Last month I discussed the history of glyphosate as well as the connection of glyphosate to GMOs, and the impact on our soil and the environment. Read here. This month I will cover how glyphosate is wreaking havoc on the planet as well as the devastating effects of glyphosate on our health.

Monsanto scientists said glyphosate was harmless to humans because we don’t have the specific pathway in our cells that glyphosate travels on in plants. What they do not say is that our gut microbes DO have this pathway! Glyphosate disrupts the shikimate pathway in plants which is a metabolic pathway used to produce the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine. The plant dies when the shikimate pathway is disrupted. Glyphosate adversely affects anything that possesses this pathway which includes humans.

Stephanie Seneff, PhD and MIT scientist, author of Toxic Legacy, believes glyphosate is getting embedded in the proteins of our body, by mistake, in place of the amino acid glycine. This has huge consequences for our health and the planet that we all should be terrified of. Seneff states it is “potentially catastrophic”.

According to Seneff, glyphosate disrupts our microbiome, our endocrine system, folate and other B vitamins, manganese, and creates zinc deficiency. Because glyphosate is an antibiotic, the friendly bacteria lactobacillus and bifidus are very sensitive to it. It is a metal chelator, binding to aluminum and is carried past the gut barrier and into the brainstem.

Glyphosate was found in 99% of pregnant midwestern women that were tested. It is a major factor in several debilitating neurological, metabolic, autoimmune, reproductive, and oncological diseases. (Dementia rates have more than doubled since 2000.) It is believed to affect methylation pathways (MTHFR) and liver function by disrupting liver enzymes.

It is said that glyphosate depletes the liver of glutathione, induces oxidative stress and may cause fatty liver disease. It is carcinogenic, evidenced by recent landmark lawsuits, where Monsanto/Bayer was found guilty of glyphosate causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In June 2020, Bayer agreed to settle 100,000 lawsuits with plaintiffs who claimed they got cancer, costing over $10 billion.

Where is glyphosate found? Well, just about everywhere. It is in our food supply. It is in our waterways, parks, green spaces, the air, our lawns and gardens. If you wear clothing made of cotton, you are exposed to glyphosate. Most infant formula is contaminated with glyphosate. It has been detected in breast milk as well as in human umbilical cord blood. Organic foods, even medicines and vaccines have been reported to contain low levels of glyphosate.

Glyphosate is wreaking havoc on our planet. There is no question it is affecting the monarch butterfly population, as well as the populations of the birds, beneficial insects, worms, and honeybees, as evidenced by colony collapse disorder. In just 4 decades, the populations of birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians have shrunk by 60%. Our pets are overexposed to glyphosate by eating it (in their food), by drinking it, and getting it on their skin or in their lungs. Next month will be part three of the toxicity of glyphosate. I will discuss possible solutions and how you can rid the body of glyphosate, and the importance of banning glyphosate as soon as possible. Stay tuned!

Please email any questions to rick@georgetownmarket.com