The sun is shining and seeds are sprouting, literally and metaphorically, bringing me, once again, to bring to light and share with you things which I have found in the shadows where so few others bother to look. Being able to see well ahead of others while surrounded by darkness is definitely a Moonbat quality. Moonbats we may be, however we are not blinded by the light of truth as we grow ever closer to it. Buckle up your thinking helmets, Moonbats, we're getting into the weeds on this one.
Perhaps you have encountered recent reports from the digital Yellow Press regarding the looming threat of Super Weeds. Perhaps you have bothered to read the reports and perhaps you have noticed that they are actually advertising copy for chemical agriculture Big Business passing in disguise as if they were sincere attempts to inform rather than propagandize. Well, if you didn't quite pick up on that, allow me to remedy the situation with additional information to put those reports in proper context for your education and enlightenment. Or, perhaps, just a bit of entertainment.
The Corporate Media, influenced by billions of advertising dollars being thrown their way, have thrown in their lot with Monsanto in a war against heritage grains. They have declared the humble Carelessweed an existential threat to the global food supply. Never mind that the so called "noxious weed" is an edible and highly nutritious heritage grain consumed by humans for thousands of years.
In fact the very same Corporate Media outlets telling you that Carelessweed is a problem will also give you a recipe for how to eat it.
Here, I will do my best to answer the two most obvious questions for you:
1.) What is this Carelessweed?
2.) What is the problem with Carelessweed?
Carelessweed is just one common name for Palmer's Amaranth. Naturally, I choose to use this particular appellation to grab your attention through curiosity inspired by the novel and unusual association of words. Hopefully it worked and you are hooked, because here we go into the weeds.
Palmer's Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri) is also known as Carelessweed, and Pigweed. One thing you may notice, if you take time to check my references, is that the people who are writing about Palmer's Amaranth as being problematic often have a preference for referring to it as Pig Weed. I suspect this is an intentional choice for the purpose of attaching a subconscious perception of negative connotations and implications.
Some have even gone so far as to declare Palmer's Amaranth to be The Devil!
Here's the deal, Jack. No one wants to eat Pig Weed.
However, that's not the problem with Carelessweed. The alleged "problem" with Carelessweed is that it competes against soybeans.
Amaranth is native to North America, soybeans are not. The Corporate Media call Amaranth an "invasive weed" for growing in its native habitat, because it grows better in its native habitat than the the truly invasive species that is soy.
Of course, Americans don't enjoy soy enough for that to be the only reason for a fear inspired campaign of chemical warfare in pursuit of the eradication of the humble Carelessweed. Think of the meat of the matter. The main beef with Carelessweed is actually, literally beef.
Yes, we're supposed to be worried about cattle eating pig weeds. Sheep and chickens, also, but beef is king for good reason. But, don't expect good reasons from others reporting on the put down pig weeds.
The Corporate Media loves to hype the fact that Amaranth can be toxic to livestock when when consumed in large quantities over several consecutive days. What they don't tell you is that there are multiple food crops with similar profiles.
The Corporate Media enjoys engaging in whataboutism. Let's give them a taste of their own medicine and ask "what about some actual food science, bro?"
Nightshades, including potatoes and tomatoes are known to be toxic to livestock animals.
Potato greens and sprouts are toxic to cattle. Despite this fact potato peels are used for feed. Additionally, the toxic glycoalkaloids in potato tubers occasionally poison humans as well, are you going to stop eating potatoes?
Tomato greens fed to cattle contain alkaloid steroids and have been shown to increase concentration of toxic nitrates. Despite this fact tomato greens continue to be used as feed for some livestock. Are you going to stop eating tomatoes?
Elderberry not only tastes delicious, elderberry is a potent antiviral. However, elderberry is also toxic to livestock as it's various parts contain a toxic alkaloid and cyanogenic glycosides. Should we abandon the antiviral benefits of elderberry in order to protect the financial interest of ranchers and meat packing plants?
Alkaloid producing plants are not the only danger to livestock animals.
I would wager that the television has never mentioned the phrase 'Grain Overload' (AKA: Acidosis, Grain Poisoning) to you. That's when cattle, goats and/or sheep consume too much wheat and/or barley grains. Should Big Pharma Agriculture also declare war against wheat bread and beer?
Should we be dumping herbicide on these plants in an attempt to eliminate them for the protection of livestock? Why not? Potatoes and tomatoes are no more nutritious than Amaranth.
We can't just drop the beef, but let's focus on who's full of beans.
The majority of soybeans grown in the USA are not consumed by humans but rather are used as feed for livestock animals. Yes, an estimated 98% of soybean meal produced in the USA is sold as animal feed and consumed by cattle, pigs and poultry.
However, an estimated 88% of the soybean oil pressed out of that soybean meal is sold for human consumption.
Even worse, the corporate media routinely neglect to mention that soybeans, especially soybean oil, can be damaging to human health except in specific circumstances for certain people (eg: menopausal women and men with an enlarged prostate do benefit from soy consumption)
Soybeans contain phytoestrogens. This is a known, but highly controversial, fact. The Corporate Media with their billions of dollars in Big Pharma Agriculture advertising dollars assures us that the feminizing effect of soy phytoestrogen consumption is totally a myth.
