E - Roundup, Glyphosate. What you need to know
In March of 2015, the World Health Organization officially classified glyphosate, a primary ingredient of the weed-killer Roundup, as a probable carcinogen. Since then, over 1,200 people with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have filed suit against Monsanto, the herbicide’s manufacturer, for failing to warn of the cancer risks – with many more lawsuits likely to emerge.
As Monsanto, a.k.a. “the world’s most hated corporation,” continues to insist that glyphosate is safe, two independent researchers are revealing the explosive facts: the agrochemical giant has long known the truth about glyphosate’s toxicity – and deliberately concealed it.
Massive cover-up: The deadly truth about Roundup has been hidden for nearly 40 years
According to the Organic Consumers Association, a non-profit environmental group, independent researcher Dr. Anthony Samsel gained access in 2015 to an enormous cache of scientific documents that clearly show that Monsanto conducted its own studies on glyphosate’s toxicity and health risks – then concealed the research from independent and public review.
For close to 40 years, in fact, the corporation has been knowingly ignoring the cause and effect relationships behind the onset of multiple cancers – a practice that Samsel calls “radical scientific denialism.”
Dr. Samsel – who along with co-investigator Dr. Stephanie Seneff examined and evaluated the Monsanto research – maintains that Monsanto misrepresented data in order to bring glyphosate to market, minimizing adverse findings and dismissing the herbicide’s risks.
One by one, Samsel highlights and refutes the falsehoods perpetrated by Monsanto in order to shill their flagship product and dupe an unsuspecting public into believing that glyphosate is harmless.
Monsanto documents reveal a litany of lies
While Monsanto has always maintained that glyphosate biodegrades rapidly and doesn’t accumulate in body tissues, the company’s own research gives this the lie. Samsel says that he found what he calls “meticulous” measurements – detailing the accumulation of glyphosate in blood, cerebral spinal fluid, lungs, bone marrow and internal organs of the animals studied.
While Monsanto insists glyphosate poses “no long-term risks,” Samsel reports that Monsanto’s own animal studies have demonstrated that glyphosate causes a variety of cancers, including adenoma cancer, prostate and bladder cancer, brain tumors, malignant tumors in lungs and basal cell squamous skin tumors.
You can see for yourself by looking at the Samsel and Seneff paper called, “Glyphosate Pathways to Modern Diseases IV: Cancer and Related Pathologies.”
And, while Monsanto claims to have over 800 different studies attesting to the safety of glyphosate, environmental groups and natural health experts note that the corporation routinely downplays and dismisses independent studies showing glyphosate harms – even when the research is published in peer-reviewed journals.
Scientific research identifies a host of devastating diseases linked to glyphosate
In spite of what Monsanto would have you believe, extensive independent studies show that glyphosate is linked to over a dozen debilitating diseases – some of which are endemic in the United States today.
Glyphosate – which triggers the accumulation of aluminum in the brain – is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ADHD and autism. Researchers note that glyphosate is toxic to beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract, while gut dysbiosis – the disruption of these “friendly” bacteria – is a classic feature of autism.
Researchers also say that glyphosate may be linked to depression because it disrupts serotonin, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter needed for stable mood and restful sleep.
By decreasing sperm and testosterone, glyphosate can contribute to infertility. The chemical is also linked with miscarriages and birth defects – particularly anencephaly, an absence of a major portion of the brain, skull and scalp.
Glyphosate, which damages DNA, is also linked with various types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and cancers of the breast, lung and prostate.
Significantly, the risk of a child having brain cancer doubles if either parent was exposed to Roundup during the two years before the child’s birth. Glyphosate can also induce a tryptophan deficiency, which can set the stage for IBD and colitis. It is also implicated in the development of “leaky gut,” which some scientists believe can trigger multiple sclerosis.
And, last by not least, chronic kidney and liver disease, diabetes, heart disease and cataracts round out the horrible legacy of illnesses and diseases glyphosate is bequeathing to us – and our children.
Roundup use is based on “The Big Lie”
Although Roundup has been on the market since 1974, its use truly surged in the late 1990s, after the company genetically engineered seeds that could tolerate huge doses of the herbicide. Roundup is also used as a dessicant to allow crops to dry faster, and currently GMO and non-GMO crops alike are being sprayed with glyphosate – including wheat, barley, oats, flax, peas, lentils, beans and sugar cane.
Ironically, Monsanto had assured growers that GMO crops would eventually result in less Roundup being used, but this turned out to be false – in spades. According to EcoWatch, herbicide use increased by a whopping 527 million pounds between 1996 and 2011.
Currently, 20 percent of the world’s glyphosate is used by the United States. And, the US Geological Survey reports that the nation used 280 million pounds of the chemical in 2012 – the last year for which statistics were available.
Why asking government agencies for help is a waste of time
Now, in 2017, this toxic chemical continues to be sprayed at public parks and schools, in playgrounds, and on residential lawns and gardens.
As for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it would be futile to expect any protection from this front – the EPA seems to be in lockstep with Monsanto, maintaining that glyphosate is only dangerous with very long-term, high-level exposure.
In fact, the agency seems to think glyphosate is safe enough for you to drink. The EPA approves small amounts of glyphosate in drinking water, with a so-called “safe level” of 0.7 nanograms per liter.
Some states are waking up: California has just declared Roundup a carcinogen
One state appears to be stepping up to call out glyphosate as the toxin that it is. Just recently, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment declared Roundup to be a carcinogen. Although Monsanto had sued the California OEHHA to stop the listing, the state’s Supreme Court rejected the stay, and glyphosate will be listed under Proposition 65.
With a virtual army of powerful PR companies, high-priced think tanks, and hired academic spokespersons at its command, Monsanto is a formidable foe. But, as this latest ruling demonstrates, the corporation is not all-powerful.
Hopefully more states will follow California’s example – and help torpedo the threat of glyphosate once and for all.
Sources for this article include:
WeedKillerLawsuit.com EcoWatch.com OrganicConsumers.org CNN.com ResearchGate.com
