Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most common herbicides in the United States. Glyphosate is sprayed on crops, lawns, gardens, parks, school yards, roadsides, forests, and other landscapes. Since 1974, more than 19 billion pounds of glyphosate have been applied across the globe. Glyphosate can be found in rainwater, tap water, outdoor air, food, soil, textiles, personal care products, beauty products, contaminated supplements, umbilical cords of newborns, and many other sources.
Glyphosate is widely used in conventional farming, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), some non-GMO crops, and textile plants. Farmers may spray glyphosate on non- GMO crops prior to harvest to dry the plant material, making harvesting easier. Non-GMO foods commonly sprayed with glyphosate prior to harvest include, wheat, oats, barley, rye, flax, legumes, canola, sunflower, safflower, and linseed.
Glyphosate Depletes Essential Minerals and Promotes Heavy Metal Toxicity
Glyphosate impairs the ability for plants to uptake minerals from the soil and decreases plant nutrient density. Additionally, glyphosate acts as a chelator, which means glyphosate binds and removes minerals from the soil and the body, even in small quantities. These factors have contributed to the widespread deficiency in many minerals in the body and soil, including magnesium, zinc, copper, cobalt, manganese, and iron. Since glyphosate is a chelator, it also has the ability to bind heavy metals and transfer them into the body. Glyphosate binds to aluminum one million times more than the metal chelator EDTA. Glyphosate wraps around heavy metals and escorts the molecules across the gastrointestinal tract, where the heavy metals are released into various tissues.
Glyphosate Fungal Connection
Glyphosate disrupts the delicate balance of microorganisms in the soil. Researchers are beginning to see an overall shift in the bacterial and fungal species naturally present in soil. Glyphosate kills beneficial bacteria and favors the growth of aggressive fungal species that produce toxic mycotoxins. Fusarium and Aspergillus are just two types of fungi that have been associated with glyphosate use. Fusarium fungi produces the mycotoxin called zearalenone that is a potent endocrine disrupter, linked to multiple cancers, and is immunosuppressive. Read more about the health effects of mycotoxins here.
Health Impacts of Glyphosate
Glyphosate is very difficult for the body to process and eliminate. Upon exposure, glyphosate displaces the amino acid glycine in many tissues and impairs respective function.
Glyphosate has been labeled as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization.
Glyphosate directly damages DNA, which can lead to cellular mutations and ultimately cancer. Over time, glyphosate can dysregulate the part of the immune system involved in cancer cell surveillance. Multiple studies have shown glyphosate to be involved in breast cancer, forms of lymphoma, leukemia, liver cancer, melanoma, thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and colon cancer.
Prior to being utilized as a herbicide, glyphosate was patented as an antibiotic. Glyphosate has been shown to disrupt the microbiome, contribute to leaky gut, impair liver detoxification (suppresses cytochrome P450), deplete sulfur levels, and contribute to many adverse health conditions.
Glyphosate has been shown to be involved in the following health conditions:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Lowered immunity
- Autoimmune diseases
- Autism
- Cancer
- Food sensitivities
- Allergies
- Multiple chemical sensitivities
- Hair loss
- Skin rashes
- Chronic pain
- Chronic fatigue
- Brain fog
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Conditions of the gallbladder
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Persistent fungal infections
- Celiac disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Hormone imbalances
- Birth defects
- Miscarriages
- Cataracts
- Chronic kidney disease
- Kidney failure
- Mineral deficiencies
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Osteopenia
- Osteoporosis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Liver disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
Glyphosate’s Link to Gluten Intolerance, Celiac Disease, & Autoimmunity
The steady rise in gluten intolerance has been commonly linked to the increased gluten content of modern day wheat products. Many health conscious advocates promote ancient grains as an alternative to the widespread forms of hybridized wheat or a gluten free diet. The missing piece is asking why so many people are commonly reacting to gluten and other foods. Is gluten really the culprit or is there another underlying root cause? The gluten content of some strains of wheat has increased, but so has the amount of herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that have been applied to grains in general. Glyphosate is very irritating to the body and causes a chronic allergic response. Over time, glyphosate damages the intestinal wall by killing beneficial flora and damages the intestinal lining. One of the main underlying causes to gluten intolerance and many other food sensitivities are the herbicides (including glyphosate), pesticides, and fungicides sprayed on food. Dr. Miranda Hill helps patients address the underlying causes, including glyphosate buildup in the body, to add gluten back into the diet.
