Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of oatmeal with fresh yummy fruits and crunchy walnuts in the morning? I remember my mom waking up in the morning with me and making organic steel cut oats every day. It’s great comfort food, especially on those rainy days when you don’t feel like leaving the house. However, due to advances in technology, there is a hidden danger in many of the foods we eat.
So why should you only be eating organic oatmeal? Almost all the grains we eat, in cereal, bread, and oatmeal contain trace amounts of a chemical known as glyphosate. Glyphosate is an herbicide used on commercial farms to help control weed growth and maintain crops.
This herbicide is used of wheat, oats, corn, and soy plants in commercial farming. In recent years there have been serious questions as to whether this herbicide is a carcinogen, leading to cancer in people who eat these foods regularly.
In fact, the World Health Organization has released these findings that link glyphosate to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a very serious form of cancer.
How Does Glyphosate Weed Killer Works
Glyphosate herbicide works to kill plants and various microorganisms by interrupting the shikimic acid pathway, which is necessary for plants to create proteins responsible for growth. This works on most plants, however many of the grains we eat aren’t susceptible to glyphosate’s effect.
This doesn’t mean that glyphosate herbicide isn’t absorbed into these plants, and these grains make it through harvesting and processing all the way to the shelf at the grocery store containing trace amounts of this chemical.
By itself, glyphosate has low toxicity, but when used in conjunction with other agents it becomes more easily absorbable. What is even more worrying, is that there are over 700 different products of glyphosate weed killer ranging from liquids to solids. The products are not only used as a herbicide but also used to speed up ripening.
Due to its usefulness pre and post-harvest, glyphosate is being used in increasing amounts.
What is also worrying is that glyphosate can enter the human body through multiple avenues:
- It can be ingested through processed foods, like boxed cereal, or oatmeal.
- Farmhands can absorb it through their skin.
- It can be inhaled if sprayed, or if present on the hands while smoking after use.
After years of use, glyphosate can cause severe health complications for just the consumers, imagine what can happen with the workers who use it.
How Glyphosate Reacts to the Human Body
Besides potentially being linked to causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, glyphosate can cause a myriad of other health problems. Remember I mentioned earlier that glyphosate works by interrupting the shikimic pathway for protein synthesis in plants and microorganisms?
Well, guess what, your whole body is teeming inside and out with microorganisms that live in symbiosis with us, many of them are responsible for maintaining your health. We depend on these microorganisms to function on a day-to-day basis.
These microorganisms a responsible for:
- Maintaining gastrointestinal health.
- Promote your immune system.
- Develop vitamin K.
- Breaking down harmful chemicals.
And glyphosate also inhibits these microorganism’s growth and development, which directly affects our health.
Which when it comes to the gastrointestinal tract, which wholly relies on a host of beneficial microorganisms to function, can cause a syndrome known as Leaky Gut. A complex syndrome that not enough is known about. But what Leaky Gut can cause, much more is understood.
Basically, due to cracks or tears in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, chemicals, food, bacteria, viruses, and potentially parasite can escape and enter the body. This can cause inflammation, bloat, blood toxicity, and worse.
If left untreated, Leaky Gut can cause heart disease and even cancer.
And glyphosate is known to directly affect microorganisms even in low doses, including those in the gut. So with the Environmental Working Group finding that glyphosate was present not just in oats, but almost all cereal and even in pasta products, you can be sure you have been ingesting glyphosate on a near-constant basis.
If this doesn’t worry you, realize that Bayer, who owns Monsanto, lost a roundup lawsuit after a judge determined that Round-Up, the active ingredient being glyphosate, had caused non-Hodgkins Lymphoma to a groundskeeper who used Round-Up regularly.
The Importance of the Organic Food Movement
Many people think that organic food is simply a sales gimmick and a buzzword to increase prices. This is simply not true, in order to be labeled as an organic food producer farms have to file extensive paperwork in order to prove that their soil and water aren’t contaminated, aren’t allowed to use herbicides such content glyphosate and numerous other chemicals under scrutiny.
This type of work is much more labor-intensive than current truck farms. That’s where the price increase comes into play, but realize you are paying for your health. Paying a little more now can potentially save you tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road.
It’s worth the cost, and your health.
References:
(2015, March 20). Evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides. IARC Monographs. Volume 112. https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdf
National Institutes of Health. (2012). NIH Human Microbiome Project defines normal bacterial makeup of the body. [Press Release]. 13 June. Available at: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body (Accessed: 18 May 2021).
Campos, M, MD. (2017, September 22). Leaky Gut: What is it, and what does it mean for you?. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/leaky-gut-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-you-2017092212451
Carey Gillam. (2018, November 2021). I won a Historic Lawsuit, But May Not Live to Get the Money. Time Magazine. Retrieved from: https://time.com/5460793/dewayne-lee-johnson-monsanto-lawsuit/
Hannah Kincaid. High Glyphosate Levels Found in Common Processed Foods. Mother Earth Gardener. Retrieved from:
Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of oatmeal with fresh yummy fruits and crunchy walnuts in the morning? I remember my mom waking up in the morning with me and making organic steel cut oats every day. It’s great comfort food, especially on those rainy days when you don’t feel like leaving the house. However, due to advances in technology, there is a hidden danger in many of the foods we eat.
