Health Hotline Magazine | September 2019

NUTRITIONBYTES

GLYPHOSATE EXPOSURE LINKED TO ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Roundup is the most heavily used herbicide worldwide and its active ingredient, glyphosate, is under scrutiny for its effects on environmental and human health. One of glyphosate’s mechanisms of action is related to its disruption of the shikimate pathway, which is found in the weeds that it targets. The current accepted dogma by those claiming glyphosate is safe is that the shikimate pathway is not found in humans or mammals. However, the shikimate pathway is present in the gut bacteria of mammals (including humans), which are

repeated exposure to glyphosate significantly decreased the overall diversity and abundance of the microbiota

directly related to overall health and mood. A recent study examined the effects of glyphosate on gut bacteria of mice and its impact on anxiety and depressive- like behavior. The study separated mice into three groups: The control group was given a saline solution, while the other two groups were given either a 250mg/kg or 500mg/kg dose of glyphosate. The doses used in the study were at or below the levels established by the EPA to have no adverse effects. Each group of mice underwent a series of behavior tests after a one-time dose and again at six and 12 weeks. At the end of the study the mice gut microbiota was examined and analyzed. Researchers found that glyphosate lead to anxiety and depressive-like behavior at both six and 12 weeks of exposure. The researchers also found that repeated exposure to glyphosate significantly decreased the overall diversity and abundance of the microbiota, including beneficial strains such as Lactobacillus bacteria. The researchers highlighted that these changes in the microbiota have been consistently linked with anxiety and depressive-like behavior.

This research adds to the growing body of literature that highlights how glyphosate negatively affects our health. Glyphosate is widely used in genetically modified foods but is also used in conventionally grown foods such as wheat and oats. The best way to avoid glyphosate in food is to choose organic.