So eating soy makes male fish develop female characteristics, so what? We're not fish, bro! Sure, we allegedly evolved from fish, but you would be wise to remember that animal models are only pertinent and reliable when the results benefit Big Pharma. Of course, I will maintain that things which are endocrine disruptors for fish are likewise endocrine disruptors for humans.
Yeah, men and boys growing breasts totally isn't feminizing. Yeah, bro, just because you may be experiencing a reduction of testosterone production and increased levels of estrogen doesn't mean that you are being feminized. Keep drinking the Soylent, bro, that erectile dysfunction is all in your head. Just think sexy thoughts, bro.
Right... Never mind that increasing soy in the diet is recommended for "transitioning" from male to female for those who are so inclined but unable to afford the hormone "therapy."
Even worse than boys growing breasts is everyone growing tumors. Sure, the phytoestrogens in soya may be beneficial for the treatment of breast cancer, but... eating soybean oil may be literally giving your ass cancer.
Yes, the linoleic acid in soybean oil has been found to exacerbate the development of gene mutation-induced colon tumorigenesis and increasing the risk of developing colon cancer which just happens to be the third most common cancer and second most common cause of cancer related deaths worldwide.
Soybean phytoestrogens are often touted as having beneficial anti cancer effects, especially with regards to breast cancer. However, research on phytoestrogens produced by a closely related legume also consumed by humans has demonstrated oncogenic (carcinogenic) activity which in certain circumstances "resulted in significant increase of mammary adenocarcinoma incidence."
Yeah....
GMO soybeans are not any less risky.
And, that's not all the bad news about soy. Brace yourselves, Moonbats, I'm about to hit you with truth even more hard to handle.
Soybean oil is so toxic that consuming it changes your DNA. Yes. Soybean oil changes your brain genetically, and not in a good way where you gain mutant powers and your own cinematic universe. Rather, soybean oil consumption causes genetic changes leading to dysfunction of the hypothalamus and a reduction in the production of oxytocin.
These changes to your genetics and brain function may exacerbate mental health conditions including but not limited to anxiety, autism, dementia, and depression. The list goes on and on.
The hypothalamic gene expressions dysregulated by soybean oil consumption are associated with neuroendocrine, neurochemical, and insulin signaling. So, yeah, the list goes on and on.
Suffice it here to say, soybean oil is best avoided as much as possible in order to keep your brain as healthy as possible.
Meanwhile, Amaranth is highly nutritious.
Amaranth is being hyped as a "Super Weed" because it is resistant to glyphosate which is a problem for farmers growing GMO cotton and GMO soybeans.
Meanwhile, Amaranth is a heritage grain little changed over thousands of years.
It's not as if these facts are new knowledge. In fact I found that there were multiple studies published in the previous century regarding human consumption of Amaranth.
1935: 4 papers published.
1942: 2 papers published.
1949: 2 papers published.
1951: 10 papers published.
1991: 3 papers published.
And, here's the kicker, Moonbats: research in Nevada has demonstrated that Amaranth may actually not be even close to the threat it's made out to be, as it seems to have a self regulating mechanism to it's growth.
Agricultural research in Nevada? Yes, it's not entirely desert and there are good reasons for exploring the possibilities of Amaranth cultivation in Nevada. Not only is Amaranth a highly nutritious grain, it's gluten free (a growing market, yo!) and, more pertinent to Nevada, is highly drought tolerant.
So, perhaps the solution to Carelessweed "infestation" is to allow the field to go fallow until it has exhausted itself and the excess nitrogen in the soil.
This may sound like a non sequitur at first, but synchronicity has a habit of cropping up in my research and writing. I began writing this because, while researching the plant after having found it growing in my own yard, I encountered the controversy of its chemical control in my news feed. Additionally, just now I stopped working on this in order to eat a quick lunch. For lunch I heated up a can of organic Thai sweet potato soup. It's quite delicious.
Yes, I am getting to the point of this tangential diversion. What did I find next in my researching? Sweet potatoes!
Yes, sweet potatoes outcompete pigweed!
Did I not mention that Amaranth is often called 'pigweed'? That certainly doesn't sound healthy much less appetizing, does it? Gosh, do you suspect that may be intentional? I certainly do. Did I already say that? Some things bear repeating, because they are repeating patterns.
Moving on... Back to the sweet potato we go.
Sweet potato cultivation can be utilized as an organic solution to reduce the spread of 'weeds' which threaten agricultural operations. However, you're not likely to hear anything about allelopathic agriculture strategies from the Corporate Media as they have millions of jugs of Roundup to sell.
Sweet potato is also highly nutritious and contains compounds which have anti-cancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Amaranth and sweet potato in combination sounds like particularly potent nutritional one two punch for improving your own personal power through proper dietary synergy. It's at least food for thought.
So, now that you have learned a little bit of what I know about this topic, which would you pick to perpetuate; the persistent cumulative poisoning by glyphosate, or the pig weeds and sweet potatoes? Choose wisely.
Until next time, Moonbats, may your mind continue to expand faster and farther than your belly!
- Marvin Scott Marvin
Once again, the editor here is refusing to retain the links under the Resources section, so I must add them here.
References:
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