically that an herb that regulates our stress levels can have a broad range of positive health benefits.

What are the health benefits of ashwagandha?

“Ashwagandha is one of the most versatile of the adaptogenic botanicals because it is uniquely suited to benefit many people,” Stokes explains. “Plants each have their unique qualities, just like the people who take them.”
Alissia Zenhausern, NMD, a naturopathic physician at NMD Wellness of Scottsdale, says that ashwagandha is one of her favorite herbs because of its numerous benefits. “As ashwagandha is one of the most researched herbs, it definitely has a lot of research supporting its benefits, and clinically I have definitely seen its power,” she says.
Here are a few of the possible health benefits of ashwagandha.

Anxiety and Stress

As mentioned earlier, ashwagandha is primarily considered an adaptogen—meaning it helps the body adapt to cope with stress and anxiety. One study suggests that the anti-anxiety effects of ashwagandha are comparable to that of lorazepam (Ativan), a common prescription anti-anxiety medication. This same study also found that ashwagandha may have antidepressant effects, too.
Further studies done in 2000, 2009, and 2012 all suggest ashwagandha can reduce anxiety in people with anxiety disorders.
Zenhausern notes that although ashwagandha is great for stress, it’s more appropriate for treating long-term or chronic stress. “The reason this herb is not good for short-term stress is because it takes at least one to two months of continual use to notice improvement in stress management and anxiety. Although long, this is totally worth the wait,” she says.
[pullquote align=”center”]“Ashwagandha is one of the most versatile of the adaptogenic botanicals because it is uniquely suited to benefit many people.”
—Erin Stokes, ND [/pullquote]

Sleep

Since ashwagandha can be such a powerful anti-anxiety herb, it makes sense that it can also improve your sleep quality—especially if anxiety is keeping you from getting some shut-eye.
“Ashwagandha can also help promote restful sleep when taken over time,” Stokes says. “In fact, the genus name somnifera—Withania somnifera—means ‘sleep inducer’ in Latin.” Indeed, studies have shown that regularly taking ashwagandha can improve sleep quality, since an active component of ashwagandha can induce sleep.

Cancer

Ashwagandha has potential cancer-fighting effects, but more studies are needed to confirm this. Multiple trials done on animals suggest ashwagandha can help fight cancer—specifically, it has been shown to reduce the spread of lung, breast, ovarian and colon cancer—by causing adaptosis, the death of cancer cells, and by preventing the spread of cancer to new cells.
Unfortunately, there aren’t enough human trials to confirm whether ashwagandha could have a cancer-fighting effect in humans, too. Hopefully, future studies will help us harness the anti-tumor properties of this incredible herb.
Some trials, though, have suggested that ashwagandha can improve the quality of life of cancer patients, specifically through reducing chemotherapy-induced fatigue.

Improving Muscle Mass

Ashwagandha is Sanskrit for “strength of the stallion,” Zenhausern says, and it’s traditionally been used to improve one’s strength.
A few studies have suggested that the herb does indeed improve one’s ability to gain muscle. One study indicated that ashwagandha can significantly improve one’s physical performance and endurance during physical activity.

Immune Function and Inflammation

Inflammation is an immune response that helps the body protect itself from “attacks” such as infections, sores, and some bacteria. In itself, inflammation is not always a bad thing.
For those who have autoimmune disorders, however, inflammation often gets a little out-of-hand. The science suggests that ashwagandha has anti-inflammatory properties and supports the immune system. Zenhausern notes that, in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha was often given to people recovering from illness to support their immune system.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, ashwagandha could be a potentially useful treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder.

Libido and Fertility

“The herb has even been shown to help with low libido and infertility in both males and females,” Zenhausern says. Indeed, human studies have shown that ashwagandha increases testosterone levels and sperm quality in men.
A 2009 study showed that ashwagandha can improve the semen quality in stress-related male infertility. In this study, the subjects underwent treatment for three months where they were given a high dose of ashwagandha every day. After this three-month treatment, 14 percent of the subjects’ partners became pregnant.
That said, the reproductive effects of ashwagandha aren’t totally understood, as it surprisingly had spermicidal effects in some animal models.

