From Cancer to
Gluten Sensitivity
BY JEFFREY SMITH
“Based on the numerous ways in which it interferes with the body’s normal functioning, combined with the enormous exposure in the diet and environment, and its careless handling due to perceived nontoxicity, glyphosate is probably the most damaging chemical on the planet to human health and well-being.”
—Stephanie Seneff, PhD,
senior research scientist, MIT
You may spray it. You’ve certainly eaten it. You may even breathe it or drink it. And now we learn that it probably causes cancer . . . and perhaps 25 other diseases. We’re talking Roundup herbicide—long touted by its maker, Monsanto, as harmless. “It’s as safe as table salt” was their mantra in the 1990s—until the New York attorney general lawsuit forced them to stop chanting it.
Today, the veil is being lifted on this weed killer’s true nature, and its staggering toll on our health may be unprecedented. In the latest revelation, Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, was officially recognized as a probable human carcinogen. The 17-member committee of the World Health Organization confirmed in March 2015 that it creates cancer in lab animals and mutates human DNA, and that exposure to the spray is correlated with high rates of cancer in human populations. But that’s only a tiny fraction of its wrath.
Glyphosate first entered the world as a “descaler,” patented to remove buildup in industrial boilers and pipes. Its unique gift was its ability to chelate—to grab onto minerals such as zinc, calcium, magnesium, cobalt, manganese, and others—and not let them go.
It turns out that minerals are mission-critical components of living beings. Because glyphosate kills plants, Monsanto bought the chemical and re-patented is as an herbicide. Because it kills bacteria, they patented it again as an antibiotic.
Engineering Roundup-Resistant Plants
Monsanto scientists discovered bacteria growing in a glyphosate waste dump near their factory, apparently invincible to the chemical’s antibiotic effects. They figured, “Great! Let’s put it into the food supply!” So they took the gene that allowed the bacteria to survive, forced it into the DNA of plants so that they too would survive, and patented the resultant Roundup Ready crops. Over 90% of US corn, soy, cotton, canola, and sugar beets (and a significant percentage of alfalfa) are Roundup Ready—engineered to be sprayed with Roundup. Unfortunately, we consume hefty doses of glyphosate whenever we eat derivatives of those foods.
You may think that the key to avoid eating glyphosate is to avoid GMOs. Yes and no. Glyphosate is now sprayed on dozens of nonGMO crops just before harvest as a ripening agent. It can dry down the crop, force ripening, and kill weeds for next year. The crops that this has been tried on include wheat, barley, lentils, rye, oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, kiwi, corn, sunflower, raspberries, apples, alfalfa, sugar cane, grapes (wine), peas, mustard, flax, soybeans, sorghum, and beans. Since the USDA doesn’t require or report glyphosate residues, we don’t know the complete list of crops that carry residues into our stomachs, blood, urine, and breast milk. But the EPA in creased the allowable residue levels on about 160 crop varieties in 2013 to allow for preharvest spraying. Unfortunately, the amount they allow in our food is a million times higher than the amount of glyphosate associated with multiplying breast cancer cells and damaging liver and kidney function.
Richmond banned the spraying of Roundup (and all pesticides) from city properties. Many parks, homeowners associations, and counties are considering the same. But how do we keep from eating it?
Eat Organic, Not Just Non-GMO
Organic foods do not allow the spraying of Roundup and do not allow the use of GMOs. The organic standards do not require anyone to actually test the foods to see if GMO contamination has occurred, so sometimes there is some low level of contamination.
The Non-GMO Project verification does require testing for GMOs but has a 0.9% allowable threshold. So it too may contain some GMO contamination. But it also might have wheat, barley, rye, etc., that while not GMO, may have been drenched in Roundup (as well as other nasty chemicals). So if you have to choose between an organic and a Non-GMO Project Verified product, choose organic! Products with both the organic seal and the Non-GMO Project seal are the gold standard.
Is it worth all that trouble to become a dedicated organic eater?
There are charts showing correlations between increased glyphosate use and more than 20 diseases. Although correlation does not prove causation, experts have identified how the herbicide’s effect on our body can promote these specific disorders.
Kills Friendly Gut Bacteria
Glyphosate easily kills the beneficial bacteria in our gut but not the pathogenic varieties like salmonella, E. coli, and others. The negative bacteria can overgrow, and that can be disastrous for digestion, detoxification, and immunity—all key functions of healthy gut flora. It also can create gaps between the cells that line the intestinal walls. This “leaky gut” condition is linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, allergies, inflammation, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases such as celiac.
Glyphosate can also block the gut bacteria’s ability to produce building blocks for serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin (shikamate pathway). With insufficient amounts of these neurotransmitters, we may struggle with depression, anxiety, insomnia, faulty blood sugar regulation, overeating, and Parkinson’s.
Interferes with Critical Bodily Functions
Because glyphosate also interferes with another critical function (P450 cytochrome pathway), scientists believe that it may be a major contributor to autism, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, reproductive and gastrointestinal disorders, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, aggression, depression, and gluten sensitivity.
Linked to Birth Defects, Infertility, Hormone Imbalances, and Fatigue
Glyphosate can wreak havoc with hormones. It is linked to infertility and serious birth defects, and can alter our estrogen/testosterone balance. It is also toxic to our cells’ energy centers (mitochondria), which may leave us struggling with fatigue and brain fog.
Ready for Some Good News?
We have heard from thousands of people who have switched to a nonGMO/organic diet and from more than a thousand physicians who prescribe non-GMO/organic diets to their patients. The consistent finding is that numerous diseases can be reversed or even eliminated, and the speed of recovery is often breathtaking.
The No. 1 category of symptom improvement is digestive. Not far behind are increased energy, reduced brain fog, better weight loss, and improvements in headaches, joint pain, skin conditions, allergies, asthma, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and gluten sensitivity. Many parents report dramatic turnarounds in ADHD and autism as well. And the cost savings from doctor visits and medicines regularly outpaces the cost of buying organic foods.
If you try an all-organic diet, keep a journal of your health, energy, and mood. Then let us know the results at [email protected].
Safe eating.
Jeffrey Smith is the founding executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology. His film, Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives, won Movie of the Year (Solari Report), and his book Seeds of Deception has been the world’s bestselling book on GMOs since 2003. He is working on a new film with Amy Hart called Secret Ingredients, which documents families who eliminate chronic conditions when they switch to non-GMO organic diets. SecretIngredientsMovie.com