In a previous article called, “Its Not Just Gluten,” I give specifics about the dangers of a very toxic and pervasive chemical called glyphosate, which acts as the active ingredient in the popular herbicide called Roundup. Glyphosate is a highly toxic chemical that is lethal to most plants on our planet. Its toxicity is comparable to DDT, which is known to cause birth defects. Glyphosate has been associated with fertility problems, extreme disruption of the gut microbiome, detoxification enzyme destruction and increased DNA damage.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Stephanie Seneff, one of the globe’s foremost experts in researching how glyphosate affects the human body. Dr. Seneff is a PHD senior research scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. She holds a BS degree in Biophysics, MS and EE degrees in Electrical Engineering and a PHD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. In recent years, her research has focused mainly on the relationship between nutrition, health and glyphosate exposure.
Many of us have read about the dangers of GMO (genetically modified organisms) core crops that include soy, corn, sugar beets, canola oil, cotton, tobacco and alfalfa. In past years, we learned that GMO foods are causing wide spread health problems. When nature’s balance is re-arranged, it can cause very serious consequences. It has been established that GMO foods have been linked to premature death, gastric lesions, liver and kidney damage, organ failure, allergic reactions and much more.
What happens when GMO crops are sprayed with glyphosate? The damage escalates to an unprecedented level. Once sprayed, glyphosate can’t be washed off, and it ends up being absorbed into every cell of the GMO plants. Dr. Seneff points out that because GMO plants have a bacterial gene inserted in their genome, they become resistant to glyphosate. As a result, GMO crops are able to survive extremely high levels of Roundup without dying. Because of their resistance, in the last few years, glyphosate use has increased by 800%!
But the use of glyphosate is not just restricted to GMO crops. It is now being sprayed on most every conventional crop, including wheat, grains, peanuts and legumes, right before harvest. This process is called desiccation and causes crops to shrivel, increasing yields. Eating grains or legumes that are not certified organic puts your health at risk, so please beware.
Glyphosate Linked to Cancer
Glyphosate is what Dr. Seneff calls a “monster molecule,” and affects human biology is many ways. It was first patented as a chelating agent for heavy metals to clear pipes. The second patent was for use as an anti-microbial agent. Lastly it was patented as an herbicide.
In March of this year, the WHO (World Health Organization) recognized glyphosate as a probable carcinogen 1. Researcher Dr. Nancy Swanson, PhD and former US Navy staff scientist, has found correlations between pancreatic, colon, thyroid, kidney and liver cancers and glyphosate exposure. And Monsanto labels glyphosate as safe for the human body? As is represented in this article, Monsanto’s safety claim is both false and dangerous.
Glyphosate and the Gut
How does glyphosate affect the gut and the human microbiome? Glyphosate not only pokes holes in the gut lining, but it also opens up the tight junctions of the intestines (a barrier that protects our gut from foreign invaders and keeps nutrients intact for proper digestion), thereby allowing undigested food particles to cross into the bloodstream. This opening creates the ability for antibodies to be made against all these food particles. And this can lead to both food allergies and leaky gut syndrome (read more on leaky gut here).
According to Dr. Seneff, if gluten molecules are in the presence of glyphosate, gluten digestion is blocked. Normally, the digestion of gluten involves crosslinks on different amino acids, but glyphosate stops those crosslinks from happening.
With glyphosate exposure, once the tight junctions are wide open, gluten molecules floating through will cause both allergic reactions and inflammation. In fact, in some gluten sensitive individuals, even one small bite of gluten can cause inflammation and discomfort for up to 6 weeks. Dr. Seneff believes that glyphosate exposure is catapulting gluten sensitivity into epidemic proportions. Therefore, I think it is safe to say that we if we can fix the glyphosate problem, we can massively impact the gluten problem.
Glyphosate and Friendly Gut Bacteria
How does glyphosate affect our friendly gut bacteria? When we are born, lactobacillus is the first friendly bacterium that gets established. When we are nursed, mother’s milk is feeding the lactobacillus, keeping our gut healthy.
