Glyphosate: What You Need to Know About the World’s Most-Used Herbicide

By Erin Biberston, Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach

What Is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is the most widely used herbicide on Earth. Farmers spray it not only to kill weeds, but also to dry out wheat, oats, lentils, and chickpeas right before harvest — a practice called desiccation.

• This is banned in many countries, but still legal in the U.S.
• As a result, our breads, cereals, and snack foods often carry higher glyphosate residues than those in Europe.

Where Glyphosate Shows Up in Food

Independent testing has revealed surprisingly high levels of glyphosate in common pantry staples:

• Oats and cereals: Quaker Oatmeal Squares (up to 2,837 ppb in 2018; still up to 500 ppb in 2023).
• Bread products: Whole wheat bread tested at 1,150 ppb.
• Chickpeas & hummus: Over 80% of non-organic samples contaminated.
• Granola bars & crackers: Consistently high-risk.
• Honey & coffee: Widespread trace contamination, even in organic samples.

(ppb = parts per billion; legal limits do not equal safe limits.)

New Safety Concerns

A landmark 2025 Global Glyphosate Study from the Ramazzini Institute tested the EU’s own “safe” daily limit of 0.5 mg/kg. The findings shocked regulators:

• Significant increases in leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Thyroid and liver tumors
• Effects appeared even at the lowest dose tested

Europe is now re-evaluating glyphosate safety. The U.S., however, has no federal testing program — leaving consumers in the dark.

How Glyphosate Harms the Body

Glyphosate disrupts health through multiple pathways:

1. Gut Microbiome Imbalance
• Suppresses beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
• Promotes pathogens, leaky gut, and immune dysregulation.
2. Nutrient Blockage
• Interferes with enzymes (cytochrome P450, sulfation pathways).
• Reduces availability of folate, tryptophan, and sulfate.
3. Protein Dysfunction
• Glyphosate may act as a glycine analogue — mimicking glycine and creating misfolded proteins.
• This can disrupt muscle function, mitochondria, and immune proteins.
4. Mineral Chelation
• Strongly binds manganese, zinc, copper, and iron — minerals essential for detox and energy.
5. Hormone & Sleep Disruption
• Interferes with melatonin production and thyroid function.
• Acts as a xenoestrogen, disturbing fertility and hormone balance.
6. Neurological Stress
• Linked to excitotoxicity (overactive glutamate pathways), mitochondrial damage, and neurodegeneration.

What This Means for You

Glyphosate has been connected to:

• Neurological disorders (ALS, Alzheimer’s, autism)
• Autoimmunity (Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus)
• Metabolic issues (diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease)
• Histamine intolerance & inflammation (via methylation and folate blockage)

What You Can Do Right Now

The good news? You can lower your exposure and support your body.

1. Change Your Grocery List

• Buy organic oats, wheat, lentils, and chickpeas.
• Choose “glyphosate-free” certified products.
• Swap in safer carbs: rice, corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes (not desiccated).
• Question “healthy” snacks made with conventional oats or wheat.

2. Support Detoxification
Dr. Hulda Clark and Hanna Kroeger both emphasized simple, time-tested cleansing:

• Liver & kidney cleanses to restore bile flow and filter toxins.
• Parasite cleanses to address fungal and parasitic overgrowth encouraged by glyphosate.
• Bowel cleansing to improve elimination and reduce reabsorption.

3. Replenish Minerals

• Manganese, zinc, and magnesium are often depleted in glyphosate-exposed individuals.
• Saliva testing and mineral scans can reveal your personal deficiencies.

4. Support Histamine & Methylation

• Glyphosate blocks folate and B12, impairing methylation.
• Supplementation may help restore histamine clearance and lower homocysteine.

5. Consider Glycine (Cautiously)

• Some research suggests glycine may protect against glyphosate misincorporation.
• Clinical doses are typically 3–5 grams/day, but more research is needed.

Real-World Evidence for an Organic Diet

A study tracking U.S. families who switched to all-organic food found:

• 70% drop in urinary glyphosate in just six days
• No detox protocol required — just food changes.

Final Thoughts

Glyphosate is not just a weedkiller problem — it’s a whole-body disruptor.

• It compromises the gut, weakens detox pathways, robs minerals, and fuels parasites and fungi.
• Dr. Clark’s cleansing protocols, combined with Hanna Kroeger’s remedies, remain among the best defenses for supporting the body against environmental toxins like glyphosate.

📌 If you’d like to know more about how glyphosate may be affecting your health, or to explore saliva testing to uncover hidden parasites, fungi, or bacterial imbalances, click the link below to learn more.

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