A new study published in in the peer-reviewed journal Food Chemistry found that genetically modified (GM) soybeans, which are engineered to withstand herbicides, actually contain more herbicides than their non-GMO counterparts.

Herbicides are chemicals used to manipulate or control undesirable vegetation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The results of this study are disturbing, especially considering that GM soybeans account for 90 percent of the soybeans grown on US farms each year.

Soybeans are the second-largest US crop after corn. Although Americans tend to not eat the beans directly, they are intricately intertwined in our diets. The majority of soybeans are crushed and turned into both meal and fat. The meal feeds the animals that, eventually, become our meat, and the fat is used in cooking oil and other food products.

The most recent study of soybeans found traces of herbicides in all 10 GM samples. In contrast, none of the non-GM and organic soybeans contained any residue from herbicides.

The levels of herbicides found in the GM soybeans are below the limit considered harmful by the EPA. However, they were well above a level that Monsanto itself has deemed "extreme." Monsanto is a major producer of GM seeds.

High levels of herbicides have been linked to morphological changes in frogs. Not to mention, research shows that these chemicals can shift the balance of bacteria in our stomachs -- even subtle changes in the body's bacteria have hugely adverse health consequences.

Contact Executive Producer Jackie Giordano here.