Hello and happy Friday everyone!! This is my 50th blog! WOW! I’ve been researching like crazy for quite some time now to bring you guys the latest research to promote health and longevity. Today I wanted to take a closer look at what’s on and in our food that could make us sick down the road. There are some big ones, such as glyphosate (roundup), an herbicide used on GMO (genetically modified to withstand glyphosate) foods to kill weeds. In the US, there are more than 750 products containing glyphosate for sale.

“Roundup is the brand name of a systemic, broad-spectrum glyphosate-based herbicide originally produced by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired in 2018. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the United States. As of 2009, sales of Roundup herbicides still represented about 10 percent of Monsanto's revenue despite competition from Chinese producers of other glyphosate-based herbicides. The overall Roundup line of products, which includes genetically modified seeds, represented about half of Monsanto's yearly revenue. The product is marketed to consumers by Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.” 

“In 2007, glyphosate was the most used herbicide in the United States' agricultural sector and the second-most used (after 2,4-D) in home and garden, government and industry, and commercial applications. From the late 1970s to 2016, there was a 100-fold increase in the frequency and volume of application of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) worldwide, with further increases expected in the future. This was partly in response to the global emergence and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds, requiring greater application to maintain effectiveness…Glyphosate is absorbed through foliage, and minimally through roots, and transported to growing points. It inhibits a plant enzyme involved in the synthesis of three aromatic amino acids: tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine.”

Glyphosate is banned in most countries, but not in the US. Why, you ask? “According to the National Pesticide Information Center fact sheet, glyphosate is not included in compounds tested for by the Food and Drug Administration's Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program, nor in the United States Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Data Program! WHAT????!!!!   The U.S. has determined the acceptable daily intake of glyphosate at 1.75 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (mg/kg/bw/day) while the European Union has set it at 0.5.”  So, for some reason ($$$)🧐 they don’t even include it!!!! Go figure. 

In 2017, attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stated that documents and emails came to light that “show Monsanto executives colluding with corrupted EPA officials to manipulate and bury scientific data to kill studies when preliminary data threatened Monsanto's commercial ambitions, bribing scientists and ghostwriting their publications, and purchasing peer review to conceal information about Roundup's carcinogenicity, its toxicity, its rapid absorption by the human body, and its horrendous risks to public health and the environment."

Monsanto-Bayer continue to use it and currently are paying out billions in lawsuits to individuals suffering the results. Many are suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, but other cancers as well. It’s nothing to Monsanto-Bayer, however, because they make billions per year on sales, not to mention the additional billions in sales of GMO (genetically modified) seeds. These seeds are modified to resist glyphosate, while killing the weeds around it for ease in harvest. They even use it on sugar cane to ‘ripen’ it. However, many more countries and states are banning its use. Germany is banning all use by 2024. A recent (8/2021) update of all countries timelines banning use of glyphosate is listed here, but too much to put in this blog. These countries already banned its use, per Carlson Law Firm: Notice, the US is NOT on the list!

So, what does glyphosate do in the body with chronic low consumption (as in food)? It literally kills off our microbes, causing gut dysbiosis (imbalance), interferes with absorption of vitamins and nutrients essential in health and produces massive inflammation!!!!!  “Glyphosate interferes with fundamental biochemical reactions and may predispose humans to obesity, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other health problems.”

“Roundup^® kills plants by interfering with a biochemical pathway involved with synthesis of amino acids, called the shikimate pathway. This pathway is not found in humans, therefore it was assumed that glyphosate does not harm humans. The pathway is found in bacteria, however, and humans depend on bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to synthesize the essential amino acids.”

Glyphosate increases production of indole (E.coli produces this) which impairs mitochondrial ATP synthesis, inhibits growth of good microbes, and leads to pernicious anemia. How? It literally disrupts the intestinal flora, allowing the bad microbes to migrate through the lining of the intestine (leaky gut) through ‘tight junctions’, causing damage in multiple places throughout the body. The issue of “gluten intolerance” and “celiac” problems is becoming increasingly more common.

According to the NIH (National Institute of Health) in 2013 : “Fish exposed to glyphosate develop digestive problems that are reminiscent of celiac disease. Celiac disease is associated with imbalances in gut bacteria that can be fully explained by the known effects of glyphosate on gut bacteria. Characteristics of celiac disease point to impairment in many cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are involved with detoxifying environmental toxins, activating vitamin D3, catabolizing vitamin A, and maintaining bile acid production and sulfate supplies to the gut. Glyphosate is known to inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes. Deficiencies in iron, cobalt, molybdenum, copper and other rare metals associated with celiac disease can be attributed to glyphosate's strong ability to chelate these elements.”

