Written by: Marissa Hughes, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
This harmful ingredient in RoundUp weed killer, called Glyphosate, may be the link to figuring out why you are having seemingly mysterious health issues.
With so much conflicting information out there about health, it is difficult to find answers to what may be causing the physical, emotional, or mental health symptoms you are experiencing. A quick Google search of your symptoms may come up with millions of different articles suggesting millions of different reasons why you would experience bloating, bowel issues, brain fog, fatigue, rashes, autoimmune disease, or insomnia. While many people are doing ‘all the right things’, they are still experiencing many of these symptoms and are looking for answers. If you are eating healthy, exercising, and drinking water, there must be a hidden reason for still having these health issues. Glyphosate, the main ingredient in RoundUp, is heavily sprayed on the majority of the foods Americans are eating today and is causing health issues, such as celiac disease, in many adults and children alike. Its rise in utilization, beginning in 1974, directly correlates with the rise of many health issues plaguing our country today. The highest amounts of this harmful chemical are found in wheat, corn, soy, and oats, with Honey Nut Cheerios being the worst offender at 833 parts per billion. Other popular foods tested high were many brands of bread, cereal bars, baby food, crackers, wine, and some organic products. While Bayer, who owns RoundUp, says it is a “safe and efficient weed control tool”, studies show otherwise. Taking measures to reduce glyphosate intake can positively impact your health in so many ways.
Here are the 3 main reasons why glyphosate may be causing your mysterious health symptoms. 1. It kills your good gut bacteria
Glyphosate works by inhibiting the shikimate pathway, a metabolic pathway found only in plants and bacteria. This is why it has been deemed ‘safe’ by the FDA, as humans do not use this pathway, but our gut bugs do. Glyphosate acts as an antibiotic, killing off our beneficial bacteria, allowing the pathogenic bacteria to overgrow, increasing inflammation, reducing the production of vitamins in the gut, and negatively affecting how we digest our food.
“Gastrointestinal issues (such as IBS) and inflammatory conditions have been speculated to arise from gut dysbiosis resulting from glyphosate exposure via the foodstuffs frequently included in a Western diet”
2. It may cause intestinal hyperpermeability ‒ aka leaky gut syndrome
Leaky gut syndrome happens when the very delicate lining of the intestines gets damaged over time. We need our gut lining to be just permeable enough to absorb nutrients from our food, but when it becomes too permeable, that’s when we stop absorbing nutrients properly, and toxins and pathogens are allowed to enter the body, causing all kinds of issues. By killing our first line of defense in our guts (our good bacteria), our probability of leaky gut rises. Signs of leaky gut include a range of symptoms from bowel issues to skin issues to autoimmunity.
3. It is known as a “probable carcinogen”
In 2017, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic" in humans. A study from the University of Washington suggests that glyphosate increases the risk of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma by 41%. Bayer has been forced to pay out 10 billion dollars over tens of thousands of lawsuits claiming that this ingredient causes cancer. So, now that we know why we should try and avoid this dangerous chemical, how do we do this?
Purchasing as many organic foods as possible will help you reduce your intake of glyphosate as it is not supposed to be used in organic farming. Even this does not bring your chances of ingestion down to zero, as neighboring farms using the product can leak it through the air and the water.
Another way to avoid glyphosate is to avoid the most heavily sprayed crops- soy, corn, oats, and wheat. Most of these crops are genetically modified to be “glyphosate-resistant” and will contribute to the health issues mentioned above.
There are not many ways to detox glyphosate. Only one supplement has been proven to actually begin to eliminate this harmful ingredient from the body, reducing 74% of glyphosate from the body in just 6 weeks. Doing this on top of a mostly organic diet is the best way to protect yourself from the harmful effects of this toxin.
Seeing as 87% of children tested positive for glyphosate in their urine, this is becoming an epidemic that can’t be ignored. Protecting yourself and your children from this toxin is vitally important for gut health and overall health!
Click here to download my helpful free guide – 3 Ways To Give Your Gut A "Probiotic Makeover " So You Can Live Life Without Worrying About Digestive Distress. It also includes a gut-loving sample 3-day meal plan.
Marissa Hughes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Marissa is a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach, specializing in Digestive Health. She had been down a very long health journey of her own before deciding to take matters into her own hands and is now dedicated to helping other women feel as good as she does every day. She gets to the root cause of her client's gut issues by using a microbiome testing process, so each client receives a totally personalized plan, based on their individual results. She uses a combination of specific foods, supplements, stress management, detoxification and Pilates in her online program, The Happy Belly Method.
