When you eat a salad or a piece of fresh fruit, you likely think to yourself that this food is going to keep you healthy, right?  What if we told you that eating these healthy fruits and vegetables might increase the likelihood that you could develop an unwanted, health condition or disease?  We aren’t just referring to the widely known dangerous health implications of toxic herbicides and pesticides.  No, there is an additional, even more menacing danger we want you to be aware of that is rarely discussed.

THE PUBLICISIZED DANGERS OF HERBICIDES & PESTICIDES

The danger of consuming pesticide and herbicide residue is a big issue that many people think about when purchasing produce for their families. So, how dangerous are these sprays? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pesticides are a concern for adults who are exposed over a long period of time, as well as for children, who are vulnerable to even short-term exposure and should therefore be avoided. One of the most dangerous and most prevalent of such product is called glyphosate and to learn more about glyphosate you must first understand a little bit about GMOs.

A FOCUS ON GLYPHOSATE – IT ALL STARTS WITH GMOs

The genetic modification of organisms (creating GMOs) takes place in a laboratory and involves artificially inserting genes from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or even humans into the DNA of food crops or animals in order to improve their resistance to pests, make them heartier to survive changes in weather, increase yield, and reduce maturation time. GMOs are a controversial topic for many reasons, but what is not often talked about is the danger of consuming these foods as it relates to micronutrient deficiency.

Some GMO crops have been genetically engineered not to die when sprayed with an herbicide called glyphosate, better known as Roundup. You may have heard of it. That is why these GMO crops are often referred to as “Roundup Ready.” Disturbingly, according to the US Department of the Interior, “Glyphosate is currently the world’s best selling herbicide, used in more than 90 countries and on more than 150 crops.” While the toxic effects of glyphosate have been well documented, the 3 distinct ways that it robs you of the essential micronutrients you need to maintain your health is far less reported.

THREE RARELY REVEALED REASONS THAT GLYPHOSATE IS KILLING YOUR CHANCES FOR GOOD HEALTH

It is a proven fact that when an individual becomes deficient in any specific micronutrient (vitamin, mineral, amino acid, or essential fatty acid) the body is unable to perform the functions that are reliant on this micronutrient being available. Just like how your computer won’t function when the battery is empty, or how your car can’t run with oil or gas, your body requires all of the essential micronutrients to be present when needed.  

Would it surprise you to learn that glyphosate makes it far less likely that you will be able to achieve the state of micronutrient sufficiency where your body has all these key nutrients available? There are 3 key ways by which glyphosate destroys your likelihood of absorbing key nutrients.

    1. Starving The Source: The way glyphosate works is it actually kills weeds by latching onto, or chelating to, the essential minerals they need to live, thus starving them of these micronutrients. The problem is that it does the same thing to the Roundup Ready crops themselves, causing these crops to contain fewer essential micronutrients. Then these micronutrient-depleted crops, in turn, do the same thing to both the animals and humans who eat them.
    2. Utilizing Your Available Micronutrients:  Glyphosate is unsafe from a toxic perspective. As it turns out, micronutrients work as the body’s natural detoxifiers, affecting both the absorption and excretion of these toxic contaminants. This means that in order for your body to flush the toxic load from pesticides and herbicides such as glyphosate it has to use your ingested micronutrients— stealing the vitamins and minerals that you need to possibly perform other necessary bodily functions.
    3. Inhibiting Future Micronutrient Absorption: Glyphosate destroys your ability to absorb the micronutrients that are in your food in two ways.  First, the glyphosate crops have increased lectins, which are anti-nutrients that inhibit proper absorption of micronutrients in the intestinal tract. And second, the glyphosate itself as a potent bacteria-killer in the gut, wiping out you’re your bodies ability to manufacture vitamin K and vitamin B12 and other B vitamins in the gut.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

  • Choose organic foods. Glyphosate and other chemical herbicides and pesticides are banned for use in organic agriculture. Instead, organic farmers focus on natural ways to build healthy soil and support the growth of micronutrient rich plants. To find local sustainable farmers, go to LocalHarvest.org.
  • Pass on processed foods. About 80 percent of the processed foods found in most grocery stores contain the glyphosate-laden, GMO ingredients corn, soy, or canola. By passing on processed foods in general and eating more whole foods (or choosing organic processed foods) you can greatly reduce your exposure to these micronutrient-depleting ingredients.
  • Fight for GMO labeling. The fact is we are all in this thing called life together. Since nearly all GMOs, current and ones in the development pipeline, are engineered to tolerate glyphosate, labeling GMOs can help everyone avoid these micronutrient depleting “Franken Foods.”
  • Last, but not least – drink nutreince daily. The best way to make sure your body has all the essential micronutrients it needs to keep you healthy and naturally detoxify your body is to eat an organic whole food diet and supplement with a well formulated, easy to absorb multivitamin like nutreince. While a multivitamin is a supplement to, and not a substitute for a healthy diet, drinking nutreince twice a day (AM & PM) is like protecting yourself with daily health insurance that will help you to achieve and maintain the state of micronutrient sufficiency you need to live an extraordinary life.

Want to learn more about glyphosate & geek out with us regarding which micronutrients this toxin are putting at risk?  Download the full guide here:

 

References:

  1. epa.gov/pesticides/food/risks.htm.
  2. sciencemag.org/content/341/6147/740. 

  3. online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203400604578073182907123760
  4. nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/. 

  5. non-gmoreport.com/articles/may10/consequenceso_widespread_glyphosate_use .php. 

  6. Samsel A, Seneff S. Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. Interdisciplinary Toxicology. 2013;6(4):159-184. doi:10.2478/intox-2013-002
  7. .news.illinois.edu/news/14/0225cholesterol_FredKummerow.html.
  8. card.iastate.edu/iowa_ag_review/winter_05/article5.aspx.