It further interferes with selenium uptake in plants, so we become deficient in selenium, which interferes with spermatogenesis and induces thyroid disease. Low thyroid function is what I was seeing in my patients for years, without realizing what was causing it.

“The growth of four types of beneficial bacteria—Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Enterococcus—was reduced at low concentrations of glyphosate. When exposed to the same levels of glyphosate that harmed the beneficial bacteria, several harmful bacteria, including Salmonella, grew successfully.” Even Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism.

“Deficiencies in tryptophan, tyrosine, methionine and selenomethionine associated with celiac disease match glyphosate's known depletion of these amino acids. Celiac disease patients have an increased risk to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which has also been implicated in glyphosate exposure. Reproductive issues associated with celiac disease, such as infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects, can also be explained by glyphosate.” The next 2 graphs illustrate celiac incidence and deaths due to intestinal infection linked to glyphosate:

Interestingly, people with digestive issues and “gluten intolerance” seem to tolerate bread and pasta just fine in Italy. In the US, most of our flour is genetically modified to produce more gluten as well as resist glyphosate. Most of the problem lies with our body’s intolerance to glyphosate!!! Unfortunately, even some “organic” foods have been found to contain glyphosate due to wind blowing it into the organic farmer’s fields. It is also toxic to bees, aquatic life and our pets!!!

 Okay, so what are some other additives to our foods making us sick?

• Paraquat - the number one herbicide used on crops in the US. Linked to the development of Parkinson’s Disease, banned in several countries, including the EU, China, Switzerland. Sold by Syngenta under brand name Gramoxone. It is fast-acting, non-selective and kills green plant tissue on contact. “It is also toxic to human beings and animals due to its redox activity, which produces superoxide anions.” Exposure results in damage to multiple organ systems. Commonly used by individuals committing suicide due to its extreme toxicity. HOLY MOLY!!! This stuff is lethal!!
• Potassium bromate - dough conditioner added to flour to improve softness and rising, also in malt barley. Possible human carcinogen. Banned by India, Brazil, Peru, Nigeria, South Korea, EU, Canada and even China!!!
• Propylparaben - dough conditioner and preservative that affects sex hormones. In tortillas, muffins. Banned in EU
• BHA/BHT - Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and the related compound butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are phenolic compounds that are often added to foods to preserve fats and oils and keep them from becoming rancid (like mayonnaise). They are added to food, cosmetics, and packing of products that contain fats to maintain nutrient levels, color, flavor, and odor. Preservative in cereals and dehydrated potato products as well. Banned in UK/EU
• BPA - “Bisphenol A, or BPA for short, is a chemical substance that's been used in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resin since the 1960s. The primary use of BPA is in plastic bottles, food storage containers, and it is still used in the lining of many canned goods.“ FDA banned use in baby bottles and infant formulas in 2012, but it is still being used in approximately 10% of canned goods.
• Brominate vegetable oil - a patented flame retardant. Currently used in colorful sports drinks as an emulsifier! Carcinogen, organ damage. Banned in Japan
• Nitrates/Nitrites - preservative. carcinogenic. Found in processed meats
• GMO -  Genetically modified to withstand glyphosate: Soy, Beets, Corn, Canola, Cotton, Alfalfa. Banned in many European countries. Linked to cancer. FYI, they use glyphosate to ‘ripen’ sugarcane!!!
• DDT – dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane – was developed as an insecticide in the 1940s, and was widely used during World War II to combat insect-borne diseases. DDT’s effectiveness, persistence, and low cost made it popular for agricultural and commercial uses. More than a billion pounds were used in the U.S. over a 30-year period. EPA banned nearly all domestic uses of DDT in 1972, after the publication of Silent Spring and broad public outcry about DDT’s impacts on wildlife and people. Today, use of DDT is limited to malaria control programs in some developing countries.
• PCBs – polychlorinated biphenyls – are synthetic (human-made) chemicals first produced in the late 1920s.  They were used as cooling fluids in electrical equipment and machinery because of their durability and resistance to fire. Monsanto stopped producing them in 1977. The EPA mandated phase out of most uses shortly thereafter. PCBs have a similar chemical structure to PBDEs, which are currently used as flame retardants in electronics, furniture, and other consumer goods.
• A paper from France, published in the journal Nature looked at several food additives, foods they occur in, and combinations of additives that occur in the foods. Check out this site for graphs of foods and prevalence. “Food additives with suspected health effects also pertained to the top 50: sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, carrageenan, monosodium glutamate, sulfite ammonia caramel, acesulfame K, sucralose, (di/tri/poly) phosphates, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, potassium sorbate, cochineal, potassium metabisulphite, sodium alginate, and bixin (>800 food products each).”  “So far, detailed information on potential cocktail effects is lacking but several studies started to suggest interactions and synergies between food additives. For example, mixes of colorings with sodium benzoate (e211) were associated with increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children. Neurotoxic effects were also observed between combinations of brilliant blue (e133) with L-glutamic acid (e620), and quinoline yellow (e104) with aspartame (e951) in vitro and a mixture of food coloring additives increased oxidative stress in rats.”
• PFAs - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances - these are man-made chemicals that combine carbon chains with fluorine. They have been widely used since the 1930s in paper food packaging products, such as in take-out and microwave popcorn, because they repel water and grease. They are in makeup and personal hygiene products too! These chemicals have leached into our water, soil and food. They are in our bloodstream in varying amounts and wreak havoc on our bodies, interfering with our natural hormones as well as increasing risk of cancer, obesity, metabolic disorders, immune response and even behavioral changes.

