Who claims glyphosate is safe, vs unsafe

This page has a list of agencies world-wide which shows who thinks glyphosate (Roundup) is safe, and who thinks it is unsafe.

List of GMO crops used in many countries

This list of GMO crops will tell you which countries use them. However, Roundup is spread on non-GMO crops as well, right before harvest, so a non-GMO product does not mean pesticide free.

Roundup kills your energy system?

What is the Shikimate pathway?

The Shikimate pathway is a seven step metabolic route used by bacteria, fungi, algae, some protozoan parasites and plants for the biosynthesis of folates and aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan). Since animals need these folates and amino acids, but do not have this pathway, these nutrients must be provided by gut bacteria. Is this how Roundup interferes with a human's energy level, by disturbing gut bacteria?

From Wikipedia: The seven enzymes involved in the shikimate pathway are DAHP synthase, 3-dehydroquinate synthase, 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase, shikimate dehydrogenase, shikimate kinase, EPSP synthase, and chorismate synthase. 

Even since the 1980s, one cause of Myalgic encephalomyelitis (formerly Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) has been thought to be a dysfunction of the human cell mitochondria. But now with more research on how critical gut bacteria is to humans, and how glyphosate (and a diet with sugar) destroys the good gut bacteria, this study might be able to show how Roundup causes its damage, and may be a cause for CFS.


Full study is on Elsevier, which is paywalled. But here is the abstract.


Abstract

The shikimate pathway is a metabolic route for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids (AAAs) (i.e. phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan). A key enzyme of shikimate pathway (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, EPSPS) is the target of the widely used herbicide glyphosate. Quinate is a compound synthesized in plants through a side branch of the shikimate pathway. Glyphosate provokes quinate accumulation and exogenous quinate application to plants shows a potential role of quinate in the toxicity of the herbicide glyphosate. Based on this, we hypothesized that the role of quinate accumulation in the toxicity of the glyphosate would be mediated by a deregulation of the shikimate pathway.

In this study the effect of the glyphosate and of the exogenous quinate was evaluated in roots of pea plants by analyzing the time course of a full metabolic map of several metabolites of shikimate and phenylpropanoid pathways. Glyphosate application induced an increase of the 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS, first enzyme of the shikimate pathway) protein and accumulation of metabolites upstream of the enzyme EPSPS. No common effects on the metabolites and regulation of shikimate pathway were detected between quinate and glyphosate treatments, supporting that the importance of quinate in the mode of action of glyphosate is not mediated by a common alteration of the regulation of the shikimate pathway. Contrary to glyphosate, the exogenous quinate supplied was probably incorporated into the main trunk from the branch pathway and accumulated in the final products, such as lignin, concomitant with a decrease in the amount of DAHPS protein.

Links
Study: Pestic Biochem Physiol. 2017 Sep;141:96-102. doi: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2016.12.005. Epub 2016 Dec 10. Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28911748.

Oregon wants to forcibly spray organic farm with pesticides

Azure Standard is an organic farm that has been running for 18 years. Oregon state law requires farmers to control "noxious weeds". The weed of concern is Canadian Thistle. Sherman County, Oregon does not think Azure Standard has done enough to control this thistle. From the article:

Sherman County may be issuing a Court Order on May 22, 2017, to quarantine Azure Farms and possibly to spray the whole farm with poisonous herbicides, contaminating them with Milestone, Escort and Roundup herbicides.

And then the state will charge them for the service. Like the Chinese government charge the family of the dead after a criminal has been executed.

Links
Article: https://www.theorganicprepper.ca/an-oregon-county-govt-plans-to-douse-azure-standards-organic-farm-in-pesticide-05122017

Certification for glyphosate free foods

The Detox Project now has certification for glyphosate-free food products sold to consumers, and also ingredients used in products.

Why is this important? 

1. One German study found glyphosate and metabolites in urine of all people tested. 
2. High levels of glyphosate found in major American food brands. 
3. Glyphosate is thought to disrupt gut bacteria, which are important for overall good health.
4. Most corn, soybeans, and wheat crops in the US are sprayed with glyphosate to kill it all at once for harvest a few days later. More food found with glyphosate in it.  
5. Glyphosate is absorbed into every cell of the plant, it cannot be washed off.

Food Democracy Now also has a study testing food for glyphosate.  Just go to the Glyphosate tag in this blog for more articles on the dangers of Roundup.