Unfortunately, lactobacillus is especially sensitive to glyphosate exposure. It is very dependent on the mineral manganese, and glyphosate chelates (draws out) manganese. When lactobacillus can’t thrive, it makes it easy for pathogens to grow, and that is how many gut disruptions are established at a very young age.
Glyphosate Imprisions Minerals
Glyphosate binds our body’s minerals by building a cage around them. When this takes place, our cells don’t have access to the minerals because they are hidden in the glyphosate molecules. Dr. Seneff explains that glyphosate then carries minerals to vascular areas where they interact with vital fluids: the kidneys and urine, the cerebral spinal fluid and the brain (the pineal and the pituitary glands are linked to the cerebral spinal fluid), and the jaw where the salivary glands are housed. All these areas are extremely acidic, and under these conditions, as glyphosate unloads its cargo, the metal minerals become toxic. This can greatly compromise the above-mentioned areas of the body.
According to Dr. Seneff, this is one of the main reasons why excessive glyphosate exposure can cause kidney failure. In Sri Lanka and Central America, young agricultural workers who sprayed glyphosate on sugar cane were dying of kidney failure at an epic rate. Because their untimely deaths were linked to excessive glyphosate exposure, it has now been banned in those countries 2, 3.
And see more on the shocking effects of glyphosate around the world in these videos:
In regards to our vital mineral iron, currently, there is a worldwide anemia epidemic. On the other hand, there are many individuals who store too much iron. As Dr. Seneff says, “It is very difficult to find that sweet spot where iron is balanced because our bodies can’t manage iron properly.” And iron challenges are made much worse with glyphosate exposure.
We need minerals in every aspect of our body’s biochemistry. In addition, without basic mineral function, enzymes, which are an extremely important part of every reaction and function in the human body, are deactivated. So glyphosate is interrupting the very basics of our scientific make-up.
Glyphosate Endangers the Heart
Dr. Seneff also notes glyphosate’s cholesterol sulfate destruction and link to heart disease. She states that cholesterol and sulfate are absolutely essential for the performance of the heart. Cholesterol can’t float alone through the body: it needs a carrier, and sulfate fits the bill perfectly.
Here’s how it works: the liver produces cholesterol sulfate and ships it off through the bile acids to the gut. The first place it lands is in the blood, right before it enters the heart. Because the heart muscle works continually, it must derive its needed energy from sulfates. When sulfates are deficient, the heart does not have enough electricity to work properly , which can result in heart failure.
Dr. Seneff also believes that arterial plaque is the body’s way of compensating for cholesterol sulfate deficiency. When there are high small dense LDL particles, the liver can’t accept them because they have been oxidized and glycated (sugar molecules become attached to cell surface proteins) which causes widespread damage. In an attempt to capture these damaging small dense particles, macrophages in our plaque extract the cholesterol out of those particles. The cholesterol is then brought to HDL particles (known as beneficial cholesterol), where cholesterol is combined with sulfates. But again, if there is a sulfate deficiency, this natural process is interrupted and cholesterol can’t be combined with sulfate to form life-saving cholesterol sulfate.
Cholesterol is Not the Enemy
Could a cholesterol deficiency be the cause of heart disease? According to Dr. Seneff, the answer is yes. There is a new drug currently in clinic trials called PCSK9. Its goal is to greatly reduce cholesterol levels for patients who are sensitive to statin drugs. The main function of this drug is to knock out a protein (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9) in the liver that increases LDL production. Unfortunately, during clinical trials, serious side effects are presenting as neurocognitive issues that include mental confusion and an inability to pay attention. Why would anyone want to risk those side effects?
This drug is given by injection only and may cost from $7,000 to $12,000 per year.
Why spend all that money on a drug that will put your body at risk by lowering cholesterol too much? After all, our body needs cholesterol to build healthy cell membranes, support brain function, and to build strong hormone receptors.
