This article originally appeared in the April of 2015. At
the time it was quite controversial. It appeared in our local newspaper the
News Graphic and there was a nasty letter from a local farmer saying I was way
off base. Since then Monsanto has been purchased by Bayer. You can do an
Internet search and find claims (from Bayer) that the EPA says glyphosate does
not cause cancer. However, several Courts see it differently. In March a San
Francisco court awarded $80 million to a man claiming glyphosate caused his
cancer and in May an Oakland court awarded $2 billion to a couple with the same
claim.
There are now thousands of lawsuits ongoing in the United
States, a class action suit in the United States, and the first lawsuit in
Australia was recently filed.
San Francisco story link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/03/27/monsanto-roundup-cancer-lawsuit-california-man-awarded-80-million/3293824002/
Oakland story link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jury-awards-couple-2billion-monsanto-roundup-weed-killer-cancer-lawsuit-trial-today-2019-05-13/
Here’s the article from 2015:
Glyphosate. Ever heard of it? Probably not. So let me
introduce it to you – it is the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup®.
The more I learn about it, the more I am concerned. The more I learn about it,
the more I am convinced that it may be the number one enemy of good health and
the main pathway to so many of the modern diseases we now experience. And if
nothing else, it is a great reason to eat organic.
The information I am sharing is from highly respected
researchers - MIT PhDs. They have conducted their own studies and reported on
others that link the increase in the use of glyphosate with the increase in
many modern diseases, including celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and cancer.
When we understand what glyphosate does in our bodies we see how specific
nutrients are depleted and the subsequent negative impact on specific biological
processes essential for good health. My purpose here is to provide a summary of
the findings. If you want to research this more I suggest you search Stephanie
Seneff, PhD.
The article I read focused on celiac disease, its main
symptoms, and glyphosate. The main symptoms of celiac disease are: weight loss,
diarrhea, chronic fatigue, neurological disorders, anemia, nausea, skin rashes,
depression, and nutrient deficiencies. As you know these symptoms are not
unique to celiac disease. They are experienced daily by many people and likely
share common origins and roots with celiac disease – one of these being
glyphosate consumption and exposure.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup®. We are told
it is not toxic to humans. Yet multiple scientific research studies draw links
to obesity, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, infertility, depression, and
cancer as well as celiac disease. The bottom line is that the actions of
glyphosate in our body have negative impacts on our health.
One of the major signs of celiac disease is damage to the
microvilli of the intestine. This prevents proper digestion and assimilation of
many vital nutrients and triggers an autoimmune response. A study on fish
exposed to glyphosate showed the same defects in the small intestine lining as
seen in humans diagnosed with celiac disease.
Now let’s take a look at some of the specific biological
process disrupted and nutrients depleted by glyphosate. There are many more
than discussed here, but I selected the major ones to support the main point of
this article.
Gut bacteria: Glyphosate
disrupt our gut bacteria. They inhibit growth of the good bacteria such as
Enterococcus, Bifidobacteria, and Lactobacillus; while allowing the growth of
pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella and Clostridium difficile (C-Diff). The
pathogenic bacteria cause damage to our gut lining and lead to “leaky gut.”
Evidence of this has been seen across poultry, cattle, and swine populations.
This is why Probiotics are often suggested to be used in cases of celiac
disease or other intestinal discomfort.
As a side note, this is how Roundup® kills bugs. It blows
their guts up!
CYP enzymes for liver
detoxification: CYP enzymes are essential for the detoxification of
specific substances in our liver. CYP enzymes are also required to produce bile
acids and process cholesterol. Studies
show correlations between liver damage, gall bladder dysfunction, high
cholesterol, non-alcoholic fatty liver, kidney damage, pancreatic damage, and
esophageal damage connected to glyphosate. In short, when the detoxification
process in the liver is compromised it creates the pathways for damage to these
other organs.
Nutrient deficiencies:
Many nutrient deficiencies are associated with glyphosate.
Cobalamin (B12) deficiency causes elevated levels of
homocysteine which is inflammatory in nature. Cobalamin is derived from cobalt
which glyphosate is known to chelate (bind with), thus the shortage. Anemia may
result from cobalamin deficiencies, but also folate and iron. Glyphosate
interferes with iron assimilation as well.
Molybdenum, a trace mineral, is needed for two key enzymes.
Sulfite oxidase which converts sulfite to sulfate (a more stable form) and
xanthine oxidase which produces uric acid from xanthine and hypoxanthine. Too
much sulfite and uric acid leads to oxidative damage and inflammation in the
body. Glyphosate interferes with molybdenum assimilation.
Selenium is required for many processes, including thyroid
hormone production, immune system functioning, sperm production, and protective
against oxidative cellular damage. Glyphosate inhibits selenium uptake into
plants, thus limiting its availability in the foods (such as wheat) where it is
supposed to be present. Evidence of the association between thyroid disease and
thyroid cancer and the use of glyphosate is documented.
Glyphosate has been shown to disrupt the production of
tryptophan. Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin. Serotonin plays many
roles among them activating the immune response and inflammation in the gut and
mood regulation. Depression is often linked to serotonin shortages.
This is a brief synopsis of one of many articles on the
subject of glyphosate. As I stated earlier, the more I read about this
herbicide, the more I do believe it is at the source of many of our health
problems today. It is not the only cause, but in combination with other factors
our bodies our under assault from environmental factors that we have never
before experienced as a human race.
The solution to avoiding glyphosate is simple. Eat organic
plants and animals. That will greatly decrease your chances for exposure.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Glyphosate deemed “probably carcinogenic.”
A working group of experts from 11 countries classified glyphosate as “probably
carcinogenic to humans: in a recent meeting at the International Agency for
Research in Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France. As if we needed to know more!!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and
Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized
nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To learn more or
to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com,
call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
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