Detox Project food testing FAQ here.

Monsanto tries to get Seralini study retracted

The study by GE Seralini showed that even low amounts of Roundup had toxic effects on rats over the long-term. This includes liver and kidney damage. Seralini's other study where rats got tumors was done incorrectly as they used a type of rat that is supposed to get tumors.

Extract from a Monsanto employee review:

Goal: 
PROMOTE GLYPHOSATE FREEDOM TO OPERATE THROUGH PROACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF EXPERTS, TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS AND RESPONSES TO THIRD PARTY ALLEGATIONS.

2. In effort to enhance global long-term scientific outreach and freedom to operate, coordinate (i) an initial South American Toxicology Expert Panel meeting in Buenos Aires by the end of FY2013 and (ii) the 2012 EU. Glyphosate Expert Advisory Panel meeting in Harrogate, UK 8/9 November, 2012.

Employee comment: 
2 (ii) coordinated the November EU Expert Panel meeting which provided opportunity for valuable interaction with experts and peers, consolidating strategies in addressing activist publications (eg. Seralini and Earth Open Source) and industry sponsored technical publications supporting FTO and glyphosate EU Annex I Renewal.


Source
GMO Inside.
The Monsanto memo in PDF form, document name FY2013. This looks like an employee review of David Anthony Saltmiras.

Evidence Monsanto tried to bribe scientists

Roundup is a big money maker for Monsanto so it's no surprise that more evidence that Monsanto tried to influence writes and bribe scientists has come to light.

From this website, attorneys asked to see Monsanto's "protected documents". The more Monsanto tries to push, the more it looks like people are on the right track to exposing corruption. Quote:

On June 30, 2017, attorneys from Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, along with the leadership of the Roundup multidistrict litigation (MDL), challenged the protection of the documents below, in an effort to make them available to the public. In a meeting to discuss the matter, Monsanto told the plaintiffs’ attorneys to “go away” and that the company would not voluntarily agree to de-designate any documents.

The challenged documents are here, and in PDF form.

Source
GMO Inside.

California declares Roundup as cancer-causing

On some things California ignores the science, but since I've read the science behind toxic Roundup, and how you can't wash it off anything, and how it's absorbed into every cell of the plant, and how it's used on many more than just GMO crops, I have to agree with Cali on this one. Roundup is sprayed on non-GMO crops as well, to kill all the plants at the same time for harvest.

California will add glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer on July 7, the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).

Well no, they don't know it, no one really knows if glyphosate causes cancer, but it's a good bet it does. Correlation is easier to prove, but causation is nearly impossible to prove. Let's call hyperbole what it is, since it's not news nor fact. Here are some interesting studies.

1. PAN has list of studies showing harm of glyphosate.
2. Graph showing multiple studies on glyphosate, study conclusions, and cancer risk. There is correlation between glyphosate exposure and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. 
3. Seralini wins lawsuit showing biotech is meddling in studies.
4. Tests and studies about Roundup toxicity.
5. Consensus by scientists: Roundup is bad.
6. 2015: IARC declares glyphosate probable human carcinogen. Article here.

The agency originally announced the move in September 2015, but Monsanto—the producer of Roundup—filed a lawsuit to stop it.  

If Roundup is safe, why the lawsuit from biotech? What do they have to hide?

The US EPA says glyphosate is safe, but there are emails which show probably collusion with biotech. Another EPA scientist was fired for saying biosludge is toxic. Biosludge is what is left over after raw sewage is treated, and it is often sprayed on food crops in the US. Even a Monsanto exec admitted they faked data in studies. And Richard Goodman, a former Monsanto employee, was asked to write a piece supporting Roundup's "safety", and a few days later received a promotion at his university.

Links
The Pooch Times.
All Glyphosate posts.

Study shows Roundup causes liver disease

Keep in mind that there's a difference between glyphosate (which is bad enough) and Roundup, which contains surfactants to make it better absorbed by plants. Some studies indicate Roundup to be much more dangerous than plain glyphosate.

The study was peer reviewed at Nature.com.  doi:10.1038/srep39328

The impairment of liver function by low environmentally relevant doses of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) is still a debatable and unresolved matter. Previously we have shown that rats administered for 2 years with 0.1 ppb (50 ng/L glyphosate equivalent dilution; 4 ng/kg body weight/day daily intake) of a Roundup GBH formulation showed signs of enhanced liver injury as indicated by anatomorphological, blood/urine biochemical changes and transcriptome profiling. 