Cholesterol is NOT the problem. The real issue is oxidized cholesterol because those oxidized molecules damage the inside of arterial walls. And what causes LDL to oxidize? Glyphosate poisoning.
Dr. Seneff also points out that if total cholesterol is high, your body is intelligently notifying you of a health problem. It is being raised for a reason. Years ago, right before I got sick with heavy metal toxicity, my cholesterol was very low (under 170). If you have traditionally low cholesterol, you run the risk of neurotoxicity. Not long after I was mercury poisoned, my cholesterol numbers went through the roof, letting me know there was indeed a serious health problem.
Cholesterol and the Brain
According to Dr. Seneff, cholesterol is essential to our brain, which utilizes 25% of our total body cholesterol. We need cholesterol to transmit neuro-signals. She notes a seventeen year study that showed the lower a person’s cholesterol, the more severe their dementia symptoms. Another study with Alzheimer’s patients evidenced the same thing: low cholesterol profoundly compromises brain function.
Dr. Seneff says that glyphosate disrupts neurotransmitter pathways. Gut microbes make the precursors to neurotransmitters. Serotonin, melatonin, melanin (skin), and thyroid hormones, they all come from these same pathways. So as the gut is compromised by glyphosate exposure, neurotransmitter production is impeded.
Dr. Seneff and Dr. Nancy Swanson have been working closely over the past few years, sharing their research regarding glyphosate and its affect on a young child’s brain. Dr. Swanson collected an enormous amount of data that illustrates the use of glyphosate and the dramatic rise in autism. (see graph below). For further information, access her published articles via Sustainable Pulse.
Dr. Swanson states:
“Prevalence and incidence data show correlations between diseases of the organs and the increase in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the food supply, along with the increase in glyphosate-based herbicide applications. More and more studies have revealed carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting effects of Roundup at lower doses than those authorized for residues found in Genetically Modified Organisms.”
“The endocrine disrupting properties of glyphosate can lead to reproductive problems: infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, and sexual development. Fetuses, infants and children are especially susceptible because they are continually experiencing growth and hormonal changes. For optimal growth and development, it is crucial that their hormonal system is functioning properly.
“The endocrine disrupting properties also lead to neurological disorders (learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), autism, dementia, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). Those most susceptible are children and the elderly.”
Glyphosate Saps Energy and Compromises Adrenal Health
Glyphosate affects a multitude of bodily functions, but according to Dr. Seneff, it is extremely damaging to the mitochondria (located inside our cells) where our body makes ATP energy. Mitochondria must be healthy and functioning in order to fix damaged cells, and if we don’t have healthy, thriving mitochondria we experience exhaustion. In addition, the cell membrane of the mitochondria needs a good storehouse of cholesterol sulfate. But, if glyphosate has destroyed cholesterol sulfate stores, then our mitochondria will experience ion leaks (ATP is lost) and our energy flags. What’s more, glyphosate disrupts the production of DHEA sulfate, testosterone sulfate and cortisone sulfate in the adrenal glands, compromising proper hormone balance.
Glyphosate, Sugar and Weight Gain
Articles have been written about sugar trends and weight loss as far back as the 1700’s. In the US, there was a rise in weight gain from 1950 to 1975. As a nation, we were definitely getting fatter as a result of increased sugar consumption and processed foods. But there was a dramatic increase in obesity after 1975, which correlated with the introduction of glyphosate.
In past articles and podcasts I’ve talk about the relationship of weight loss resistance and accumulated toxins. But how do toxins relate to weight gain and weight loss resistance? Toxins keep the cellular membrane inflamed and blocks normal hormone receptor function. This causes inappropriate weight gain and/or weight loss resistance.
