What is glyphosate and how harmful is it to our health?

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is a common weedkillerwhich is often sold as Roundup. It is one of the most popular and widely used herbicides in the world. It has been used in agriculture since the 1970s and also used in other areas such as gardening, forestry and industry.

How does glyphosate work?

Glyphosate's mechanism of action is based on the metabolic pathway of shikimic acidwhich is involved in the production of essential amino acids in plants. When glyphosate is applied to plants, it inhibits the production of shikimic acid in the plants and thus prevents the formation of essential amino acids. This process takes place in weeds and weed plants, resulting in the herbicidal effect.

Genetically modified plants and glyphosate

Most modified plants are tolerant to total herbicidesfor example, Monsanto's Roundup Ready soya bean, which survives the herbicide glyphosate. Varieties such as soya beans, maize and cotton are being cultivated more frequently in the USA, leading to a sharp increase in areas sprayed with Roundup herbicides. 

Since 2008, more than 80% of maize and soya bean varieties sown in the USA have been genetically modified. The maize kills certain pests and is also tolerant to glyphosate as it has been modified in two genes. The genetically modified soya is also resistant to glyphosate, which means that fewer herbicides need to be used. 

Over the years, however, the resistance of weeds to glyphosate has increased, forcing farmers to use additional chemicals to control weeds.

Where is glyphosate most commonly used?

Glyphosate is used in many places around the world, but in some countries in very high quantities. 

The USA is one of the largest users of glyphosate in the world. It is used extensively in American agriculture, particularly in the cultivation of genetically modified plants. Glyphosate-resistant soya beans, maize, cotton and other crops are grown on a large scale in the USA.

A lot of glyphosate is used in Brazil, Argentina, China and Canada. This is due to intensive agricultural production and the spread of genetically modified plants in these countries.
The highest glyphosate concentrations in groundwater are measured in countries where most genetically modified plants are cultivated. Glyphosate, which is considered carcinogenic, has been detected in the urine of 80% of the population, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Scientists are concerned about this situation.
The use of this substance is currently banned in Denmark. The latest Danish data show that the concentration of glyphosate in groundwater is increasing so rapidly that the substance will reach harmful levels within ten years if this trend continues.glyphosate damages soil life and soil bacteria.

Glyphosate harms life in the soil and soil bacteria

Soil is a complex ecosystem in which many different life forms occur. These include small organisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other single-celled organisms. These play an important role in the nutrient cycle of the soil as well as in the decomposition of organic material and the decomposability of plant residues. They are important for maintaining soil quality, the nutrient cycle, plant growth and thus for agricultural production. 

Glyphosate can damage soil life as it acts not only on plants but also on microorganisms in the soil and can inhibit the growth and activity of soil microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Due to the reduced soil life, a higher use of fertilisers is necessary.

In Danish studies, groundwater contamination with glyphosate was also found at a depth of 60 metres below the soil surface.

The harmful effects of glyphosate on farm animals

We are looking for reasons for the death of beneficial bacteria in animals with persistent dysbiosis. The question arises as to why it is so difficult to maintain a healthy microbiome in animals. The number one culprit is glyphosate in genetically modified soya. This fact is proven and documented, not conjecture. Doubters should read the results of tests to understand how glyphosate affects the body. This applies to both animals and humans. Glyphosate disrupts the microbiome and its functions in farm animals and humans. 

It has been refuted that glyphosate is harmless. This evidence is available to everyone. I could talk about a few things - polycystic ovaries in pigs that impair reproduction, Disorders of embryonic development in chickens due to genetic defectsThe fact that more and more glyphosate is being used, which raises some environmental concerns. 

We hope that this problem will be reduced in the future. Sudden soya death is spreading in America because it damages the immune system of plants with cytochrome P450 in such a way that soya beans die overnight.

The harmful effects of glyphosate on human health

Tryptophan and phenylalanine are important amino acids that are needed by both animals and humans. Genetically modified soya, which contains glyphosate, prevents the body from processing these amino acids properly. Some talk about healthy animal products and healthy meat, but we know that glyphosate is so highly concentrated that it destroys beneficial bacteria in the human gut flora, inhibits our cytocrome P450 defence enzyme system and destroys the microbiome. 

In Hungary, for example, the glyphosate content of the soil is 0.98 μg per litre, while in the USA it is eight hundred times higher! There is a lot of scientific evidence against glyphosate. I would like to refer to the work of Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff.

