Most of you may not even have heard about it and I’m sure it sounds quite scary. Sadly, it can be as scary as it sounds, so we need to be informed about it and take precautions as much as we can. And as a dietitian/nutritionist specialized in autoimmune diseases and plant-based nutrition, it’s my duty to keep you informed on everything that has to do with immune support and gut microbiome.
Glyphosate is powerful herbicide and crop dessicant, which is considered harmful for the environment and public health as well. It is used in cereal crops and it’s designed to kill a wide range of bugs, while some kinds are used to control the growth of plants and crops. Glyphosate is not something new. It’s been used worldwide for 40 years and it’s the most common herbicide around. And since it’s been around so long in our crops, it means we probably have it in our system. So how can it affect us and the environment?
Starting from the environment, glypohsate is found to negatively affect microbial communities in soil, plants and wild life, especially when combined with other chemicals –then we get glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs). These herbicides are found to not only destroy most plants, but also have a negative effect to those exposed to them through air. Needless to say that wild life can also face consequence, if it is found nearby. More specifically, studies have shown that its use is particularly problematic for animal reproduction, while it can cause inflammation in animals with significant amounts appearing to be detected in the dairy we consume.
But dairy is not the only problem. Corn, oat and wheat samples have been found positive, with most of them above the limit by the Environmental Working Group, while it’s also common in soy and eggs. Some researchers also note that traces of glyphosate end up in many foods and their levels rise with the years, while others believe that its traces never reach the foods we eat, as it is bound in soil and it’s being dissolved by microorganisms, which means that even if there are detected levels in a food, it should be in non-toxic levels.
However, glyphosate has been associated with some autoimmune diseases and chronic fatigue, while it increases the risk of oxidative stress and causes problems in intestinal epithelium. Also International Agency for Research on Cancer categorizes glyphosate as possibly carcinogenic, with non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases being linked to glyphosate products. In some countries like Belgium, Austria, Colombia, glypohsate is forbidden, while in Greece there’s a 5-year permission until 2023 for its use. It seems, though, that if used as it should, according to safety rules and limits, it shouldn’t be dangerous, according to Environmental Protection Agency of the USA.
Since nothing is clear at the moment, your best bet is to prefer organic products, fruits and vegetables, that have very low (incidental) to no amounts of glyphosate, so as to be safe and enjoy your plant-based nutrition.
It’s also important to support your gut microbiome with a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, pickles and foods high in glutathione, such as mushrooms, avocados and spinach. Gut microbiome balance is extremely important and beneficial for good general health and you need it as glyphosate may have a strong impact on bacterial species.
When something is not clearly good for your health and it divides researchers’ opinions, you better keep it low in your diet plan and stay safe with foods that always work: organic plant foods. Simple as that.
Resources
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201120095858.htm#:~:text=Glyphosate%20is%20thought%20to%20be,are%20connected%20to%20many%20diseases.
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0320p7.shtml
https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate
https://www.fda.gov/food/pesticides/questions-and-answers-glyphosate
