It is the most-used herbicide in the world. So alarming as it may seem, it should come as no surprise that glyphosate – already labeled as a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization in 2015 – has now been identified inside most Americans. In the first-ever, comprehensive, validated testing project carried out across America, this toxic chemical was found in the urine of 93 percent of subjects tested.
Children had the highest levels of the toxin in their systems. Overall, higher levels were found in the West and Midwest, regions known for their agricultural production.
Monsanto’s Roundup: A poison in the food chain
The testing project was carried out by a University of California San Francisco laboratory, with preliminary results showing glyphosate in well over 90 percent of all urine samples analyzed during early phases of the study n 2015. The study involves more urine samples than any other such study for the toxin in the U.S. Results released to date cover the first 131 test subjects, with remaining results expected to be made public later in 2016.
Known best as the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, glyphosate has become the world’s most widely used herbicide as high-input conventional agriculture production has advanced. It is a broad-spectrum, non-selective chemical that is used to kill vegetation in farm fields, as well as gardens, roadsides, playgrounds, parks and other areas likely to present exposure to food, water, animals and humans.
Since 1996, Monsanto has marketed “Roundup Ready” seeds for crops including soy, corn, canola, alfalfa, cotton and sorghum. These genetically modified seeds make the food and feed crop resistant to the deadly effects of Roundup, which encourages the overuse of the chemical for the control of weeds in the farm field.
Glyphosate has already been put under tougher restrictions in Europe due to health concerns, with future approval for continued use of the chemical still up in the air. Attempts by the agro-chemical lobby to get the toxic chemical approved for an additional nine years with nearly no restrictions has failed to date.
Government has failed to protect consumers from glyphosate – a toxic herbicide
Despite what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the massive agro-chemical industry would have you believe, a safe level of glyphosate ingestion remains unknown. Neither government-based regulators nor the chemical industry itself has conducted a thorough investigation of low-level exposures on the U.S. human population. However, research conducted elsewhere strongly indicates that the chemical may cause a more toxic, hormone-disruptive effect at these low levels than even high levels can cause.
Independent scientific studies have found that glyphosate is likely to be what is known as a “hormone hacker” at levels currently found in food products. A study out of India published in 2015 provides some of the latest evidence that the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup is an endocrine disruptor in male rats.
In another study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, scientists focused on two geographical areas, Italy and Brazil, and found an increased risk of deadly cutaneous melanoma skin cancer among subjects exposed to glyphosate and the sun during their regular course of work.
The public is waking up and taking action
Unless it is banned from the marketplace, it can be extremely difficult to eliminate all exposure to Roundup, since the toxic chemical is used widely in public places, such as ball fields, parks and ditches. However, you can reduce exposure by choosing natural methods of weed control around your home and garden, without reliance on harmful chemicals.
Reduction in exposure through foods can be greatly reduced by selecting only certified organic fruits and vegetables. Avoid GMOs and conventionally grown produce which are likely contaminated with glyphosate. And, finally, exposure through water is greatly reduced by using a high quality water filtration system. (always a good idea to protect your health)
References:
http://ecowatch.com/2016/05/29/urine-test-monsanto-glyphosate
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221475001530041X
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27058477?utm_content=buffer5d18f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Source: naturalhealth365
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