How can we avoid glyphosate and other chemicals in our food and what can we do to reverse damage?

• Know WHERE your food is coming from! Many US states, counties and cities are banning glyphosate on their own. California is leading in limiting or banning usage.
• Read INGREDIENTS in packaged food, such as tortillas, cereals, etc. Better yet, just avoid processed, packaged foods!
• Use Organic Popcorn and pop in a pan or air popper rather than microwave 
• PASTA - I buy from Italy because they don’t use glyphosate in their flour.
• Choose ORGANIC - as much as possible and definitely the ‘dirty dozen’ list due to the uptake into the fruit or vegetable:  strawberries, spinach, kale/collard/mustard greens, nectarines, apples, grapes, cherries, peaches, pears, bell and hot peppers, celery, tomatoes.
• Eat Detox-stimulating foods - Phase1 detox can result in oxidative damage if phase 2 isn’t working properly. Foods that stimulate phase 2 clean-up and removal is “protective” and anti-oxidative. These foods stimulate the Nrf2 system, which is key to regulating the body’s detox and antioxidant system. “Age-related reduction of Nrf-2 is coupled to an increase of NF-κB activity.” The later is involved in increased low-level inflammation and promotion of disease pathways that are hallmarks in the aging process. This is taken from the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism: Fish oil, turmeric, tomatoes, rose hips, guava, watermelon, cruciferous vegetables, garlic, EVOO, green tea, cocoa, legumes, grapes, ginger, purple sweet potato, coffee, rosemary, blueberry, pomegranate, walnuts, berries, algae, yeast, salmon, trout, krill, shrimp, crayfish, itadori tea, nuts, seeds, red wine
• Eat Sulfur-rich - Glyphosate depletes sulfur and inhibits detoxification pathways: Organic eggs, cheese, onions, garlic, poultry, beef, fish, nuts, legumes, seeds, cruciferous vegetables
• Manganese - Glyphosate depletes manganese: Organic tea, cloves, mussels, molasses
• Avoid if NOT Organic - 

• EVOO -  “Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), presents several protective effects on the liver, reducing hepatic steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, fibrogenesis, preventing lipid peroxidation, among other effects. Due to its high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic acid and phenolic compounds, such as hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, EVOO is able to participate in the activation of different signaling pathways in the hepatocytes involved in the prevention of inflammation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and insulin resistance, allowing the prevention or resolution of liver damage.” So, when phase 1 of detoxification is producing oxidative damage, EVOO prevents and protects your liver from this damage. It also stimulates phase 2 detoxification by promoting the Nrf2 pathway and inhibiting the NF-kB aging and inflammatory pathway!!! This is due to the polyphenols in EVOO, so the higher polyphenols, the better. 

Okay, so this is a LOT of information. However, the take-away is relatively simple. Give your body the right foods for healing. Eliminate glyphosate from your diet and your body. Heal your gut and replenish the good microbes. Supplement trace minerals that may be missing due to glyphosate in your food. Definitely take in high polyphenol EVOO!!!

So, until next time my friends, drink, drizzle, digest high polyphenol EVOO, eat wild-caught fatty fish rich in Omega 3s, eat organic, get plenty of sunshine and supplement vitamin D3, get your trace minerals, eat foods high in lutein, drink lots of water, get a good pre/probiotic, exercise your body and mind, add a few minutes of mindful meditation to your day to combat stress, get plenty of sleep and...turn off the light!!  #EVOO