In recent days, the CDC released its latest findings on glyphosate levels in Americans. According to the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemical, at least 80% of study participants ages 6 and older had glyphosate herbicide residue in their urine.
The report showed that the average level of glyphosate residue found in urine is now 0.411 μg/L compared to 0.314 μg/L as discussed in other prior findings. This information may be found in the article Monsanto’s Roundup Linked to Cancer, ADHD, Mitochondrial Dysfunction.
America is not alone in this chemical exposure. France recently reported that 99 % of their population has glyphosate residue in their urine. Other industrialized countries where glyphosate is not banned or reduced, are also at risk.
Most Used Herbicide in the World
Glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in Roundup, is the most used agricultural herbicide in the world and second most common in home and garden use. In the United States alone, each year, 200 million pounds of glyphosate-based herbicide is used. This stays in the soil for months. Over the last 40 plus years of use, higher application loads have become necessary as weeds become resistant.
“Probable Carcinogen” Yet Considered Safe
Round-up and glyphosate-based herbicides has been determined as “probable carcinogen” with a “compelling link with exposure and development of non-Hodgkins lymphoma”. Scientists find that it contributes to a multitude of other concerns and raise threats to human health. Glyphosate residue is found in plants, water, human and animal food products, urine, blood, and breast milk.
At least 20 countries have banned or restricted glyphosate use. Yet Monsanto-Bayer and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) insist upon its safety. Monsanto’s defense is that glyphosate exposure does not cause harm, as humans do not have the same metabolic pathway as plants and bacteria do.
Shikimate Pathway Dysregulation
This important process is called the shikimate pathway and is responsible for the production of important components in plant, fungi, and bacteria. Glyphosate dysregulates the shikimate pathway and causes shikimate and metabolites to build-up. In plants, the result is programmed-cell death.
The shikimate enzymatic pathway is also used by the trillions of cells of your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome outnumbers all the human cells in your body, with far reaching effects on your physiology and health.
Glyphosate exposure negatively changes your gut microbiome balance by disrupting the shikimate pathway. These changes deter normal function of beneficial flora, tipping the balance to pro-inflammatory dysfunction. The microbiome turns on/off gene signals and affect vast mechanisms related with cell survival or breakdown.
Antioxidant Pathways Upregulated
Glyphosate exposure in the environment and food chain upregulates your glutathione and super oxide dismutase antioxidant enzyme pathways. This extra work increases your body’s demands for antioxidants and nutrients so these mechanisms can properly do their job. Your body’s tolerance to these chronic low-level exposures and other daily toxins requires you to be proactive about your nutrient status. Big government and Bayer-Monsanto won’t protect you.
Updates on Glyphosate Effects: Neurodevelopmental Changes and Brain Function
Here is a small selection of recent cell, animal and human scientific studies on the effects of glyphosate.
A recent review study evaluated the impact of lifelong low dose glyphosate exposure in mice and their gut microbiome. Animals were exposed to glyphosate-based herbicides likeRoundup during pregnancy all through adulthood.
Results showed impaired social behavior, increased repetitive behavior, increased mucous production, various inflammatory immune cells changes, increased intestinal permeability and altered tight junction activity, i.e. leaky gut syndrome, and changes in the gut microbiome.
In their concluding statement, they suggested that many of these findings “correlated with behavioral changes that are similar to those observed in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders”. Other research shows it has been linked with birth defects affecting brain and bone malformations ranging from cleft lip to Down’s syndrome.
Chronic low dose glyphosate-based herbicide exposure has been linked with anxiety, depression, decreased levels of serotonin and dopamine due to the effect on the gut microbiome and that some components of glyphosate may cross the blood brain barrier. A reduction in learning, decreased memory, and difficulty with movement/motor skills have been identified in animal studies with reports of Parkinson’s disease in human case studies.
Animal studies showed that chronic prenatal exposure to glyphosate based herbicides were found to disrupt phosphatidylcholine levels and caused increased use of glutathione in the brain. These biochemical disruptions were linked with neurodegenerative changes.
Endocrine Disruptor
Glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor of estrogen pathways. It also decreases testosterone levels.
Internal Organs
Gut dysbiosis, liver damage with fibrosis and fatty liver disease are seen with chronic low-grade glyphosate exposures in fish and animals. Heart arrhythmias were noted with more significant, acute exposures.
Studies in farmers are scarce, however, a recent Thailand study showed increased lung and respiratory inflammation and oxidative stress after glyphosate application.
Cancer and Genetic Damage
Human studies suggest various levels of correlation of glyphosate-based herbicides with several cancers, such as melanoma, leukemia, colon, rectum, bladder, kidney, or acute myeloid lymphoma. A significant correlation was demonstrated with multiple myeloma, large B-cell lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and glyphosate-based herbicide exposure.
Researchers are concerned that prolonged, low-level glyphosate exposure may cause cumulative damage leading to genetic damage, cell toxicity, and altered DNA methylation that adversely impact your body’s ability to manage abnormal cells.
Immune Defense and Inflammatory Signals
Immune system changes have been demonstrated with increased susceptibility to infection and changes in immune defense and surveillance function. Pro-inflammatory signals like TNF-alpha and NF-kappa B were found to be enhanced with glyphosate exposure.
Metabolic and Energetic Changes
A recent study evaluated workers from three different chemical factories exposed to glyphosate-based products. They experienced an adverse change in at least 27 metabolites. These metabolic changes impacted amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism (TCA and glycolysis), and glutathione and oxidative stress levels. Decreased cellular energy and higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were noted. Findings raised significant concerns for brain, liver, kidney, and colon health.
What Is Your Tolerance?
Are any of these findings and exposures acceptable for your health or your children? Is any level safe with repetitive use in the food supply, even if it is below the “safety level”? Does your body have the nutritional fortification and fortitude to manage this chemical residue? How about your total tolerance and body burden with glyphosate exposure and other toxins?
How well you maintain your health and manage chronic low dose exposure of chemicals is greatly influenced by numerous factors. This includes your gut microbiome, nutritional status, sugar intake, stress level, gene expression, mitochondria vitality, liver and kidney detoxification ability, and toxic load, etc.
These factors vastly affect your “tolerance” to chronic low level exposure of Roundup/glyphosate, all other chemical exposures, and GMO foods over the course of your lifetime.
Chronic low-level exposures do not cause the same acute ill effects as an acute poisonous exposure does, but it does impact you with total body burden and tolerance today and in the years to come. Tobacco product use is a good example of this.
The last 40 years have been an experiment on the human race with increasing glyphosate use and other types of agrichemicals, food science, and genetically modified foods. The proverbial million-dollar question is how it affects you and your risk.
Cancer Rates
Cancer currently affects 1 out 2 men and 1 of 3 women in their lifetime. CDC statistics for 2021, showed that there were over 1.7 million new cases of cancer in the United States alone. Cancer incidence rates increased each decade of life peaking at age 80-84.
Worldwide, there were 18.1 million new cases and 9.5 million deaths in 2018. By 2040, new cancer cases per year are expected to rise to 29.5 million with cancer-related deaths to 16.4 million. Cancer rates are generally highest in countries that have a high standard of living, high education levels, and high life expectancy. In America, Caucasians and Black Americans have the highest rate of cancers. You must think about where glyphosate exposure fits into this picture and your total toxic burden.
Support your gut health and detoxification with probiotic rich foods, dietary fiber intake, healthy whole foods diet and exercise.