In recent decades, many studies have been conducted on the harmful effects of glyphosate on health. These studies have shown that glyphosate increases the risk of various serious diseases and conditions. Some important conclusions are:

• Studies led by the Frenchman Seralini have shown that the combination of glyphosate and the adjuvant Roundup leads to a destruction of DNA and the death of cells in human embryo, umbilical cord and placental cell lines.
• Glyphosate binds to metal ions (chelating agents) and thus impairs the function of several key enzymes that depend on polyvalent ions for their activity. Laboratory studies have established clear links between glyphosate and certain birth defects.
• Glyphosate can demonstrably Kidney damage in people who work in agriculture.
• In 2015, glyphosate was recognised by the IARC (World Health Organization Agency for Research on Cancer) as a Possibly carcinogenic to humans categorised. The IARC report shows that animal studies show a link between the chemical and the development of tumours and that DNA is also damaged in human cell lines.
• The American Cancer Society has also assessed that glyphosate is a "human carcinogen". The basis for this is that it can increase the risk of cancer in people who frequently work with it or are exposed to it. Various studies have also established a link between the use of glyphosate and the risk of various types of cancer. The best-known case is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which has often been the subject of legal proceedings.
• Endocrine disorders: Glyphosate can affect the endocrine systemwhich controls the production and function of hormones. This can lead to hormonal imbalances, infertility and premature sexual development.
• May possibly contribute to the development of a Histamine intolerance contribute.
• Glyphosate in small quantities of only 0.1 mg/kg has an Harmful to the intestinal flora from. It changes the gut microbiome and leads to an increased amount of toxins produced by LPS (gram-negative) bacteria in the intestine. At the same time, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are reduced (Drago, Sandro et al., 2006).
• Glycine and glyphosate as well as glycine and AMPA fight for connection points, e.g. on cells or for incorporation into certain proteins. This mechanism can impair muscle function in all three muscle types (heart muscle, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle).
• Glyphosate blocks the enzyme aromatase. This is why polycystic ovaries occur more frequently in girls and women. Both atrazine and glyphosate are hormonal herbicides. Just one millionth of a lethal dose in humans can act as a hormone modulator.

Glyphosate has serious consequences for the stomach and intestines and has a negative effect on the intestinal flora. It has been proven that Liver and Kidneys is harmful. Glyphosate has a hormonal effect, as it blocks the enzyme aromatase and prevents the conversion of testosterone into testosterone. Oestrogen in the female body. This can lead to an excess of testosterone, which favours the development of polycystic ovaries (PCO). 

One problem with the use of soya in livestock farming is that the glyphosate content in the meat of pigs and poultry fed with industrially produced feed has similar effects to direct glyphosate application.

An imbalance in the microbiome triggers practically all degenerative processes. If we eat Beneficial bacteria with unhealthy, contaminated and residue-laden foods, such as meat from animals fed with genetically modified soya, the risk of this happening increases even more. 

The shikimic acid pathway is a seven-step metabolic pathway used by bacteria, fungi and plants to produce important aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine. Beneficial bacteria play an important role in this process. If these die off, the microbiome is disrupted, which can lead to numerous Clostridium difficile infections in humans.

Glyphosate and Clostridium difficale infection

Clostridium difficile is dangerous because it forms spores and can survive glyphosate. Once the "danger" of glyphosate has passed, they multiply rapidly in the sterile environment they find in the gut. Another problem with intestinal bacteria is the excessive occurrence of glyphosate-resistant, gram-negative, lipopolysaccharide cell wall-forming, massively antigenic, so-called LPS intestinal bacteria in the intestinal flora.

Although many deny the negative effects of glyphosate, it is patented as an antibiotic at the US Patent Officewhich makes it difficult to say that it has no effect on the intestinal flora.

What can we do to prevent the negative effects of glyphosate?

Without the restoration of healthy gut bacteria, the immune system will not function properly. This is because 70% of the immune system is located in the gut (GALT).

• Avoid ready-made products made from pork, poultry and soya.
• Also avoid foods with a high maize and soya content.
• Use organic products wherever possible. No synthetic chemical pesticides are used in organic cultivation - including glyphosate.
• If you don't buy exclusively organic food, you should look out for the EU organic label, especially on strawberries, spinach, cabbage, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, peppers & chillies, cherries, blueberries and green beans. According to the US non-profit organisation "Environmental Working Group" (EWG), these foods are the most contaminated with pesticides.
• Fulvicherb-Synergy with Fulvic acid was inspired by nature. The Milk thistle is one of the most powerful detoxifying agents. Its fruit extract contains the flavonolignan complex called silymarin. The components of the silymarin complex bind effectively to the cells of the liver and thus prevent harmful substances from entering the liver. The neutralising effect of silymarin helps the liver cells to better combat foreign and natural substances.

Current legal status of glyphosate

The EU Commission's latest proposal is to authorise the weedkiller glyphosate, which is classified as carcinogenic, for a further ten years. This proposal is in stark contrast to the will of European citizens. At a hearing in the European Parliament this week, leading scientists pointed out serious flaws and inadequacies in the official opinions on which this proposal is based.

Five years ago, one million citizens officially called for glyphosate to be banned. A recent IPSOS survey in six EU countries showed that only 14 % of citizens agree with an extension of the authorisation of the product. So far, the extension of the authorisation has not been adopted in the European Parliament as no qualified majority has been reached. The proposal will be examined in the coming weeks by another committee where the Member States meet. If the indecision arises again, the European Commission would have to make a decision before 15 December, before the current authorisation expires.