What is glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the key ingredient in the hugely popular herbicide ’round up’. Glyphosate was discovered as a herbicide by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Since the year 2000, Monsanto’s patent on glyphosate has expired so it is now found in a wide variety of commercial and domestic products designed to control weeds.
It is so effective because it inhibits a particular plant enzyme directly involved in the synthesis of three different amino acids (tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine). This means that once sprayed on to plant foliage it will kill the entire plant along with any plants nearby.
One downside to glyphosate has been that it is non-selective, meaning that it will kill all plants it comes into contact with. In 1996 Monsanto remedied this by starting to produce genetically engineered crops like soybeans.
These crops were known as ’round-up ready’ which meant that the crops could all be directly sprayed with roundup and the crops would stay living while the weeds and unwanted plants in the field would die.
Which foods may be contaminated with glyphosate?
Along with soy, America also grows genetically modified corn, canola, sugar beets, cotton and alfalfa. In New Zealand (where I live) no genetically modified crops are able to be grown.
However, some genetically modified foods are able to be imported. You particularly need to be aware of processed food so it always pays to check the label as to the ingredients and where the product is grown. It’s always good to support locally grown food where you can 🙂
Along with the direct spraying of genetically modified crops, glyphosate is also directly sprayed onto certain mature crops known as crop desiccation. This has several benefits to farmers in that it helps to save on time by riping the crop earlier or it gets rid of unwanted green waste for easier harvesting (a good example of this is potatoes, we don’t eat the potato plant only the potato).
Usually, the crop would be allowed to die naturally and then the seeds, grains or root vegetables would be harvested. Desiccation speeds up this process by killing the crop. Glyphosate is often used along with other chemicals depending on the country that you live in.
Here is a list of crops where glyphosate desiccation may be used:
Corn
Cereals (barley, wheat, oats)
Oilseed rape (otherwise known as canola, grown for vegetable oil)
Legumes (incl. lentils, garbanzo and soybean)
Sunflowers (for the seeds)
Potatoes
Cotton
If you are eating plant-based/vegan or working to consume more plant-based foods you can unknowingly also be increasing your glyphosate consumption. It is good to be aware of which foods can be contaminated with glyphosate so that you can make healthier choices for you and your loved ones.
Why do we need to be concerned about glyphosate?
Because so much glyphosate is being used (now more than ever before) it is not just potentially contaminating our food sources it is also causing major environmental issues to our soil, water, and air. Farms that grow foods using organic methods are also getting contaminated by glyphosate use from nearby farms.
Before glyphosate was patented as a herbicide it was actually recognised and patented as a powerful chelator for minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Glycophate binds vital minerals and blocks the plant’s ability to obtain them from the soil.
Glyphosate also acts like an antibiotic killing vital soil minerals and microorganisms. A plant is only as healthy as the soil it grows in! Because of this glyphosate has also shown to interfere with the human microbiome and kill healthy gut flora necessary for good health.
Because human bodies don’t have the specific pathway for protein synthesis that plants and soil microorganisms have glyphosate was believed to be safe in small doses. However, some scientists and researchers now believe that it can cause havoc in the human body leading to digestive disorders and impairing our ability to absorb vital nutrients.
Research is still being carried out as to how glyphosate may play a role in major digestive disorders and the associated brain differences that may arise from having compromised gut health along with the inability to absorb the vital nutrients that our bodies and brains need to stay healthy.
Simple ways to detox from glyphosate:
Because small amounts of glyphosate could potentially be in everything 😞
It’s good to reduce our toxic load as much as possible!
Along with trying to buy local try to create more awareness around how your food is produced. Can you email or call the company of the product you are buying and ask if they use glyphosate desiccation methods when producing food?
Bread – Can you switch to organic? Or regularly make your own with whole grain organic flour?
If you are gluten free you can make up your own bread from a base of brown rice flour. Even better learn how to make sourdough bread and add plenty of nutritious seeds or even sprouted grains for easier digestion.
Oats – Oats are such a fantastic source of fibre, protein, B vitamins like thiamine, minerals and antioxidants. I think it is important to buy oats organic if possible. Steel cut oats are the least processed and are actually harder for our bodies to digest which means that they are better for our blood sugar.
Canola oil – Of course it goes without saying avoid canola oil unless you know it is a reputable source. There are lots of other oils to choose from like olive oil or rice bran oil. If you purchase a really good cast iron pan for cooking you don’t need to use much oil.
Legumes – Buy organic when possible, it may work out cheaper to bulk buy rather than buying them in tins (plus you avoid any extra BPA or aluminium from the tin) and cook and prepare them yourself. You can also easily cook them in a crockpot which makes life easier as some larger legumes require hours of cooking (lentils and split peas are usually pretty quick).
Potatoes – Buy organic or eat more sweet potatoes/kumara. You can also easily grow your own potatoes in a large plastic tub from a garden centre or a hardware shop. Turn it into a fun family activity!
Eat more probiotic-rich foods to repair your gut flora! This is something we all need to be doing all of the time now unfortunately because there are too many things against us.
List of plant-based probiotic-rich foods:
Sauerkraut/kimchi
Coconut yoghurt
Nut cheese
kombucha
Fermented soy (always check GE free and organic!) products like miso and tempeh
Apple cider vinegar (with the mother), although not the best for your teeth enamel so always drink your concoction with a straw!
I have also read that bentonite clay can be useful in aiding detox from glyphosate because it contains many minerals that your body may be missing. Bentonite clay can also help to rid the body of glyphosate and other toxins.
Dandelion greens are also very beneficial in detoxing the body you can simply pick the young leaves and add them into your smoothie for some extra nutrition – isn’t that ironic!
Links:
IRAC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) classes glyphosate as ‘probably carcinogenic’
Research linking glyphosate with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity
Interesting article that looks at whether glyphosate is the issue or the potentially toxic adjuvants used in Roundup and other glyphosate-based weed killers
Glyphosate in children’s cereals from EWG (Environmental Working Group)
Our Planet interview with Phyllis Tichinin
Dan McDonald (The Life Regenerator) and Fully Raw Kristina discuss glyphosate, soil health and eating organic food