What Is Glyphosate & How Is It Killing Us?

In the U.S. today, our farming industry has taken a big turn for the worst regarding how we take care of our food. Let alone the additives and harsh ingredients we put in our foods, we also spray harmful herbicides and pesticides on our produce. These toxic chemicals protect our foods but increase our risk of being diagnosed with deadly chronic diseases. In addition, our food has become compromised with glyphosate, which in large amounts can be cacogenic. In today's article, I will share with you the harmful effects of glyphosate and how you can avoid it.

What is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is a chemical compound that works as an effective herbicide or weed killer. This herbicide prevents bugs and other harmful environmental dangers from killing our crops. They started genetically modifying our crops so they could survive being sprayed with glyphosate back in 1996. They started using this herbicide to kill off weeds or plant life that stole sunlight from their crops. But unfortunately, this harmful herbicide seeps its way into the leaves of the plant, disrupting the nutrient profile of these plants and making them toxic to humans. It also works its way into the soil, spreading into other plants and places that can destroy other parts of our health.

What is the big deal about Glyphosate ?

Glyphosate has become a problem in the last few years due to people's concerns about how it affects our health. What is it doing to our body if it seeps through the plants and we consume them? A lot of the reason these companies use herbicides and pesticides is to keep up with the demand of the food supply. With our farming industry becoming more controlled, it is harder for farmers to take care of our food as they used to. These harmful pesticides are reconstructing the nutrient profile of our fruits and vegetables. So think about our immune system for a second. When something foreign enters our bodies, we immediately begin defending ourselves, correct? Yes, so think about fruit and vegetables having a defense mechanism as well, and when glyphosate gets in their system, they start to defend themselves, making them toxic for us to consume. So when we eat these fruits and vegetables, we now eat glyphosate or Roundup. Another way these herbicides get into our food is through our meat. Many farmers feed their chickens, beef, turkeys, and even fish, ground up soy and corn, which are genetically modified and sprayed with glyphosate.

What does glyphosate do to our body over time?

Glyphosate may affect your kidney and liver. Studies of dairy cows eating a diet of soybeans with high levels of glyphosate had higher risks of liver and kidney damage.

According to a 2019 meta-analysisTrusted Source, there is a compelling link between glyphosate exposure and increased risk of NHL (Non-Hodgkins lymphoma). The researchers concluded that the overall evidence from human, animal, and test tube studies shows a clear link between glyphosate-based herbicides and increased risk of NHL. The researchers found a 41% increase in NHL among individuals with high doses of glyphosate-based herbicides.

A number of scientific studies suggest a possible link between glyphosate and a range of health concerns, including:

● endocrine disruption, which results in the interference of the hormonal system

● changes to thyroid function

● adverse effects on the male and female reproductive system

● non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

● adverse effects on the gut microbiome

Where Can You Find Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is used worldwide in multiple ways. The central place you can find glyphosate is in non-organic produce. They spray the produce itself and the soil it is grown in. Significantly genetically modified corn and soy are two of the main crops grown here in the U.S. because they feed our livestock and use in manufacturing facilities for packaged and processed foods. So not only are the whole foods we eat being sprayed, but the boxes of cereals, oatmeal, bread, flour, and much more processed foods have glyphosate. Glyphosate has also been shown to seep its way into our water systems over time. So spraying these harmful chemicals in your yard can seep down and find a way into your water systems. Now there are not many ways to prevent this type of thing from happening, and there are ways to avoid as much exposure as possible.

How to avoid exposure?

1. Buy organic: buying organic has many benefits, but one of my favorites is that glyphosate cannot be sprayed on any organic foods. Does this mean that not every single organic food item is not sprayed occasionally? Probably not, but the least amount of times it is sprayed, the better. Stick to buying organic produce from your local farmer's markets; they have the best-sourced fruits and vegetables that are correctly cared for.

2. Be aware of processed foods: Buying processed foods should always be the last thing you buy at the grocery store, but if you do buy some processed foods, then it is essential to buy organic and look for things like certified gluten-free, certified GMO-free, and certified organic on the box. Check the ingredients to make sure that all of the ingredients are real and safe for you and your family's health.

3. Wash your produce correctly: No matter what products you buy, making sure you wash it is essential. It is not enough to rinse them under water. They now make fruit and vegetable wash, which removes herbicides and pesticides off the outside of the produce. Here is a link below to a good brand. Fruit and vegetable wash

Health is not about restrictions and eliminations; it is about awareness and creating tools you can apply to your life to sustain a healthy lifestyle. I hope this article was informal for everyone that read it and will help you to be more aware of where you get your food.