You’ve seen the commercials. All American Dad, pump sprayer in hand, attacking those pesky weeds growing in the cracks of his family’s driveway with a vengeance. He chooses Roundup, of course.
Why? Â Because Roundup kills weeds to the root so they won’t come back making you the laughingstock of your suburban neighborhood.
Roundup, Roundup everywhere. Most homeowners use it without a second thought. Many schools even use it, blithely spraying around planting beds and sidewalks where children walk and play, tracking its residues into classrooms, cars, homes and little bodies.
Roundup is indisputably the King of Herbicides and one of Monsanto’s most lucrative crown jewels. Not only is it widely used by consumers, it is also heavily used by industrial agriculture – more popular than any other herbicide worldwide. Its residues are found on the staple crops of the Western diet – sugar, corn, soy and wheat – and in the plethora of processed foods made with these foods as well. Â In particular, GMO corn and soy are heavily doused in Roundup as these crops are genetically engineered to be immune to its withering effects.
The trouble is, while Roundup is highly effective at killing weeds, it’s also proving highly effective at killing us too – slowly but surely and insidiously – via Roundup’s deadly active ingredient – glyphosate.
While the pesticide industry maintains that glyphosate is minimally toxic to humans, new research published in the Journal Entropy strongly argues otherwise by shedding light on exactly how glyphosate disrupts mammalian physiology.
Authored by Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff of MIT, the paper investigates glyphosate’s inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, an overlooked component of lethal toxicity to mammals.
In the in-depth video interview below on her groundbreaking research, Dr. Seneff describes the mechanism by which the glyphosate in Roundup disrupts human biological processes.
The currently accepted view is that glyphosate is not harmful to humans or any mammals because the shikimate pathway found in plants is absent in animals. Â The shikimate pathway is involved with the plant’s synthesis of certain amino acids and is lethally disrupted by glyphosate.
What has been completely overlooked until now is that the shikimate pathway is present in beneficial gut bacteria, which play a critical role in human health. Gut bacteria aid digestion, prevent permeability of the gastrointestinal tract, synthesize vitamins and provide the foundation for robust immunity.
Glyphosate Disrupts the Functioning of Beneficial Gut Bacteria
In synergy with disruption of the biosynthesis of important amino acids via the shikimate pathway, glyphosate inhibits the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes produced by the gut microbiome. CYP enzymes are critical to human biology because they detoxify the multitude of foreign chemical compounds, xenobiotics, that we are exposed to in our modern environment today.
As a result, humans exposed to glyphosate through the use of Roundup in their community or through the ingestion of its residues on industrialized food products become even more vulnerable to the damaging effects of other chemicals and environmental toxins they encounter!
What’s worse is that the negative impact of glyphosate exposure is slow and insidious over months and years as inflammation gradually gains a foothold in the cellular systems of the body.
The consequences of this systemic inflammation are most of the diseases and conditions associated with the Western lifestyle:
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Depression
- Autism
- Infertility
- Cancer
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Alzheimer’s disease
- And the list goes on and on and on …
In summary, Dr. Seneff’s study of Roundup’s ghastly glyphosate uncovers the manner in which this lethal environmental toxin gradually and inevitably disrupts homeostasis in the human body with the tragic end result of disease, degeneration, and widespread suffering.
Still want to “shoot” those weeds this weekend with some Roundup and buy those unlabeled, GMO laced processed foods in the pretty packages at the supermarket?
In addition, Roundup residue in organic hydroponics is possible as there is no transition period from conventional farming. Stick with soil based organics!
References
Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases
Institute of Responsible Technology: Monsanto’s Herbicide–Featuring the Darth Vader Chemical
More Toxic Than Declared
More Information
Toxic Wheat
Glyphosate used on DOZENS of Food CropsÂ
Dutch Ban Glyphosate, France and Brazil Likely to Soon Follow
Sarah, Thanks for spreading the word, and loving your neighbor! I resigned from the Extension Service in 2007 after reading some material and figuring out that I was really an unpaid chemical salesman. As an Ag agent, when we had a weed, insect or plant disease issues we were taught to “prescribe” insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. I started on this journey after reading “Weeds Control without Poisons by Charles Walters”. Since that time I have been blessed to work for one of the pioneers of liquid calcium to the Ag industry. From what I have seen with soil chemistry I believe our greatest hope for the reducing all pesticides is understanding the benefits of increasing available calcium in the soil. It feeds and enhances microbial populations which really increases (like in us) digestion of organic matter and the release of nutrients. This would render a breaking apart of the nutrients that Glyphosate chelates and makes unavailable. Keep up the message, and thanks again.
I weed wacked an 1800 sq.ft. fenced area and dummy me didn’t use a respirator. Later that night I began feeling flu like symptoms. I now believe someone had sprayed the weeds previously with an herbicide, hence they were all dead and brown. Is this possible? That the product could still have toxicity after being used and dried?
Yes it is definitely possible.
We sprayed roundup in an area 11 years ago. We moved back to this property and would like to put a garden there, as it is the only spot on the 25 acres that is devoid of trees and has a 60X60 foot fence around it. The fence is important because of all the wildlife. We have learned a lot since I sprayed that toxic stuff and are now completely organic everything. Is the soil safe to plant in or will we have to do the container route? BTW–the soil is really rich, but now I wonder if it is dead soil. There are earthworms. Any thoughts are appreciated.
Vinegar is an effective herbacide that is safe for use around humans and companion animals. It will also kill vegetables and insects whether beneficial or not so be careful where you spray it. May require a few applications but very effective especially if sprayed on a sunny day. Best wishes all.
Sarah,
Nice article on the risk of using Roundup. I’m just starting a new house landscaping projects and have a new puppy, and don’t want to use Roundup anymore. Does anyone know a natural weed control product that is effective? Even if not as effective as Roundup and needs multiple applications, it still would be okay.
Spray only what you can’t pull, and always wear a good chemical mask. Spray during non-windy times, and close in on the target weeds. Mix according to manufacturers directions (it’s the law), and, unless you’re a bit cavalier about your health, never spray in your vehicle garden. Now, back to yard work.
My 52 year old brother has been spraying an average of 5 gallons of roundup every other day for over 2 weeks now on his mothers land and all arpund her house. My mother is 87 and has 3 dogs and a cat and Im very worried about the health of her and her animals
Who can I contact to get someone to talk to her because he has convinced her it is 100% safe even when he uses ot everday.
We can control what we put on our yard and gardens but our one acre butts up to fields on three sides of us. We don’t own the fields and I’ve always been very concerned about the chemical exposure we’re receiving from those. As much as I would love to move away from the fields, its not feasible at this time and even if it was, living in the agricultural heart of the midwest, it would be hard to even find a property that doesn’t have a field close by. How can I lesson the affects on us?
Which chemical is good for spraying cassava,without poisoning the roots and the humanbeing
Senior Residences Constantly Spraying I’m already Chemically Sensitive. Kidneys now hurting, bladder infection, can’t POO all recent changes. Abdominal pain and swelling, Flatulence constant. Libido rapidly diminished