Description
What is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the main active ingredient for many broad-spectrum herbicides. The increased use of glyphosate in agriculture, recreational areas, and home gardens has increased 100-fold in the last 20 years. This has led to increased detection of glyphosate and its by-product aminomethylphosphoic acid (AMPA) in soil and water. There are over 750 different herbicides that contain glyphosate, which has made it difficult to avoiding using products that contain it. The US EPA has raised the admissible glyphosate level in soy seeds from 2 ppm to 40 ppm. Human exposure is mainly through food. Glyphosate has been detected in human blood, urine, umbilical cord blood, and breast milk.
The US National Nutrition Examination Survey found the herbicide in 80% of urine samples, however, the amount present varies widely.
Although, no safe limits have been set on glyphosate exposure, it would be advisable to limit exposure as much as possible.
Glyphosate exhibits its herbicidal action through inhibition of the shikimate pathway enzyme EPSPS. Class I EPSPS are sensitive to the effects of glyphosate and are found in all plants and bacteria. However, glyphosate-resistant PSPS (Class II) appear to be more prevalent in opportunistic pathogens and may contribute to dysbiosis.
HEALTH EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO GLYPHOSATE EXPOSURE
• Cancer
• Kills beneficial bacteria in the gut
• Endocrine disrupter causing problems with hormone pathways
