Is Glyphosate safe or not?

Did you know that high levels of glyphosate have been found in many cereals and foods. Well lets say it does but who cares? Is it bad for my health? You may have heard about glyphosate, the main ingredient in roundup, a very popular herbicide. There were actually lawsuits recently about those who may have gotten cancer from using roundup. Glyphosate kills vegetation, specifically weeds. It is sprayed on the crops which were specially designed to be able to withstand the glyphosate. The weeds die and the crops do not. Glyphosate is a major herbicide in the agriculture world. When glyphosate is sprayed on the crops it enters the plant. Some of it remains in the plant and some is expelled through the roots. The residue that remains can not be washed off because it is in the plant structure itself. 

The most common plants that are "roundup ready" meaning they are modified to be able to withstand roundup are soybeans, corn, canola, cotton, alfalfa and sugar beets. This ends up in our food supply. Cottonseed oil from the cotton plants. Corn, corn oil and corn syrup. Sugar from sugar beets. Most of the livestock in the US consume GMO feed, which ends up in the meat we eat. 

But it's not only the GMO crops that are of concern. Many grains and beans are sprayed with glyphosate right before harvest to easily kill and dry the plant. The farmer then can harvest earlier which means more for his buck. Residue stays on the grain, ending up in bread, cereal and you name it. 

Research shows that glyphosate can be damaging when consumed. Animals studies show that .1 parts per billion PPB alters the gene function of more than 400 genes in in rats causing fatty liver disease. 10 PPB caused toxic effects on fish. 700 PPB caused alterations of kidneys and livers in rats. 

*Research indicates that glyphosate can bind with minerals making them unusable

*It kills friendly gut bacteria

*It disrupts hormones including sex hormones. 

*Damages mitochondria

*Leads to birth defects and was classified by the WHO as a probable carcinogen.

The EPA considers a daily intake of 1.75 mg per kilogram of bodyweight, acceptable. They are quite lenient about it. The ADI in Europe is .3 mg per kilogram of body weight OK. That's a 6th of what is accepted in the US. A single serving of cheerios can contain around 29 mg of glyphosate. The EWG set their acceptable amount at .01 for children daily. 

Eating organic will definitely help reduce your glyphosate intake, but you can never get a way from it fully. The environment is contaminated with glyphosate and other toxins. One study found 75% contamination in rain and air samples. But less is better. By eating organic when possible, filtering the water we drink, purifying the air in our homes and occasionally detoxing and sweating out toxins (like with a sauna or exercising) we can lower our overall toxin amount in our bodies and hopefully live a healthier and more pleasurable life. 

Check out more at responsibletechnology.org