Glyphosate — a toxic herbicide hiding in everything from your breakfast cereal to the rain itself — isn’t just an environmental problem; it’s a direct threat to your health. This “weed killer” interferes with your gut, drains vital nutrients, and disrupts your body’s natural detox pathways, making healing an uphill battle.

Look, I get it. If you’ve been wondering what’s really going on with glyphosate and all the noise about its dangers, you’re not alone.

Maybe you’ve even thought, “How bad could this herbicide be if it’s in everything from crops to tampons?”

That’s a totally valid question—one we’re going to dive into here with a magnifying glass (and a fair dose of skepticism).

Glyphosate’s story isn’t just about killing weeds; it’s about a pervasive chemical that has crept into nearly every aspect of our lives and our bodies. 

And here’s the thing: we can’t just ignore it and hope for the best.

Why? Because while it’s tempting to assume someone’s testing it for safety, the research shows quite the opposite.

From digestive issues and hormonal imbalances to neurotoxicity and even cancer, glyphosate is wreaking havoc on more than just plants.

So, buckle up, because while this might be a rough ride, knowledge is power—and you have the tools to start detoxifying from this stuff today.

Key Takeaways

• Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide.
• There are significant concerns about its impact on health.
• Knowing about glyphosate can help protect your health.

What Is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is a key ingredient in many herbicides. It’s widely used in agriculture to control weeds and assist with crop growth.

Definition and Background

You might recognize glyphosate and glyphosate formulations as the active ingredient in popular products like “Roundup” and “Ranger Pro.” (5)

It’s a systemic herbicide used to kill weeds and grasses that compete with crops.

This compound, scientifically known as n-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, belongs to the phosphonate class.

It breaks down into another toxic compound called Aminomethylphosphonic Acid, or AMPA.

In nature, the half-life of glyphosate is up to 60 days, meaning it can take up to 4 months for glyphosate and its degradation products to be removed from the environment after no additional glyphosate is added (9).

In the human body, glyphosate’s half-life is 3.5 – 14.5 hours (10).

Monsanto, now part of Bayer, initially introduced it in the 1970s.

Glyphosate became especially popular because of its use with genetically modified crops. (Don’t even get me started on genetically modified crops – that’s an article for another time!)

These crops, often called “Roundup Ready” crops, are genetically engineered to resist glyphosate, allowing farmers to use it without damaging the harvest.

In 2015, glyphosate was classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the International

Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (1).

How Does Glyphosate Work?

Glyphosate targets a specific enzyme pathway, the shikimic acid pathway, which is crucial for plant growth (9).

It works by blocking the enzyme called EPSP synthase.

This enzyme helps plants make certain aromatic amino acids they need to grow. Without these amino acids, the plants can’t survive.

Glyphosate also interferes with the production of plant alkaloids – these are medicinal compounds that have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties (28).

Since humans and animals don’t have the shikimic acid pathway, glyphosate is considered safe for non-plant organisms according to authorities like the EPA.

What? You read that right.

Just because humans don’t have that enzyme pathway, the powers that be simply ASSUMED glyphosate is safe.

Even a child knows not to assume something is safe to eat just because we put it on our plants or feed it to animals!

But come on – I mean, how bad is it really?

The research is simply damning. Let’s take a look.

Glyphosate’s Devastating Impact on Human Health

Glyphosate isn’t just sitting on the surface of produce; it’s actually absorbed into the food, meaning washing isn’t enough.

Once inside our bodies, it interferes with essential enzyme processes, leading to issues like gut permeability (hello, leaky gut) and a stressed immune system.

Glyphosate even has a nasty habit of binding to vital minerals like manganese, robbing us of nutrients and throwing off our natural balance (37).

When I went to PubMed to review the research, initially I simply searched for glyphosate. This resulted in 5,708 studies since 1975.

There have been 463 articles published in 2024 (to-date).

When I searched for studies involving humans only in  2024, there were still close to 100.

In this article, I’m going to review the information brought to light in about a third of the 2024 studies.

I think the results will shock you, but just remember, you can recover from toxic chemical illness.

Digestive System Disruption

Glyphosate causes inflammation and affects your microbiome balance by disturbing the diversity of gut bacteria.

This disruption often leads to dysbiosis, a condition that can cause digestive issues and weaken your immune system.

When your gut microbiota is unbalanced, it can damage the intestinal lining, leading to what is known as leaky gut syndrome.

This condition allows harmful substances to enter your bloodstream, triggering chronic inflammation and increasing the risk of auto-immune diseases and food sensitivities.

