Just How Much of This Herbicide Are We Eating?

Glyphosate is the main active ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, and has been used so widely that it is now found in the air, water, and most non-organic produce (1).  The highest sources are various grains, particularly oat and wheat, which have tens of millions of pounds of glyphosate sprayed on them each year (1).  As noted in a review article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences,  “in-vitro studies, “have shown that this substance causes genetic damage, increases oxidative stress, interferes with the estrogen pathway, can be able to compromise brain functions and has been correlated with various forms of cancer.” (2). 

What about studies and authors claiming that glyphosate is safe? 

MIT scientist, Stephanie Seneff’s research focuses on computational biology and she has made significant contributions to the field of proteomics. She argues that her research strongly indicates that glyphosate is incorporated into proteins in place of the amino acid, glycine. Despite what critics may say, this is not unplausible, as the chemical formula for glyphosate is, C3-H8-N-O5-P (N-phosponmetyl glycine), and critical human proteins that bind phosphate are especially susceptible to glyphosate substitution.

Seneff’s research, using Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) spectrometry, identified 15 proteins that contained peptides that had been replaced by glyphosate, where a glycine molecule would have been. Two of these, specifically, the G-protein coupled receptor 158, and homebox protein, are involved in many immune responses to cancer cell proliferation and invasion (3). Glyphosate has also been shown to upregulate two proteins involved in tumor cell proliferation. One is the splicing factor SRSF6, which was found to be amplified in lung and colon cancer (6). When asked about safe exposure levels, she said:

"I don't think there's any safe level. In fact, there's some evidence that lower doses are more toxic than higher doses and that's because of this whole effective endocrine disruptor; it's become well known that toxic chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors are more toxic at low doses because it's at those low doses that they can pretend to be some kind of an endocrine signal..." 

In an interview with Dr. Andrew Wong, Seneff explains how glyphosate exposure results in accumulation of proteins resistant to enzymatic degradation, explaining why it is associated with cancer, Als, and other neurodegenerative diseases. She also explains that it can cause depression, melatonin deficiency, due to supression of what is called the shikimate pathway. 

The Deuterium Connection

Prof. Laszlo Boros, former Professor in pediatrics at UCLA studies the role of deuterium in health and disease. He explains that the problem is that mitochondria’s ATP pumps are easily overloaded with deuterium and unable to produce ATP, and start creating free radicals. Flavoproteins operate to protect mitochondria from an influx of deuterium, but are themselves blocked by glyphosate. One of the most important of these flavoproteins is the enzyme used to create co-Q10 and ubiquinol. Glyphosate selectively disrupts these and other enzymes that are involved in regulating tumorogenesis.

How to Reduce Exposure?

The best way is to eliminate certain brands of foods that include high amounts of glyphosate. Such as:

• 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

Detoxing From Glyphosate

The major problem with glyphosate is that because it tricks the body into incorporating it instead of glycine, it can result in nutritent deficiencies, such as in manganese, neurotransmitters, and probiotics. Another problem with glyphosate is that it is combined with other highly carcinogenic pesticides, like Atrazine, and other neonicotinoid insecticides. 

Glutathione

Glutathione is considered the master antioxidant/detoxification enzyme capable of detoxifying some of the most carcinogenic compounds, and greatly aids the body in repairing. 

Probiotics

Due to the disruption glyphosate causes to the microbiome, probiotics can replensih and protect the immune system from its damaging effects.  An animal study found that glyphosate caused significant GI dysbiosis, intestinal membrane damage, and growth retardation (9). 

Glycine

Quite a few naturopaths, like Dr. Axe are now reccomending glycine as a detoxification molecule, not only involved in glutathione production, but also many other biochemical and enzymatic processes such as reparing joint and cartilige like gelatin (which is very high in glycine). By supplementing with glycine, the body absorbs less glyphosate. 

Citrus Pectin

Another supplement that is highly recomended for not only for protecting against glyphosate, but also for detoxing heavy metals, and as a critical part of an anti-cancer protocol is citrus pectin. 

Manganese

Glyphosate has been shown to cause manganese deficiency in animals, and also appears to be involved in neurodegenerative pathologies and mitochondrial dysfunction. Also, because the gut pathogen salmonella is resistant to glyphosate, consuming glyphosate selectively reduced probiotic organisms, while increasing salmonella which increases risk of a range of disease related to a damaged microbiome. Manganese deficiency is also linked to osteaporosus, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fertility issues (10). 

Further Reading:

Toxic Legacy: How the Weedkiller Glyphosate Is Destroying Our Health and the Environment

Glyphosate Free: An Essay on Functional Nutrition and the Homeopathic Clearing of Glyphosate Toxicity

The Glyphosate Files: Smoke & Mirrors in the Pesticide Approvals Process

Getting Healthy in Toxic Times: An ecological doctor’s prescription for healing your body and the planet

What We Can Do:

Sign the Petition to get Glyphosate out of Children’s foods

References

1. https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2019/02/glyphosate-contamination-food-goes-far-beyond-oat-products
2. Marino, M., Mele, E., Viggiano, A., Nori, S. L., Meccariello, R., & Santoro, A. (2021). Pleiotropic outcomes of glyphosate exposure: from organ damage to effects on inflammation, cancer, reproduction and development. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(22), 12606.
3. https://stephanieseneff.net/glyphosate-substitutes-for-glycine/
4. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/14/weed-killing-products-increase-cancer-risk-of-cancer
5. MT Lewis. Homeobox genes in mammary gland development and neoplasia. Breast Cancer Research 2000; 2: 159. (Web Link) 
6. M Cohen-Eliav et al. The splicing factor SRSF6 is amplified and is an oncoprotein in lung and colon cancers. J Pathol 2013; 229(4): 630-9.
7. MN Antoniou et al. Glyphosate does not substitute for glycine in proteins of actively dividing mammalian cells. BMC Res Notes 2019; 12:494.
8. According to Boros: “Drinking artificially hydrogenated (protonated/deuterated) water deranges the body's concealment of hydrogen from its highly exposed oxygen supply, carried in blood, on one hand, while also consuming, hence wasting oxygen up before it could reach mitochondria, on the other. Hydrogenated water also introduces a highly unreliable/unpredictable/obscure source of deuterium into the circulation, just to form highly protonated and/or deuterated, therefore restructured water, while consuming oxygen up early, i. e. before it reaches the inner mitochondrial/peroxisomal compartments to form low deuterium metabolic water from natural fat sources, preferentially (1, 2). Hydrogen-infused water acts like the cart before the horse, i. e. it introduces protons into the circulation; a process contrary to the canonical order of "meeting" oxygen and hydrogen in cell compartments only with potentially ruinous effects on metabolism, deuterium depletion and health, otherwise. It is more desirable to increase oxidative phosphorylation by increasing dissolved and hemoglobin-mediated oxygen transport by hyperbaric oxygen or ozone treatments in order to keep hydrogen concealed at all times in circulation for the sparing of oxygen for mitochondrial and peroxisomal metabolic water formation for healthier cells and life!"
9. Yan, B., Han, J., Sun, Y., Lei, L., Yuan, J., Qiao, Z., ... & Zhou, B. (2022). Probiotics ameliorate growth retardation of glyphosate by regulating intestinal microbiota and metabolites in crucian carp (Carassius auratus). Science of the Total Environment, 851, 158260.
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4392553/