Wow! Damage at parts per billion! Or 4 NANOgrams per kg of body weight! Damage occurs at concentrations far below EPA standards.

This was a 2 year study on female rat liver tissue.  The rats suffered from Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). NAFLD currently affects 25% of the US population. NAFLD can progress to the more serious condition non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Over the 24 months the trigliceride levels rose in the rates. See Figure 1 graph in study.

Crops sprayed with Roundup just before harvest, more food found with glyphosate

Roundup/glyphosate is not just used on GMO crops, it is widely used on non-GMO crops. But for a product to be labeled organic it cannot have Roundup sprayed on it. When Roundup is sprayed on food crops it gets into the food system and glyphosate and its metabolites are found in urine. These are just a few examples of what crops are sprayed with Roundup and which foods have been found to have glyphosate in them.

Crop dessication: "Pre-harvest crop desiccation (also siccation^[1] ) refers to the application of a herbicide to a crop shortly before harvest.^[2] Herbicides used include glyphosate, diquat and glufosinate."

Glyphosate sometimes sprayed on wheat before harvest.

Oats, wheat, and flax are sprayed with Roundup. (I don't have evidence that Roundup causes cancer but this article shows what is being sprayed with Roundup. Rules will vary by country so different crops will be sprayed with Roundup.)

Anecdotal evidence: People who are intolerant to gluten in the US can go to Europe and eat bread with no problems, the rules regarding pesticides are more strict in Europe.

1. Glyphosate residues regularly found in bread. HCGA 2008 report. PDF.
2. FDA finds baby food contains glyphosate. (After years of pressure the FDA finally decided to start testing foods for glyphosate and they found it.)
3. Glyphosate found in 11 of 24 breakfast foods.
4. Norwegian study finds more glyphosate in foods.
5. Glyphosate found in 51 streams. If it's in the streams, it can easily get into food plants. Some farms get their water from streams.
6. Glyphosate found in wines that weren't even sprayed!
7. 60% of bread in the UK found to contain pesticides. (2014, PDF from PAN.)

If pesticides are so safe why are biotech companies so against labeling foods? And why do biotech hide studies about glyphosate? Actions speak louder than words.

Human urine contains glyphosate

Glyphosate found in urine of ALL people studied. German study.

93% of people tested have glyphosate in their urine. "93% of the urine tested by the University of California San Francisco lab tested positive for glyphosate residues. No glyphosate was found in the tap water samples."

PAN releases body of studies showing danger of glyphosate

Oct 11, 2016. The Pesticide Action Network released a body of studies showing the danger of glyphosate.

Adverse human impacts detailed in the review include acute poisoning, kidney and liver damage, imbalances in the intestinal microbiome and intestinal functioning, cancer, genotoxicity, endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental reduction, neurological damage, and immune system dysfunction.

Glyphosate is sprayed on numerous crops and plantations, including about 80% of genetically engineered, or GE crops, as well as a pre-harvest desiccant, which results in high food residues.  

Scientists and regulators continue to give undeserved weight to studies paid for by Monsanto but not peer-reviewed. Science means being open-minded enough to entertain all possiblilities, regardless of how uncomfortable those possiblities are. Ignoring uncomfortable possibilities is not science, it's religion. And pandering to corporations is not science either.

The PDF file is here. http://pan-international.org/wp-content/uploads/Glyphosate-monograph.pdf 96 pages.Contents:

Glyphosate and cancer risk, study graph

This graphic at Weedcontrolfreaks is interesting as it graphs the possibility of glyphosate causing cancer (or not) on an easy-to-read graph.

The graph is repeated below.

Phony "panel" misleads public into thinking glyphosate is safe

A panel was formed to refute the IARC's 2015 study that said glyphosate is a "probably human carcinogen". While they claim it's a peer-reveiwed study, there is no link to the study and no list of people who reviewed it. The study is here (Archive.is link). All panel members, and their CV, listed here (Archive.is link). 12 out of 16 panel members (75%) have worked for Monsanto before. Their objectivity is preposterous.

Remember how Monsanto lies about studies, hides EU studies, break the laws in India, steals farms, and has paid a scientist to preach for Monsanto.