But let’s be specific – here’s the research. Studies of glyphosate have found the following effects on your digestive system:

• Alters the microbiome, intestinal permeability, and mucus secretion (1).
• Damages the microvilli – small finger-like projections off the wall of the intestines responsible for nutrient absorption (1).
• Harms the microbiome and GI tract (5).
• Causes dysbiosis (9).
• Destroys tight junctions, leading to Leaky Gut (9).
• Causes endotoxemia [leaky gut] (11).
• Impacts digestive enzymes and causes altered intestinal integrity (28).
• May cause preferential selection for pathogenic bacteria in the gut. This study found that 54% of human gut bacteria are sensitive to glyphosate, and 29% are resistant. But the resistant strains tend to be those that are pathogenic and associated with inflammatory bowel disease (28).

Hormonal Disruption

Glyphosate has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with your body’s natural hormone levels (5).

It disrupts your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which means it can cause issues with any related hormones including cortisol and adrenaline (5).

Hormones like thyroid hormones and estrogen can become imbalanced, leading to potential fertility issues (5) like PCOS, decreased sperm count (3), and reduced egg quality.

By disrupting estrogen metabolism, it may also increase the risk of miscarriage, and affect reproductive health in both men and women (5, 9).

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Glyphosate and Male Gametes (10)

A gamete is a reproductive cell that has just one copy of chromosomes – in the human male, this is the sperm.

A 2024 study looked at infertile couples in France, and specifically studied the males in relation to their exposure to glyphosate.

They found levels of glyphosate in the blood, which was not surprising because glyphosate has been found in almost all human fluids.

Researchers also found glyphosate in the sperm. Maybe not surprising.

What was stunning was the realization that the glyphosate level in the sperm was at a concentration FOUR TIMES higher than that in the blood!

In addition, researchers identified increased sperm levels of 8-OHdG, an established biomarker of oxidative stress and DNA damage.

The authors of the study concluded that glyphosate has a negative impact on reproduction and even progeny!

Keep this in mind as you read the rest of this article. What does it mean that the sperm is loaded with a highly toxic chemical and markers of DNA damage?

As this study was only recently published, I suspect there will be similar studies in the near future, both confirming the findings of this study and exploring the ramifications.

Carcinogenicity

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies glyphosate as a probable carcinogen.

It’s been generally linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia among other cancers (32).

The recent research on the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate?

• Glyphosate is associated with chemotherapy resistance and an increased cell proliferation of hormone-dependent cancers (9).
• It increases bacterial mutagenesis (14). As we all know, the more mutations, the greater the risk of future genetic issues and cancer.
• Glyphosate has a “significant association with lung cancer” (24).
• A Brazilian study investigated breast cancer in a region known for intensive glyphosate and atrazine use. Researchers found that women with breast cancer and exposure had increased lymph node metastasis and more aggressive forms of breast cancer than their non-exposed counterparts (25). When compared to national averages, this region had a 6 times higher volume of pesticides, a 41% increase in breast cancer rates, and a 14% higher mortality rate (25).

But DNA damage is a known driver of carcinogenicity. What do the studies have to say about that?

• Glyphosate damages replication, repair, and translation processes (1).
• Glyphosate changes DNA methylation and causes DNA damage. It is genotoxic (9).
• Glyphosate causes oxidative stress (9, 22, 23).
• Urinary glyphosate concentration is positively associated with 8-OHdG levels, indicative of oxidative stress and DNA damage (27).
• Glyphosate induces Reactive Oxygen Species [which lead to oxidative stress] and DNA damage in human aortic cell lines (29).

And yet it’s been labeled as a “probable” carcinogen? Seriously?

Detox Disruption

Products containing glyphosate cause inflammation and inhibit your body’s detox pathways.

It can reduce the activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes, which play a role in detoxifying harmful substances.

This inhibition depletes glutathione, an important antioxidant, causing oxidative stress and potential DNA damage (9, 19).

Such effects accelerate aging and jeopardize your health by making it harder to detoxify effectively and allowing a buildup of toxic metabolites (28).

Your kidneys and your liver are primary organs involved in detox, and glyphosate impacts them too (5, 23, 30, 32).

It decreases kidney function and transports heavy metals into the kidneys (9).

There’s a linear association between glyphosate and the development of NAFLD – non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (9, 12, 32).

Neurological and Cognitive Issues

A growing body of research highlights glyphosate’s risk to your cognitive health.

Here’s one mechanism:

Exposure disrupts the digestive system and leads to Leaky Gut syndrome.

Lipopolysaccharides (toxic metabolites) are produced, cause increased inflammation, and weaken the integrity of the blood-brain-barrier.

As the neuroinflammation increases, cognitive function, learning, and memory decrease (9, 11).

Interestingly, in patients with increased urinary glyphosate, researchers have also found increased levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a protein released into the blood following damage to neuroaxons (18).

