According to the British "Times" website reported on the 3rd, American scientists have developed a genetically modified soybean that can prevent heart disease. This is the first genetically modified food that can have a direct effect on human health. If the next experiment is successful, this soybean is expected to be put on the market within four years.
According to reports, tests conducted at the University of South Dakota, USA, showed that soybean oil extracted from this genetically modified soybean can increase the concentration of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids in human blood. This acid is found mainly in oil-rich fish such as salmon, salmon, and fresh tuna. Omega 3 fatty acids can prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but also contribute to the development of adolescent brain cells.
William Harris, a professor at the University of South Dakota, conducted tests on 33 volunteers and found that people who consumed this genetically modified soybean oil had an average increase in the concentration of omega 3 fatty acids in the blood from 4% to 5%, which would reduce the incidence of heart disease by 50. %. The consumption of ordinary soybean oil does not have this effect.
“We can see results in just a few weeks. I think that if people eat foods made from this GM soybean each year, the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in human blood will continue to increase,†said Harris.
This GM soy has passed the first phase of trials and can be used in yogurt, salad dressings and other foods.
At the end of last month, British researchers announced that they have successfully cultivated a kind of transgenic purple tomato, which may have the effect of fighting cancer and some cardiovascular diseases. However, it is reported that this research on GM soybeans goes further than that on purple tomatoes because transgenic tomatoes were only tested in mice.