And the EPA is still earning its bribes: "Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto Co's Roundup herbicide, is not likely carcinogenic to humans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday as it outlined its current position on the controversial chemical." Source: Reuters.com.

Monsanto's response to the 2015 IARC report that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen:
Source: Monstanto's website.

History of "safe" products list

For years and years these products were all declared safe in the US, that there were no problems at all. And then the lawsuits started, one after the other. Each link below links to a story about the substance.

1. Asbestos.
2. Aspartame.
3. Bisphenol-A.
4. Cigarettes.
5. Food adulteration in the US.
6. Lead.
7. Thalidomide.

Other items the US gov't said was "safe": 2,4-d (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, a herbicide), acetamiprid, Agent Orange, asbestos, aspartame, cigarettes, DDT, DES, diazinon, epoxiconazole, flame retardant in the US, fluroxypyr, fracking, Glyphosate, imidacloprid, isoproturon, lead paint, malathion, mercury fillings, microbeads, organophosphates, parathion, PCBs, pirimicarb, prochloraz, tebuconazole, tetrachlorvinphos, thalidomide, Vioxx.

Database of glyphosate studies by disease studied

This list of studies by Greenmedinfo.com contains Roundup studies grouped by disease. You can also search on diseases to narrow your results. This database seems to link to the free NIH database of studies which often has the full studies to read for free. But you can sign up at the NIH if you want to bookmark studies via their site.

Some of the disease groups are: glyphosate toxicity, lymphoma, DNA damage, low testosterone, skin cancer, neurotoxicity.

The studies are also grouped by adverse reaction.

This looks interesting. 

German study found glyphosate in urine of ALL people studied

"When testing for glyphosate contamination in an urban population, a German university found significant contamination in all urine samples with levels 5 to 20 times above the legal limit for drinking water."

Source
Ithaca-Journal.

Study shows Roundup linked closely to disease

A study in Entropy by Dr. Stephanie Seneff and Anthony Samsel says Roundup leads to many common Western diseases like mood swings, stomach problems, heart disease and diabetes. The latter 3 are inflammatory disorders, and mood swings hasn't been shown to be an inflammatory condition (yet).

Glyphosate interrupts the metabolic pathway of helpful gut bacteria just like in plants. Glyphosate escapes into the bloodstream and disrupts neural pathways leading to mood swings, auto immune diseases, and digestive disorders.Chronic inflammation typically does not appear as pain, but the inflammation is still there, an unheard warning signal from your body. US medical schools don't teach much about the effect of diet on the body, much less GMOs and pesticides on the body. So the US medical profession is largely ignorant of such data, unless they investigated this on their own.

Remember, Roundup is not just used on GMO crops. It's used on many more crops. Spraying Roundup in the crops kills them all at the same time, which helps in harvesting.

Anecdotally, I've been on an organic diet for 5 months, especially avoiding non-organic corn, all gluten, and non-organic soy. My gut problems have improved significantly. But it takes time for the body to heal itself after decades of damage.

We really need a consumer-grade device to detect Roundup (phase 1) and the more commons pesticides (phase 2).

Related stories:
Glyphosate found in 11 of 24 breakfast foods.
93% of people studied have glyphosate in their urine.
Americans more exposed to glyphosate than Europeans.
Glyphosate found in 51 streams.
Glyphosate in your supplements and pills.


Source
Food Renegade.
Paper in Entropy. 2013.

Norwegian study shows more Roundup in food

Abstract:

This article describes the nutrient and elemental composition, including residues of herbicides and pesticides, of 31 soybean batches from Iowa, USA. The soy samples were grouped into three different categories: (i) genetically modified, glyphosate-tolerant soy (GM-soy); (ii) unmodified soy cultivated using a conventional “chemical” cultivation regime; and (iii) unmodified soy cultivated using an organic cultivation regime. Organic soybeans showed the healthiest nutritional profile with more sugars, such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose, significantly more total protein, zinc and less fibre than both conventional and GM-soy. Organic soybeans also contained less total saturated fat and total omega-6 fatty acids than both conventional and GM-soy. GM-soy contained high residues of glyphosate and AMPA (mean 3.3 and 5.7 mg/kg, respectively). Conventional and organic soybean batches contained none of these agrochemicals. Using 35 different nutritional and elemental variables to characterise each soy sample, we were able to discriminate GM, conventional and organic soybeans without exception, demonstrating “substantial non-equivalence” in compositional characteristics for ‘ready-to-market’ soybeans.

