Glyphosate Toxicity: Why You Should Worry

A reader reached out to me last week to register for our seasonal cleanse and asked, “What’s the most alarming thing you’ve found in your research that makes you so passionate about the importance of detoxification?”

glyphosateWithout hesitation, I said, “The chemicals that are sprayed on our food damage our ability to detoxify and get rid of those very same chemicals – and many other toxins.  It’s a downward spiral.  A time bomb.”  

I am talking about glyphosate.  The active ingredient in Round-Up herbicide.  The #1 best-selling herbicide that is used in genetically-engineered resistant crops in order to increase yields.  But at what price?

There are many common myths about glyphosate.  Perhaps in the face of such a ubiquitous and omnipresent issue, we want the ease of looking the other way with a clear conscience.  But I want you to be able to eat on purpose!  So some clear and crisp myth-busting about glyphosate is in order:

  • It’s only used on soy, and I don’t eat soy.  No, it’s not (Monsanto recommends spraying on Wheat, Oats, Canola, Flax, Peas, Lentils, Soybeans, Dry Beans, Sugar Cane.  And if you eat in a restaurant in the US, you are definitely consuming these things.  Probably regularly.  These are also some of the most common ingredients in processed and convenience foods.)
  • We easily just flush it out of our bodies.  No, we don’t.   The alarming catch-22 I mentioned above was highlighted in a clinical paper published in 2013.  Glyphosate impairs our ability to detoxify it, as well as other chemicals, by impairing key biochemical pathways in the liver.  Even in concentrations much lower than that allowed in agricultural sprays, glyphosate interferes with CYP liver enzymes and promotes oxidative stress.  
    • So many people believe the myth that our bodies can readily just process and excrete all the chemicals we come into contact with each day, thus rendering any focus on enhanced detoxification unnecessary.  Indeed, I am sure that was the case 500 years ago!  Alas, glyphosate is a perfect example (of many) of how our modern “better living through chemistry” lifestyle choices can set us up for mounting toxicity over time that can easily become debilitating disease.  We see this in our Purpose clients every week.  It’s why I am so passionate about avoiding disease by getting rid of the toxins.

As a long-time reader, you know I am deeply passionate about the importance of choosing as much organic food as you can find and as you can afford (knowing that both of those can be significant limiters at times).  And even if not organic, your local produce such as from a farmer’s marker is much more likely to be fresher (more nutrient content) and to have been less heavily sprayed glyphosate-spraying with toxic chemicals.   I have written before about why avoiding pesticides is so vital – a topic that I believe is very understated and misunderstood in the popular health media.  So I recommend you avoid exposure to glyphosate wherever possible.

I also know that – even with a commitment to avoiding chemicals and eating organic foods –  living in the modern, western world is by default exposing us to a daily, toxic “soup” of chemicals.  Thus, I am indeed also passionate about supporting our body’s ability to detoxify chemicals as a regular practice.  It’s why – in addition to committing to eating organic foods as much as possible – I adopt a number of pro-detox habits in my own effort to Eat and Live on purpose:

  • Eat lots of cruciferous vegetables.  My favorites are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, and daikon radish, but here’s a complete list for you.  These veggies feature substances like indole-3-carbinol (I3C) which increase phase 2 detoxification of substances in the liver (including estrogen) and also enhance our body’s production of glutatione, our most potent antioxidant.
  • Eat lots of allium family vegetables.  This group includes garlic, onions, and leeks.  The high sulfur content of these vegetables provides (literally) biochemical escorts that help toxins to get out of our body vs. remaining stored in our tissues and causing inflammation and dysfunction.
  • Drink plenty of plain, clean water every day.  Filtration is key.
  • Take a high-quality B-complex supplement – with methylated forms of the B vitamins – on a daily basis (Thorne Basic B is a good example).  These vitamins are critical cofactors for nearly all of the phase 1 and phase 2 liver detoxification pathways.
  • Make sure I’m never constipated.  Magnesium is key for this priority.  Eating plenty of healthy fat and fiber from plant foods is just as important as hydration for regular bowel movements.  Often functional medicine refers to this as “Phase 3 detoxification” because once you chemically modify substances so they can be excreted, we still have to have an “open exit route”.  Constipation promotes reabsorption of toxins through the colon wall, risking damage/disease to the colon as well as persistent toxicity.
  • Do a detox cleanse twice a year.  It’s a 10-day cleanse during which we consume specific foods and supplements which significantly increase the rate of toxin clearance to help reduce stored tissue concentration.

As a scientist, I continue to be horrified at the avalanche of data showing the dangerous toxicity and persistence of glyphosate.  It’s why I recommend you prioritize choosing organic and local foods to avoid it.  And why it’s vital to promote detoxification in the body to help you to get rid of it.  If you’re inspired, join us for this year’s Awesome Autumn Cleanse.  Registration closes in just a few days!   I look forward to doing some targeted detoxification right alongside you.