Dr. Seneff talks about the importance of the Cytochrome P450 enzymes to detoxify the liver of drugs and toxic chemicals. For instance, PCB’s found in insecticides are not water-soluble. They require these enzymes to convert them to a water-soluble substance to be excreted from the body. If these enzymes are deactivated by glyphosate, then these toxins can be stored in the body and the gut. Folks with big round bellies are more likely storing toxins in abdominal adipose (fat) tissue.
Here is a word of caution for those who are storing multiple toxins. Rapid weight loss can cause a rapid release of many toxins at once, leading to increased inflammation and damage to the body and the brain. Please follow my steps for PompaCore Cellular Detox™ that can set the stage for steady and safe weight loss.
Can We Avoid Glyphosate?
It is not possible to avoid all glyphosate exposure because it is so prevalent in our food sources. But, as Dr. Seneff advises, it is imperative that you buy certified organic foods, including spices and herbs. Although it can be more expensive, you can’t afford NOT to eat organic.
A caution to the wise: eating foods that are labeled “non GMO” or “natural” is not often enough. Dr. Seneff points out that even if you buy “non-GMO” cheerios, you can’t guarantee they will be glyphosate free. Oats are sprayed with glyphosate right before the harvest. But my advice is to eat no grains, following core principles of my Cellular Healing Diet, especially if you’re dealing with inflammation. And I have stated in past articles that non-organic grains are among the most dangerous foods on the planet. Remember all grains are being sprayed with glyphosate. So if you are eating conventional grains and legumes at restaurants, beware of the massively detrimental effects to your health.
We also have to be extremely careful about not eating any dairy products that are not grass-fed and organic, as they are coming from conventional cows fed with GMO corn feed. As you can see, it gets very tricky when you are eating out in a restaurant, so do the best you can and try to find restaurants that offer organic and grass fed options.
What Can We Do?
Glyphosate exposure is an all-pervasive problem. And yet people are going about their lives as if everything is OK. But it is obviously NOT OK. When you concentrate on these facts, it is a very concerning situation. So what can we do to protect ourselves?
You can’t do a colon cleanse or change your diet and think that will be enough. More than likely, your detox pathways have already been damaged by glyphosate. That is why you must learn my 5R’s of PompaCore Cellular Detox and Healing and practice periodic PompaCore Cellular Detox™. We must heal the cells and up-regulate the detox pathways so we can rid our body of this horrid chemical.
In addition, I suggest using CytoDetox™ drops and BIND by Systemic Formulas for safe and effective toxin removal. CytoDetox™ is a unique combo that crosses into the gut, the cell and the brain and pulls heavy metals, toxins and glyphosate out of the body.
Please Don't Ignore the Truth
We are now in a global crisis with our food sources because they are being poisoned by glyphosate. We must take protective measures to stop further exposure, and we aggressively heal the damage already present. Please don’t get lazy and let your kids eat conventional corn chips in a Mexican restaurant. Avoid non-organic cream or half in half at Starbucks. Stay away from Japanese restaurants that serve glyphosate laden white rice or “healthy” restaurants with non-organic brown rice. Yes, this means a change in lifestyle, but do you really have a choice not to do so?
Education is power, and that is why I continue to write articles and interview brilliant scientists like Dr. Stephanie Seneff. Thank you Dr. Seneff, for your illuminating and life-saving information about the dangers of glyphosate. May this information be a blessing to you and your family. Together, let our motto be “Save the next generation.”
- Ground Zero: How to Heal Your Leaky Gut
- R5: Reestablishing Methylation
- Why Detox is Dangerous: Cellular and Heavy Metal Detox Done Right
- 1. ‘Evaluation of Five Organophosphate Insecticides and Herbicides'
- 2. ‘Sri Lanka’s New President Puts Immediate Ban on Glyphosate Herbicides'
- 3. ‘El Salvador Government Bans Roundup over Deadly Kidney Disease'
- R1: Removing the Source of Toxins
- Manganese
- Ferrochel
- ENRG
- The Cellular Healing Diet Book
- CytoDetox™
- BIND