Celiac disease has been on the rise since the mid 1990s, right in line with the increased use of glyphosate. The etiology of celiac disease involves microbiome imbalances (i.e. dysbiosis), leaky gut (i.e. damage to the intestinal wall), poor nutrient absorption, chronic infections, immune shifts, chronic allergic response, and the build up of environmental toxins (including glyphosate). Glyphosate detoxification is a key piece of the comprehensive treatment plan for celiac disease.
The role of glyphosate in autoimmune conditions, especially irritable bowel disease, is commonly missed. Glyphosate suppresses the innate immune system, favors the growth of pathogenic species in the gastrointestinal tract, and increases systemic inflammation. Overtime, the combination of chronic exposure to glyphosate and other inciting factors can shift the immune system to produce autoantibodies and attack host tissue. Detoxing glyphosate, among other pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, is essential to normalizing immune function in all autoimmune conditions.
Glyphosate and Product Labels
Many natural based food products are certified by The Non-GMO Project and display a butterfly logo on the packaging. The Non-GMO Project label does not mean the product is free from glyphosate. Items certified by The Non-GMO Project cannot contain GMOs, but can be sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
Certified organic crops restrict the use of glyphosate. Choosing organic products limits glyphosate exposure; however, organic products can be contaminated with glyphosate due to airborne spread when growing in close proximity to conventionally sprayed crops.
Many processed food products now have the following fine print statement on the packaging, “ingredients derived from a bioengineered source.” These food products contain GMOs and are likely contaminated with glyphosate and other pesticides, herbicides, and/or fungicides.
For glyphosate-free certified products, see The Detox Project for more information.
Residential Use of Roundup
Using Roundup and other pesticides around the home is a huge exposure that contributes to the total toxic load in the body. Upon spraying Roundup, particles become airborne and may be inhaled or come in contact with the skin. Spraying Roundup on driveways, lawns, and gardens can track glyphosate into the home and expose family members and pets. As glyphosate seeps into the soil, ground water becomes contaminated. Glyphosate is extremely toxic to wildlife and can cause kidney failure in small animals. For weed control, use vinegar as a natural alternative to Roundup.
Glyphosate Detoxification
As a comprehensive part of treatment plans, Dr. Miranda Hill works with patients to detox glyphosate out of the body. There are many therapies and natural agents that can be utilized to promote the elimination and breakdown of glyphosate. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Miranda Hill here for glyphosate detoxification and comprehensive treatment.
References:
- Seneff S. Toxic Legacy: How the Weedkiller Glyphosate Is Destroying Our Health and the Environment. Chelsea Green Pub Co; 2023.
- Samsel, Anthony & Seneff, Stephanie. (2016). Glyphosate pathways to modern diseases V: Amino acid analogue of glycine in diverse proteins. Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry. Volume 16. 9-46. 10.4024/03SA16A.jbpc.16.01.
- Samsel, Anthony & Seneff, Stephanie. (2015). Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases IV: cancer and related pathologies. Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry. 15. 121-159. 10.4024/11SA15R.jbpc.15.03.
- Samsel, Anthony & Seneff, Stephanie. (2013). Glyphosate's Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases. Entropy. 15. 1416-1463. 10.3390/e15041416.
- Gunatilake S, Seneff S, Orlando L. Glyphosate's Synergistic Toxicity in Combination with Other Factors as a Cause of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(15):2734. Published 2019 Jul 31. doi:10.3390/ijerph16152734
- Samsel A, Seneff S. Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2013;6(4):159-184. doi:10.2478/intox-2013-0026
