What is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is a pesticide/herbicide and crop desiccant. It belongs to the organophosphorus family of compounds. It was developed and discovered by Monsanto/Bayer in 1970 and brought to market in 1976 under the trade-name Roundup. It is used to kill weeds that compete with crops. The crops that it is sprayed on include sugar, corn, soy and wheat.
Glyphosate as a Cause of Many Chronic Health Problems
There are a number of studies demonstrating that glyphosate exposure to humans (and all mammals) can cause serious chronic health problems. Exposure to glyphosate can include:
absorption through the skin
eating foods treated with glyphosate
drinking water contaminated with glyphosate
Glyphosate exposure usually manifests slowly over time and results in obvious dysfunctions in biological systems.
Exposure to glyphosate has been shown to have the following effects on human physiology: 2 3
acts as an antibiotic (glyphosate was in fact patented as an antibiotic)
chelates important minerals (iron, cobalt, manganese; glyphosate was in fact patented as a mineral chelator)
decimates the microflora and its ability to produce essential amino acids like tryptophan that converts to serotonin
disrupts the microbiome in the intestine, by disrupting the shikimate pathway, causing a decrease in the ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria
inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes
disrupts sulfate synthesis and sulfate transport
impairs methylation pathways
interferes with synthesis of aromatic amino acids and methionine, which leads to shortages in neurotransmitters and folate
inhibition of pituitary release of thyroid stimulating hormone
toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell lines 4
Glyphosate exposure has also been associated with the development of various cancers. The World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer published a summary in March 2015 that classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen in humans. 5 The possible cancers linked to glyphosate exposure include:
non-Hodgkin lymphoma
pancreatic islet-cell adenoma
renal tubule carcinoma
skin tumors
Detoxifying Your Body from Glyphosate Exposure
There are a number of different studies that claim that glyphosate accumulates in the bones, intestine, spleen, liver, muscle and kidney.
avoid using Roundup and other similar products
avoid consumption of GMO foods which are directly contaminated with glyphosate
avoid animal products such as milk or meat for which GMO foods were used to feed the animals
eat organic foods as much as possible
avoid living in areas where glyphosate is applied
use infrared sauna for sweating out toxins
consume probiotic foods and probiotic supplements to repopulate the microbiota which glyphosate destroys
eat organic foods rich in sulfur and manganese
A study published in the December 2014 issue of the Journal of Environmental & Analytical Toxicology found that the oral application of certain natural substances were able effectively reduce urinary levels of glyphosate. 7 The researchers used a combination of the following substances:
fulvic acids
humic acids
activated charcoal
bentonite clay
sauerkraut juice
The study used Schleswig Holstein cows suffering from symptoms of chronic botulism. They were fed sequentially with 400 g/animal charcoal daily for 4 weeks (weeks 1-4 of the study), 200 g/ animal charcoal (weeks 5-10 of the study), 200 g charcoal and 500 ml Sauerkraut juice/animal (weeks 11-14 of the study), 120 g/animal humic acids (weeks 15-18 of the study) 200 g charcoal and 100 mL Aquahumin/animal (weeks 19- 20 the of study), or 100 g charcoal and 50 mL Aquahumin (weeks 21-22 of the study) followed by 4 weeks without any supplementation.
There was a significant reduction of glyphosate in urine following supplementation with a combination of 200g charcoal plus either 500 mL sauerkraut juice or humic acid.
They concluded that a charcoal-sauerkraut juice combination and humic acids reduced glyphosate excretion by urine and led to the improved health of animals. 8
An interesting study from October 2010 published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Technology investigated the mechanism of action of liver cells exposed to glyphosate and possible protection by precise medicinal plant extracts.
Glyphosate, in the form of the Monsanto product Roundup, is able to provoke intracellular disruption in hepatic (liver) cell lines at different levels, but a mixture of specific medicinal plant extracts can protect to some extent human cell lines against this toxin.
Taraxacum officinalis (Dandelion)
Arctium lappa (Burdock root)
Berberis vulgaris (Barberry; the active ingredient in barberry is berberine)
Chelidonium majus (Greater celandine)
Based on the scientific studies to-date, there are a number of natural substances that have shown positive results in detoxifying and reducing the toxic effects of glyphosate exposure.
Foods
Raphanus sativus (Radish)
Probiotic foods and supplements
Sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice
Minerals
Sulfur (Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM))
Manganese
Fulvic acid
Humic acid
RESTORE GUT HEALTH
Charcoal and Clay
Activated charcoal
Bentonite clay
Herbs
Taraxacum officinalis (Dandelion)
Rhamnus frangula (Alder buckthorn)
Raphanus sativus (Radish)
Carduus marianus (Silybum marianum; milk thistle)
Arctium lappa (Burdock root)
Berberis vulgaris (Barberry; the active ingredient in barberry is berberine)
Chelidonium majus (Greater celandine)