Health Consequences of Roundup Herbicide - Short Version

This is a short summary of the nine-page article Health Consequences of Roundup Herbicide - Long Version
You have probably not heard the term glyphosate, but I am sure you are familiar with the brand name Roundup. Roundup is a broad-spectrum herbicide and according to Monsanto, the developer, it is perfectly safe for humans and their animals. Wouldn't this be a wonderful world if that were true? Because Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate have been given blessings by our government, they also developed RR crops or Roundup Ready crops. Roundup Ready crops are genetically altered to be resistant to being sprayed with Roundup. Recent studies have come to light that don't paint such a rosy picture. 

The cast of players and interactions are complex but I believe I can simplify things enough so you can understand the basics so you can take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. I will also include some peer-reviewed and other articles at the end, so you have a place to start to do your own research if you choose. You can suffer damage from getting exposed to glyphosates in your food and environment and also from eating these RR foods. 

Glyphosate has been shown to interfere with the cytochrome P450 enzymes that are crucial for several life supporting systems including components for cell membrane integrity and glucose storage and utilization. Without good cytochrome P450 enzyme activity, you can't have normal heart muscle, heart electrical or neuron activity. Vitamin D synthesis and management also depend on these cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. This could explain why we often find it difficult to get a person's vitamin D levels up to a healthy level without large doses of supplements. This could also explain why even farm workers in Hawaii have low vitamin D levels in spite of spending as much time in the sun as anyone. We won't discuss vitamin D in detail, but a quick tour of the Wikipedia discussion will help you understand that low D levels are involved in most of the conditions listed in this article including immune issues, cancers, early death, bone growth and more. 

The second effect is how the gut bacteria are damaged. You have no doubt read of the importance of these bacteria and how they help regulate our immune systems. Glyphosate causes a shift in the balance of the beneficial bacteria and the pathogenic microorganisms with the pathogenic taking a larger role in our intestines. Roundup Ready (RR) foods like corn, soybeans, sugar beets, wheat and others often have excessive amounts of glyphosate in their cells. This is because the farmer can add more and more Roundup to the fields without worrying about killing the crop. RR crops often contain levels of formaldehyde that far exceed deemed safety levels. 1-2 parts per million of formaldehyde is considered to be the upper limit of safe by the EPA. Corn commonly contains levels of 200 ppm. We know that 30 parts per billion can cause decreased lung function in children. When children are exposed to 60-120 parts per billion, their rate of asthma and bronchitis increases. 

Also, the gut bacteria can no longer make some of the essential amino acids for us like tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine but instead make toxic phenols. It should be noted that tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine and tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin. You have no doubt heard of serotonin and dopamine and how critical they are to your brain. 

These toxins now synthesized by the bacteria instead of essential amino acids are destructive to the intestinal lining. The lining of the small intestine is one cell layer thick and is about the size of a tennis court. Leaky gut syndrome and the problems it is related to has been the topic of much research over the last several years. When livestock is fed a diet of RR corn, for example, they have similar issues to people. They develop intestinal problems and in time tumors. These are very important shifts in physiology and these effects have been linked to several common disorders including things like autism, Alzheimer's Disease, diabetes, Parkinson's Disease and Parkinsonian syndromes, breast cancer, mood disorders, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and obesity.

So, what is a person to do about glyphosates? This herbicide is in the water, in the air and in our food. The first step you have just taken by reading this article and others like it to educate yourself about the possible dangers of this type of herbicide.

Next you can begin avoiding it by using other types of chemicals on your weeds like vinegar and soap. You can shop the organic fruits and vegetables section of the grocery store. You can avoid lot-fed cattle and other livestock and go for the free range and grass finished. Studies have shown that people who take these steps drop their glyphosate exposure by about 90%.

If you are dealing with any of the above diseases, you won't want to waste another day of high glyphosate exposure. To help heal your gut, three of the key factors are glutathione, curcumin and vitamin D. I have other articles on glutathione on OVitaminPro.com that you can access to learn more. Curcumin also helps to unwind some of the damaging oxidation pathways. We have a couple of different curcumin formulations at OVitaminPro that we recommend.

Vitamin D levels need to be kept high. We like to see something in the range of 80-100 instead of the more typical 20 that we are used to seeing on lab tests. Also, our main reference for higher doses of D is recommending 50,000 IUs once a week in most cases. In conclusion, healing from herbicide exposure takes some effort but can be done. The common steps we see helpful are the following. Eat only organic, non-GMO foods.

Avoid further exposure to herbicides and pesticides as much as possible. Take strategic supplements as mentioned above. In some cases, a more focused dietary program like the Physicians' Elemental Diet is necessary. Avoid foods that are known to adversely affect the immune system like wheat, rye and barley and many cases corn and oats too. Like always, if you need some help or further clarification, give us a buzz and we do our best to help out.

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