Brain Function

Ashwagandha is considered a rejuvenating plant, and it’s believed to help improve cognitive function. It’s one of the Ayurvedic medicines that have traditionally been used to prevent dementia and improve memory. A few studies have suggested that ashwagandha can improve brain function and memory.
Additionally, ashwagandha might prevent or reduce the acceleration of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.
Although the plant is well-studied, further studies are needed before we understand all the benefits of ashwagandha. If you’re curious about whether ashwagandha can help you specifically, it’s best to speak to a trained healthcare professional who has knowledge of Ayurveda.

How does one use ashwagandha properly?

Ashwagandha is available in a range of different forms, including teas, powders, capsules, and tablets, Stokes notes.
Zenhausern highly recommends taking the root powder form of ashwagandha, but make sure you’re buying it from a reputable source.
“It is important to make sure the supplement is standardized for human consumption,” she says. The active part of the herb is called the withanolides, and Zenhausern recommends ensuring the withanolides content in the ashwagandha is in the range of 1 to 10 percent before buying it. Only buy ashwagandha if the supplier clearly marks the withanolides content, she advises. “The reason it is important to make sure the withanolide content is between 1 to 10 percent is because the higher the withanolide content, the stronger the supplement’s effect will be,” Zenhausern explains. Thus, the withanolides content will determine the dosage of ashwagandha.
Ashwagandha powder does not taste great, unfortunately. While you can mix it up with a little water and drink it, it has a very unpleasant, chalky taste. An alternative is to add ashwagandha powder to a smoothie so that the other ingredients mask the taste.
As always, it’s best to check in with a healthcare practitioner before using any herb or supplement. Not only can they ensure its safety, but they can also advise you on what dosage to take. “Always consult with your doctor before starting a new supplement,” Zenhausern advises. “The typical dose I recommend starting with is 300 to 500 mg of ashwagandha per day. You can slowly increase for a max dose of 1,500 mg per day.”
Of course, the ideal dosage of ashwagandha will vary from person to person, depending on your personal biology and the health benefit you hope to gain from taking the supplement.

There are many benefits of ashwagandha, but is it safe to use? Who should steer clear of it?

Studies have shown that ashwagandha is safe to consume, but both Stokes and Zenhausern agree that it shouldn’t be taken by children or pregnant people.
“Ashwagandha should never be used in pregnancy, as it contains abortive properties that can lead to miscarriage,” Zenhausern explains.
There aren’t enough studies to show definitely if ashwagandha is safe for children to consume, so it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid giving the herb to kids.
[pullquote align=”center”]“As ashwagandha is one of the most researched herbs, it definitely has a lot of research supporting its benefits, and clinically I have definitely seen its power.”
—Alissia Zenhausern, NMD [/pullquote]
Ashwagandha might interact with other medication, so it’s important to be cautious if you’re on certain medications. WebMD notes that ashwagandha might interact with immunosuppressants, sedatives like benzodiazepine and central nervous system depressants, and thyroid medication. If you’re concerned about this, speak directly to a healthcare practitioner.
As mentioned earlier, it’s important to get your ashwagandha from a reputable source. Although ashwagandha itself isn’t inherently harmful to adults, it’s important to remember that the FDA doesn’t regulate supplements the same way prescription medications are regulated.
In 2008, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health funded a study that involved testing Ayurvedic supplements. Out of the 193 supplements examined, 21 percent contained toxic substances like lead, mercury, and arsenic.
This is why it’s important to check in with your healthcare practitioner whenever you use a supplement, even if it’s herbal and relatively safe, like ashwagandha. The best way to enjoy the benefits of ashwagandha is under the advice of a trained professional who can help you determine the best dosage and source of the herb.

