The Food Supply Is Poisoned
Glyphosate, Food, & Cancer
😲It is no secret that the use of pesticides has increased significantly in recent years. With the ever-growing demand for larger crops to feed a burgeoning world population, farmers have used more chemicals to protect their plants from pests and increase yield. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, and its usage has risen exponentially since Monsanto first introduced it in 1974.
🤯While glyphosate is touted as safe for human consumption by the manufacturer, a growing body of evidence suggests otherwise. Several studies have shown that glyphosate residue can be found in various foods, including cereals, soy products, and beer. More alarmingly, these residues have been linked to some health problems, including cancer.
What is Glyphosate?
👉🏼Glyphosate is a herbicide that is used to kill plants. It is the active ingredient in Roundup, a famous weed killer used by farmers and gardeners worldwide.
👉🏼Glyphosate works by inhibiting an enzyme called EPSP synthase, which is essential for plant growth. This enzyme is found in plants but not in animals or humans.
👉🏼When glyphosate comes into contact with plants, it kills them by inhibiting EPSP synthase and disrupting their growth.
👉🏼Glyphosate was first patented in 1974 and was initially used as an industrial cleaner. It wasn’t until the 1980s that it began to be used as a herbicide.
Since then, glyphosate has become one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. It is estimated that glyphosate is used on over 150 crops in over 100 countries.
Glyphosate tied to cancer found in 80% of US urine samples
Most 80% of urine samples from children and adults in a US health study contained a potentially cancer-causing weed killer. This is not good, and we are becoming very concerned about this problem.
In a report published by the Agency’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), the CDC found that among a group representative of the U.S. population, 1,885 out of 2,310 urine samples had detectable traces of glyphosate. This active herbicide ingredient is sold worldwide and included in products like Roundup. Out of those who took part, a total of 28% were children aged six to 18.
As well to glyphosate, the ministry found traces of several other active ingredients in the products, including 2–4D and dicamba. The report said: “We have found that most herbicides contain multiple chemicals.”
This graph shows the use of glyphosate use rates & incidences of liver cancer 1975 through 2011
Glyphosate Residues in Food
One of the most comprehensive studies on glyphosate residue in food was conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG is a non-profit organization specializing in research and advocacy on environmental issues. Their study found that glyphosate residue was present in most of the foods they tested.
⭐️Of the 45 food products tested, 43 had detectable levels of glyphosate. This included popular breakfast cereals such as Cheerios and Lucky Charms and snack foods like Doritos and Ritz crackers. Organic peanut butter and organic hummus were the only products that did not detect glyphosate levels.
While the levels of glyphosate residue found in these foods were well below the safety threshold set by the EPA, they are still causing concern. The EPA’s safety threshold is based on studies that only looked at the acute toxicity of glyphosate and not its potential long-term effects.
There is also the question of what effect these low levels of glyphosate residue might have on our gut bacteria. Our gut bacteria play a vital role in our overall health, and even low levels of pesticide exposure can disrupt the delicate balance of our microbiome.
One study examining the effects of glyphosate on gut bacteria found that it can promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria while suppressing the growth of beneficial bacteria. This can lead to gut dysbiosis, a condition where the balance of gut bacteria is disrupted, which has been linked to various health problems.
Glyphosate and Cancer
One of the most well-known potential health effects of glyphosate exposure is cancer. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.”
This classification was based on several studies showing a link between glyphosate exposure and cancer. One study found that people exposed to glyphosate had an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
👉🏼Another study examined farmers in Argentina exposed to glyphosate and found an increased risk of liver and kidney cancers.
👉🏼A more recent study published in 2020 found that exposure to glyphosate was associated with an increased risk of several types of cancer, including breast, thyroid, and ovarian cancer.
The link between glyphosate and cancer is still being debated, and more research is needed to confirm the connection. However, the available evidence suggests that there may be a risk, especially for people exposed to glyphosate regularly.
So far, Monsanto has been unsuccessful in getting the IARC’s classification of glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen overturned. In 2017, they filed a lawsuit against the EPA to force them to change their position on the safety of glyphosate. The EPA has so far refused to budge, and the case is still ongoing.