So why should you only be eating organic oatmeal? Almost all the grains we eat, in cereal, bread, and oatmeal contain trace amounts of a chemical known as glyphosate. Glyphosate is an herbicide used on commercial farms to help control weed growth and maintain crops.
This herbicide is used of wheat, oats, corn, and soy plants in commercial farming. In recent years there have been serious questions as to whether this herbicide is a carcinogen, leading to cancer in people who eat these foods regularly.
In fact, the World Health Organization has released these findings that link glyphosate to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a very serious form of cancer.
How Does Glyphosate Weed Killer Works
Glyphosate herbicide works to kill plants and various microorganisms by interrupting the shikimic acid pathway, which is necessary for plants to create proteins responsible for growth. This works on most plants, however many of the grains we eat aren’t susceptible to glyphosate’s effect.
This doesn’t mean that glyphosate herbicide isn’t absorbed into these plants, and these grains make it through harvesting and processing all the way to the shelf at the grocery store containing trace amounts of this chemical.
By itself, glyphosate has low toxicity, but when used in conjunction with other agents it becomes more easily absorbable. What is even more worrying, is that there are over 700 different products of glyphosate weed killer ranging from liquids to solids. The products are not only used as a herbicide but also used to speed up ripening.
Due to its usefulness pre and post-harvest, glyphosate is being used in increasing amounts.
What is also worrying is that glyphosate can enter the human body through multiple avenues:
- It can be ingested through processed foods, like boxed cereal, or oatmeal.
- Farmhands can absorb it through their skin.
- It can be inhaled if sprayed, or if present on the hands while smoking after use.
After years of use, glyphosate can cause severe health complications for just the consumers, imagine what can happen with the workers who use it.
How Glyphosate Reacts to the Human Body
Besides potentially being linked to causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, glyphosate can cause a myriad of other health problems. Remember I mentioned earlier that glyphosate works by interrupting the shikimic pathway for protein synthesis in plants and microorganisms?
Well, guess what, your whole body is teeming inside and out with microorganisms that live in symbiosis with us, many of them are responsible for maintaining your health. We depend on these microorganisms to function on a day-to-day basis.
These microorganisms a responsible for:
- Maintaining gastrointestinal health.
- Promote your immune system.
- Develop vitamin K.
- Breaking down harmful chemicals.
And glyphosate also inhibits these microorganism’s growth and development, which directly affects our health.
Which when it comes to the gastrointestinal tract, which wholly relies on a host of beneficial microorganisms to function, can cause a syndrome known as Leaky Gut. A complex syndrome that not enough is known about. But what Leaky Gut can cause, much more is understood.
Basically, due to cracks or tears in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, chemicals, food, bacteria, viruses, and potentially parasite can escape and enter the body. This can cause inflammation, bloat, blood toxicity, and worse.
If left untreated, Leaky Gut can cause heart disease and even cancer.
And glyphosate is known to directly affect microorganisms even in low doses, including those in the gut. So with the Environmental Working Group finding that glyphosate was present not just in oats, but almost all cereal and even in pasta products, you can be sure you have been ingesting glyphosate on a near-constant basis.
If this doesn’t worry you, realize that Bayer, who owns Monsanto, lost a roundup lawsuit after a judge determined that Round-Up, the active ingredient being glyphosate, had caused non-Hodgkins Lymphoma to a groundskeeper who used Round-Up regularly.
The Importance of the Organic Food Movement
Many people think that organic food is simply a sales gimmick and a buzzword to increase prices. This is simply not true, in order to be labeled as an organic food producer farms have to file extensive paperwork in order to prove that their soil and water aren’t contaminated, aren’t allowed to use herbicides such content glyphosate and numerous other chemicals under scrutiny.
This type of work is much more labor-intensive than current truck farms. That’s where the price increase comes into play, but realize you are paying for your health. Paying a little more now can potentially save you tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road.
It’s worth the cost, and your health.
References:
(2015, March 20). Evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides. IARC Monographs. Volume 112. https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdf
National Institutes of Health. (2012). NIH Human Microbiome Project defines normal bacterial makeup of the body. [Press Release]. 13 June. Available at: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body (Accessed: 18 May 2021).
Campos, M, MD. (2017, September 22). Leaky Gut: What is it, and what does it mean for you?. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/leaky-gut-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-you-2017092212451
Carey Gillam. (2018, November 2021). I won a Historic Lawsuit, But May Not Live to Get the Money. Time Magazine. Retrieved from: https://time.com/5460793/dewayne-lee-johnson-monsanto-lawsuit/
Hannah Kincaid. High Glyphosate Levels Found in Common Processed Foods. Mother Earth Gardener. Retrieved from:
Matthews, L. (2020, December 15). Why Glyphosate is Dangerous, and How to Avoid Eating It. Epigenics and Lifestyle.
Environment Working Group (2019). Glyphosate Contamination in Food Products Goes Far Beyond Oats. [Press Release] 28 February. Available at: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/glyphosate-contamination-food-goes-far-beyond-oat-products (Accessed: 18 May, 2021).
Matthews, L. (2020, December 15). Why Glyphosate is Dangerous, and How to Avoid Eating It. Epigenics and Lifestyle.
Environment Working Group (2019). Glyphosate Contamination in Food Products Goes Far Beyond Oats. [Press Release] 28 February. Available at: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/glyphosate-contamination-food-goes-far-beyond-oat-products (Accessed: 18 May, 2021).