The study goes on to break down and show the nutrients for the different classes of soybeans (Roundup Ready, conventional pesticides, organic). Differences between organic and other soybean crops:

1. The organic soybeans had significantly more barium but no other statistically significant variations were found in the other nutrients measured.
2. The organic soybeans had significantly more glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose (all types of sugars). 

Other notes:

1. Glyphosate has been found in all parts of the plant. It cannot be washed off. Thus, people are ingesting glyphosate wherever glyphosate is sprayed.

Source

1. Rodale's Organic Life. April 25, 2014.
2. The study: "Compositional Differences in Soybeans on the Market: Glyphosate accumulates in Roundup Ready GM Soybeans." Food Chemistry. June 2014.

Monsanto damn themselves in emails

2012 Seralini 2 year study with rats supported at last.

Quotes:

Perhaps most astonishing was the fact that the Seralini study was the first long-term study of the effects of a GMO diet in the world after almost two decades of widespread proliferation of GMO crops. No one else until then had made tests over the entire two year life span of rats—no government, no university, no food end-user like Nestle, Unilever, Kellogg or Kraft Foods or any such mega food concerns using GMO in their products. All previous studies were merely a brief three months or less, far too short a time to determine the possible effects of a GMO diet, as Seralini’s study dramatically confirmed. (The study here was retracted after pressure from pro-Monsanto industry.)

Seralini’s 2012 study also independently confirmed carcinogenic effects of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide paired with the GMO corn.

Keep in mind that GMO corn, containing Roundup, is also used to make corn syrup, which is in 90%+ of packaged products in the US. And GMO corn is not the only problem. Many other non-GMO crops are sprayed with Roundup to kill them all at the same time to make harvesting easier.

On 19 September, 2012 according to the emails seen by Foucart, Nebraska University professor Richard Goodman, a former Monsanto employee who continued research work that was primarily funded by Monsanto and the agribusiness industry, informed Monsanto about the publication of the Séralini’s article. Goodman wrote his Monsanto contact that he “would appreciate” it if Monsanto could provide him with criticisms against the Seralini piece. Monsanto replied to Goodman, “We’re reviewing the paper. I will send you the arguments that we have developed.” A few days later, Goodman was named “associate editor” responsible for biotechnology, i.e. GMO, a specially-created post at Food and Chemical Toxicology journal, by Wallace Hayes, then editor.

Source
Journal Neo.org.

Monsanto might cause 50% of children to be autistic in the future.

(NOTE: This is speculation and a bit hysterical, but it's an important thing to consider anyway.)

A senior scientist at MIT, Dr. Stephanie Seneff, made these remarks during a panel presentation in Groton, MA last week, specifically cites the Monsanto herbicide, Roundup, as the culprit for the escalating incidence of autism and other neurological disorders. Roundup was originally introduced in the 1970s and could only be used as a weed killer, but is not regularly used on crops such as corn, soy and wheat to kill them right before harvest. Farmers have a problem where all the crop does not ripen at once, so Roundup is used to kill it all at once and then harvested 2 days later. (See the actual Roundup label.)

According to Dr. Seneff, glyphospate interferes with gut bacteria via the Shikimate pathway. Gut bacteria are a critical part of our lives and we are just learning how important they really are. With the gut bacteria depleted, humans are now missing several key amino acids. According to various studies, glyphosate depletes the amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine, which can then contribute to obesity, depression, autism, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Monsanto, the seller of glyphospate products, naturally disagrees.


Some critics of Dr. Seneff argue she is confusing correlation with causation, which could very well be true. However, causation is nearly impossible to prove given the human body's complexity, and correlation has often been used in the past to determine the toxicity of a substance. Except when it comes to Monsanto products. And congresscritters that accept "donations" from Monsanto and biotech companies.

There are dozens of studies showing glyphospate danger has correlation with disease and conditions. Yet there are almost no studies saying the same thing about THC, cannabidiol, and pot. Since Congress, the DEA, and the FDA are inconsistent, their judgment cannot be trusted, nor can their decisions be assumed to be for the better of all people. The FDA, especially since they are being sued for covering up facts about glyphospate, appears to make decisions based on hysteria, and donations, rather than actual facts.


Source
Journal Neo.