Who can resist indulging in their favorite greasy, guilty pleasures at the state fair or a fiery curry dinner that’s loaded with spicy veggies? Foods like these taste amazing going down, but they don’t always feel so great when your body starts processing them.
Your stomach might feel uncomfortably full (even if the meal wasn’t huge), you might experience some blush-inducing gas, or you might have a burning sensation. It’s called indigestion, and it shows up in a variety of ways. But what causes indigestion?
“Indigestion is really interesting because it covers a lot of real estate in the digestive system,” explains Will Bulsiewicz, MD, the board-certified practicing gastroenterologist behind the popular gut health Instagram account @theguthealthmd. “Lots of different things can cause indigestion, and even the way you choose to define it can vary quite a bit.”
Indigestion certainly isn’t comfortable, but you’re not alone in the experience: Roughly 1 in 4 Americans experience indigestion every year, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Here’s what you need to know about this all-too-common experience, from what causes indigestion, symptoms to watch out for, treatment options for uncomfortable digestion, and when to see a doctor.

What is indigestion?

You’ve heard the term countless times, and you might even be experiencing it yourself. But what exactly is indigestion?
“Indigestion is a really broad term,” says Bulsiewicz. “In general, I describe it as a feeling of discomfort after you consume food.”
While indigestion symptoms can vary from person to person, they often include pain in the abdomen, dull burning in the chest, feeling overly full, nausea, gas, and/or bloating. It’s one of those you-know-it-when-you-have-it conditions.
However, keep in mind that indigestion itself isn’t a disease. Also known as dyspepsia, indigestion is a symptom of something else. This is why it’s important to identify the root of your discomfort so you can find the right treatment options for you.

What foods cause indigestion?

You might notice that every time you eat a specific kind of food, like citrus fruits or a spicy tuna roll (extra wasabi, please!), you experience digestion that’s, ahem, less than pleasant. It’s not surprising, though—certain foods and even some drinks are known to trigger uncomfortable symptoms in some people.
“Spicy foods and acidic foods, such as tomato sauce, classically make indigestion worse because they increase the acidity in the stomach,” says Bulsiewicz.
If you experience symptoms of indigestion after a spicy meal every once in a while, it’s probably not cause for major concern.
“Everyone is prone to overdoing it on food at times. You could be a perfectly healthy person, go to Mexican a restaurant and have too many jalapeños and maybe not feel well afterward. That could be the source of your indigestion,” says Bulsiewicz.
However, chronic indigestion after meals might indicate that foods are aggravating an underlying health issue.
“If you have certain conditions that worsen when you have increased acidity, you’ll have an intensification of pain after you eat anything acidic,” explains Bulsiewicz. “There’s a point at which it crosses the line from sporadic to something you can reproduce. For example, I could drink orange juice all day long and be fine, but there are people with symptoms that flare up after just one glass.”
Keep track of when you feel indigestion, and work with your doctor to determine whether a more serious health concern should be addressed.

[pullquote align=”center”]Indigestion isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom of something else. For a portion of people who experience indigestion, that something else might be a health condition that needs medical attention.[/pullquote]

Another potential cause of indigestion could be how you’re eating.
In today’s fast-paced world, who isn’t scarfing down big meals at lightning speed? Your dining behaviors not only limit how much you enjoy the food you’re eating, they also might be what’s causing your post-meal abdominal pain. (Talk about #saddesklunch!)
Wolfing down food too quickly, laughing a lot while you’re eating, drinking through a straw, and consuming carbonated beverages can cause you to actually swallow air (a condition known as aerophagia), says Bulsiewicz. And that air needs to come out—somehow, some way.
“The air is either going to be belched out or wiggle through your intestines and come out your bottom,” says Bulsiewicz.
The way your body processes and releases the air can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, including abdominal pain, bloating, and other indigestion symptoms. Consider this just one more reason to support the worldwide movement to ban plastic straws—and additional motivation to kick your diet soda habit.

Certain health conditions can cause indigestion.

