Glyphosate is the main ingredient in Monsanto-Bayer's weed-killer Roundup®. It's the most widely used herbicide in the world.
In 1987, only 11 million pounds of the chemical were used on U.S. farms, but now nearly 300 million pounds of glyphosate are applied each year. (It is routinely put on wheat and barley just before harvest)
Glyphosate has been or will soon be banned in several countries--including Mexico, Germany, Austria, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.
It definitely isn't good for you--but there is debate on whether it is a carcinogen.
So Is Glyphosate A Carcinogen?
Some--eg The World Health Organization--say it probably is carcinogenic--whereas some--like the people who profit off glyphosate-- say it isn't carcinogenic!
On a more serious related note, authors of published papers have admitted to receiving assistance from Monsanto. And their own internal documents "have demonstrated the company deployed multiple strategies to manipulate scientific literature and regulators, including the EPA."
The EPA said "glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans", but the EPA has now been court ordered to reassess the risks of glyphosate because "EPA did not adequately consider whether glyphosate causes cancer and shirked its duties under the Endangered Species Act".
New research out this month links glyphosate to cancer: It found that high levels of the herbicide in urine were associated with signs of a reaction in the body called oxidative stress--a condition that causes damage to DNA, and is considered a key characteristic of carcinogens.
A study just published in Chemosphere suggests glyphosate increases the risk of breast cancer.
Other Health Problems Linked to Glyphosate
Research has also linked glyphosate to Parkinson's and kidney disease. Plus:
It's even linked to autism. Dr. Stephanie Seneff--a senior research scientists at MIT--has produced over 170 peer-reviewed articles on biology and technology, and has connected autism to glyphosate toxicity. (Check out this twitter thread.)
Glyphosate has been found to cross the blood-brain barrier, and may increase risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
Studies exposing rats to low doses resulted in development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease--which is a growing problem in humans.
Glyphosate may act as an endocrine disruptor by promoting estrogenic activity---which means interference with hormones and the development of children's immune, metabolic, and reproductive systems.
Many believe glyphosate disrupts the beneficial gut bacteria--which would sabotage your immune system and lead to illness.
Some think glyphosate is even contributing to the collapse of the bee population.
Dr. Seneff says that other chemicals in Roundup are untested because they're classified as inert, but according to a 2014 study in BioMed Research International, those chemicals can amplify the toxic effect of Roundup hundreds of times over.
The study showed Roundup is 125 times more toxic than just the active ingredient glyphosate--because of added chemical formulations.
How to Avoid Glyphosate
Buy organic whenever possible. Organic crops aren't allowed to be treated with glyphosate--but may get some contamination from neighboring non-organic farms.
Some of the foods most likely to contain glyphosate include: wheat, rice, soy, oats, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, celery, spinach and fruit juices.
Glyphosate may be in your tap water too--among other toxic chemicals and microplastics. If you don't have a water filter, I'd invest in a reverse osmosis system--the only kind of filtration which can filter out microplastics. You can get systems that filter your whole house, a particular sink, or even a countertop filter like this: (Amazon affiliate link)
Glyphosate is also used as a desiccant on tobacco. Vapes are full of toxic chemicals too--so I wouldn't inhale either of them.
They spray glyphosate on golf courses too.
Especially beware of commercial grade products, as they contain higher amounts of glyphosate than ones made for individuals.
You may want to get tested to find out your glyphosate levels. (No affiliation.) Urine tests show exposure from the past 2-3 weeks, and hair tests over the last 3-4 months.
We made a merch design of 'MAKE FOOD GLYPHOSATE-FREE AGAIN' - it was recently censored on a certain big-tech marketplace.
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