Glyphosate

Glyphosate is a herbicide designed to kill weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings (for example lawns, gardens, forests and waterways). Various salt forms of glyphosate, such as potassium and isopropylamine, are also used to regulate plant growth and to ripen certain crops.

Glyphosate has been used globally for more than 40 years and is the most widely used herbicide in the world. Roundup, the glyphosate-based weed killer, was produced by the company Monsanto (later bought by Bayer). A leader of the science team at Bayer has explained that in farming, weeds steal sunlight, water and nutrients from crops, and that glyphosate can be toxic to people and animals. Other agricultural experts, however, argue that using glyphosate represents a reductionist view of weed control, and that there are other mechanisms that are less harmful to the agricultural ecosystem than glyphosate use, which they claim makes weeds more resistant.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic", and lawsuits against Monsanto/Bayer have linked the glyphosate-based Roundup specifically with the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Glyphosate has been banned in Colombia, El Salvador, Belgium and Austria. However, as of 2019 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that glyphosate poses no risk to human health when used as directed and is not carcinogenic.

Opponents of glyphosate point to its negative effects on soil microbial communities, wildlife and plants. Because of their broad applicability, glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) kill most of the plants they come into contact with, including plants exposed through drift, when the wind carries the herbicide into the surrounding environment. Roundup and other GBHs are also reported to have a strong synergistic toxicity with other environmental toxins such as arsenic, harming nearby wildlife.

A study published in 2015 reported an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It has also been suggested that glyphosate may have an effect in the body similar to gluten sensitivity.

It has been reported that glyphosate disrupts one of the cytochrome P450 enzymes in our body. This may in turn change the gut microbiota, and has been linked with food sensitivity, increased skin sensitivity and reduced absorption of some substances. Research on these points is still developing.

This article is for general information only; please consult your doctor and dietitian about your own situation.