Companies That Use Glyphosate
Monsanto is the world’s largest producer of glyphosate, selling it under the Roundup brand. Other companies that produce glyphosate-based herbicides include BASF, DowDuPont, and Syngenta. These products are used in agriculture, forestry, and urban landscaping to control weeds. Glyphosate is also used in home gardens.
What You Can Do ✅
If you’re concerned about glyphosate residue in your food, there are a few things you can do to reduce your exposure.
First, you can buy organic foods whenever possible. The USDA Organic label means the food has been produced without synthetic pesticides, including glyphosate.
You can also look for products that are certified glyphosate-free by the Non-GMO Project. This certification is given to products produced without genetically modified ingredients or synthetic pesticides.
Finally, you can support companies that are working to reduce the use of glyphosate. One company doing this is Dr. Bronner’s, which uses organic and fair trade ingredients in its products.
You can also contact your representatives and tell them that you want stricter regulation of glyphosate and other pesticides. The EPA is currently re-evaluating glyphosate’s safety, and your voice can help make a difference in the outcome of this process.
Glyphosate Different Usages
Agriculture Usage
Glyphosate is used on crops to kill weeds. It is particularly effective on annual broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops. Glyphosate is used in both pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide applications.
Forestry Usage
Glyphosate is used in forestry to control unwanted vegetation. It is applied to trees and stumps before planting and non-crop areas around the forest.
Urban Landscaping Usage
Glyphosate is used in urban landscaping to control weeds in parks, streetscapes, gardens, and other public areas.
Home Garden Usage
Glyphosate is used in home gardens to control weeds. It is available in products such as Roundup Ready-to-Use Weed & Grass Killer. Glyphosate is also used in non-selective herbicide applications to kill all vegetation in an area.
Glyphosate Products to Avoid
Although EWG is the most well-known organization that tests for glyphosate, a variety of other organizations have also done testing. Moms Across America, Food Democracy Now!, and The Detox Project, to name a few. According to their reports, these are the types of food and brands that have been found to test positive:
- Granola by Quaker, KIND, Back to Nature, Nature Valley
- Instant oats by Giant, Quaker, Umpqua, Market Pantry
- Whole oats by Quaker, Bob’s Red Mill, Nature’s Path, Whole Foods
- Cereal by Kashi, Kellogg’s, including Lucky Charms and Cheerios
- Snack bars by Quaker, KIND, Nature Valley, Kellogg’s
- Orange juice by Tropicana, Minute Maid, Signature Farms, Kirkland
- Crackers, including Cheez-Its, Ritz, Triscuits, Goldfish
- Cookies by Annie’s, Kashi, and Nabisco (Oreos)
- Chips by Stacy’s, Lay’s, Doritos, Fritos
Glyphosate has been found in 75% of air and rain samples. Glyphosate is also found in products like Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, non-organic cotton clothing brands, and drinking water.
Lawsuits and settlements against glyphosate companies
Monsanto has faced several lawsuits alleging that its glyphosate-based products cause cancer. In 2018, a jury in San Francisco ordered Monsanto to pay $78 million in damages to a man who said Roundup caused his cancer. The case is currently on appeal. In 2019, Monsanto agreed to settle more than 12,000 lawsuits for $10.2 billion. The cases were consolidated into one federal multidistrict litigation.
Syngenta has also been sued over its glyphosate-based products. In 2019, the company agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits for $1.5 billion. The cases were consolidated into one federal multi district litigation.
Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, has faced more than 100,000 lawsuits over glyphosate. In 2020, Bayer agreed to settle these lawsuits for $10 billion. The cases were consolidated into one federal multi district litigation. The latest was the US Supreme Court decision that denied Bayer its bid to stop lawsuit cases.
The conclusion
Glyphosate residue in our food is a significant cause for concern. More research is needed to confirm the connection between glyphosate and cancer; we should ask our elected officials to investigate these things.
In the meantime, you can reduce your exposure by buying organic foods and supporting companies working to reduce glyphosate use. Additionally, we can boost our detox pathways by supplementing, exercising, and eating a diet conducive to our long-term health.
