You don't hear much about glyphosate here in the United States. But let me tell you, it IS worth talking about!
Glyphosate is an herbicide that breaks the shikimate pathway in plants, blocking the production of some of the essential amino acids needed for plant growth; instead, causing the plant to die. Glyphosate is currently used in two ways:
1. It is used on GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) crops to control weeds, including soy, corn, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, and cotton. The weeds will die off, but the GMO plants are modified to resist glyphosate exposure, so they can continue to grow.
2. It is used as a desiccant to dry many of our grain crops faster for harvest. Since glyphosate is applied right before harvest, it is ground into much of our non-organic grains. Glyphosate is in your wheat flour, your barley, your rye, corn and soy.
With the rise of gluten allergies, Celiac Disease, and other serious autoimmune diseases, could it be possible that glyphosate exposure is disrupting our health and causing leaky gut? What do you think?
Besides the dangers of ingesting this herbicide in our food, there is an even bigger problem that is arising in current research. Glyphosate is showing up in our deep water aquifers (which are suppose to be some of the purest forms of water left on earth) and in most rain water samples. Glyphosate is water soluble and nearly 200 million pounds a year are sprayed in the United States alone! Overspray and rain water contamination are causing glyphosate to even show up in minimal amounts on organic foods. According to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Program, glyphosate was detected in 66 out of 70 U.S. streams and rivers that were tested. https://www.usgs.gov/news/herbicide-glyphosate-prevalent-us-streams-and-rivers
Furthermore, The World Health Organization posted a study done by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) which classifies glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans." IARC also concluded that there was “strong” evidence for genotoxicity. https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/media-centre-iarc-news-glyphosate/
What can we do?
Fortunately, some European countries have banned glyphosate all together. I think we need to follow suit. Our consumerism drives what companies create. If we know there is a problem, we can change it through our buying habits. We can start by consuming organically grown foods when and where we can. We also have to pay close attention to many of our baby formulas and cosmetic and care products. Since many of them are produced from wheat, corn, and soy-derived ingredients, it is important that we start to incorporate more organic products into our daily routines all together. It is also best to drink filtered water to avoid excessive glyphosate exposure. Hopefully soon, the EPA steps up and bans this horrible herbicide. Let me know your thoughts? What do you think should be done?