Remember: Indigestion isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom of something else. For a portion of people who experience indigestion, that something else might be a health condition that needs medical attention.
“When people think about indigestion, the first thing that comes to mind for both patients and doctors is the question of an ulcer,” says Bulsiewicz. “But it takes a lot of skill on the part of the doctor to peel back the layers to figure out what might really be causing someone’s indigestion.”
Health issues in the stomach may be to blame for your indigestion. The doctor may check to see if you have a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection or gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining). Your physician may determine you have functional dyspepsia (stomach pain that’s not related to an ulcer).
“Another fairly common cause of indigestion is constipation,” he says. “It can cause abdominal discomfort and pain, nausea, gas, and bloating.”
Sometimes your indigestion might not be rooted in stomach or intestinal issues at all. Instead, another organ might be causing the discomfort you feel after mealtimes.
“If your gallbladder isn’t functioning properly, it could give you discomfort in your upper abdomen, which many people think is their stomach,” says Bulsiewicz. “Indigestion might also be a symptom of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. While commonly seen in people with a history of alcohol abuse, this condition also occurs in people with type 2 diabetes and people who are aging. You stop producing enough digestive juice in your pancreas, and that can cause pain.”
Finally, indigestion is also a common complaint among pregnant women.
“There’s no one cause for indigestion during pregnancy,” explains Bulsiewicz. “Altered hormones, the baby and uterus pushing up on the stomach, and relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter can all contribute to these symptoms.”
So, how can you figure out what causes indigestion in your body? Start by tracking your indigestion (what time of day it occurs, what you ate right before) so you can learn what’s triggering it, and see your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Diagnosing What Causes Indigestion

Infrequent cases of fleeting indigestion are generally not something to be alarmed about (even though getting through it is no picnic!). But when does this problem move beyond uncomfortable annoyance and into the realm of serious health concern? Bulsiewicz recommends watching out for the following conditions:

• Your indigestion becomes a chronic, recurrent problem
• It goes on for more than a few weeks
• Your indigestion intensifies or becomes more painful
• You start losing weight
• You feel fatigued, weak, or lightheaded
• You see blood in your vomit or stool

“All of those would be reasons to get your indigestion checked out by a doctor,” he says.
Your physician may use an upper endoscopy to start looking for clues as to what’s causing your uncomfortable digestion.
“It’s the single most powerful [tool] we have to diagnose this symptom, but it doesn’t provide all of the answers,” says Bulsiewicz.
Depending on what the doctor finds with the upper endoscopy, you may have a diagnosis relatively quickly. Otherwise, you may need to undergo additional procedures, such as a blood test, to figure out what’s going on.
Finding the cause of indigestion isn’t always easy, but as soon as you have the right diagnosis, you can work on starting the proper treatment—and ultimately finding relief.

What’s the best treatment for indigestion?

First, you need to determine if it’s just a random case of indigestion (which everyone gets from time to time) or it’s related to a more severe health issue. If it’s the former, popping a couple of Tums might do the trick.
“Tums are great when you have symptoms and you want to get rid of them,” says Bulsiewicz. “It won’t prevent symptoms or heal an underlying cause, but it’s a fine option to use as needed.”
Stronger indigestion medication might be necessary if you’re experiencing more frequent symptoms. Prilosec, Pepcid, and Zantac are all potential options for relieving the discomfort of indigestion, says Bulsiewicz.
“Pick up an acid-reducing medicine over the counter and do a trial for two weeks to see what happens,” he says. “I would not treat yourself at home for more than two weeks.” If the problem is still occurring after a couple of weeks, or your symptoms worsen, it’s time to get checked out by a doctor.
Remember: If you occasionally experience discomfort after eating, you probably don’t have a more serious underlying condition. If your indigestion is frequent, though, or if you start feeling worse, it could be related to something beyond eating one-too-many jalapeños. If you think your indigestion may be indicative of a more serious issue, see a doctor right away to pinpoint the problem and get on the road to feeling better.