New research from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health in the U.S. shows that childhood exposure to the world’s most widely used weed killer, glyphosate, is linked to liver inflammation and metabolic disorder in early adulthood, which could lead to liver cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life.
The investigators found that agricultural glyphosate use near participants’ homes from birth and up through age five was associated with metabolic disorders at age 18. They reported that diet was likely a major source of glyphosate and AMPA exposure among study participants, as indicated by higher urinary glyphosate or AMPA concentrations among those adolescents who ate more cereal, fruits, vegetables, bread, and in general, carbohydrates.
This is the first time that researchers have examined the potential connection between early life exposure to glyphosate.
According to EWG.org, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s calculations to determine allowable levels of glyphosate use are much more lax than the European Union’s. Europe allows 0.3 mg/kg of body weight versus US 1.75mg/kg of body weight.
Top foods that contain glyphosate/Roundup include foods that contain oat, wheat, and corn.
Here are a few pointers that will help you avoid glyphosate in food:
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Look for products that are non-GMO and organic as they are unlikely to contain glyphosate.
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Glyphosate Residue Free certification verifies that your product/s do not contain glyphosate. (This list can be found on the EWG site).
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Growing your own vegetables is a great way to ensure your food is grown glyphosate-free.
If you want to know what your exposure might be, we offer a urine test through Great Plains Laboratory. Give us a call if you are interested.