One study found that glyphosate decreases melatonin. Chronic exposure to oxidative stress also decreases brain glutathione and altogether, causes an inactivation of the PIN1 enzyme in neurons – a proposed mechanism of autism (19).

Known health risks of glyphosate exposure include neurodevelopmental disorders (28) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (30).

Glyphosate has also been linked to mood disorders such as depression (23).

Children’s Development

Children are particularly vulnerable to glyphosate’s harmful effects.

Exposure during pregnancy might lead to developmental delays, birth defects, and low birth weight (13, 32)

One study using rats found that glyphosate exposure during gestation affects vascular function in the offspring.

A similar study found an increase in adverse health impacts such as obesity, kidney disease, ovarian disease, prostate disease, and birth defects three generations out! (So, if you don’t care about the impact of glyphosate exposure on you, think about your future grandchildren!)

This research speaks (again) to the transgenerational impact of glyphosate exposure.

Yet another study looked at urinary AMPA levels and found that childhood exposure to glyphosate/AMPA may increase the risk of liver and cardiometabolic disorders in early adulthood, and more serious diseases in later life (33).

Cardiovascular Damage

The last time I checked, your heart and blood vessels were pretty important.

Well, glyphosate harms them too (5, 33).

In a study involving heart organoid cells, glyphosate and a surfactant caused overgrowth of the epicardial lining cells and disrupted heart contractions (21). The authors of this study concluded that glyphosate is toxic to cardiac development.

Glyphosate was found to cause mitochondrial damage in human aortic cell lines, as well as dyslipidemia (1), vascular toxicity, and risk for atherosclerosis in zebrafish (29).

Oh, my aching heart.

Alters Lipid Metabolism

Lipid is another term for fats. Glyphosate alters fat metabolism, and this can have far-reaching impact on your health (1).

Glyphosate exposure causes dyslipidemia – an imbalance of the fats in your body (29). Most people think of this in terms of cholesterol and triglycerides, but there are many more critical lipids that must be in balance for health.

Glyphosate causes increased lipid peroxidation – a process where free radicals attack fats in the cell membrane causing damage and the creation of more free radicals (9).

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Glyphosate and Lipids (30)

In a 2022 study, glyphosate was found to disrupt 115 lipids in human blood serum.

This puts people at risk for a multitude of health issues, including atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, as well as neurodegenerative diseases, and chronic liver and kidney dysfunction.

But let’s take it a step further.

Lipids form the cell membrane of every single cell in our bodies. They protect our organs and insulate nerve fibers to allow for lightning-fast communication.

If your circulating lipids are messed up, won’t the rest of them be?

And what does that mean for cell signaling and for the health of our very cells?

Is this how glyphosate causes cell death at doses below agricultural use and why glyphosate is considered to be cytotoxic (9)?

I don’t need a scientific study to tell me that a loss of the integrity of our cell walls is incompatible with health.

How Glyphosate Contaminates Your Life

Glyphosate is seemingly everywhere, from fields to personal care. Its use in agriculture and products you rely on daily might be surprising (9).

Glyphosate has been found in most human bodily fluids, including blood, urine, the placenta, and breast milk (9, 28).

Glyphosate is estimated to be found in 60-95% of the population (9, 28), and even in 30% of neonates (28)!

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Glyphosate and Soil Biofilm

In a 2023 study looking at the effect of glyphosate in soil microbial biofilms, researchers found:

• “All the studied concentrations of the pesticide completely or partially suppress the matrix and structure of…biofilm formation, as well as the bacterial cells metabolic activity in the biofilm.”
• “At the concentration of 0.0067 g/L, it enhances mutagenesis by six times compared with the spontaneous level.”
• “Suppression of bacterial biofilms formation, toxic effects on microorganisms, and mutagenesis enhancement by glyphosate can lead to negative consequences for natural microbiomes.”

Basically, glyphosate use disrupts the structure and activity of soil bacteria’s “home” and activity. It promotes mutation at 6 times more than normal.

This is terrifying. While this study explored bacterial communities in the soil, what about the bacterial communities living in your mouth, gut, your skin, etc.?

We need “good” bacteria to help us digest food, to provide essential nutrients that we can’t make, and more.

But glyphosate impairs their survival and metabolic activities,

Widespread Use in Food and Agriculture

The sheer amounts of glyphosate are staggering. Approximately 280 million pounds of glyphosate are used annually (28), and about half of this is due to soybean and corn production (15).

The application of glyphosate causes plants to decrease their production of nutrients – less nutrients in the plants equates to less nutrition for us when we eat them (9).

Spray drift during glyphosate application can also affect nearby crops not meant to be exposed.

If that isn’t bad enough, glyphosate is often used as a crop desiccant, helping to dry out crops like wheat and oats before harvest, leaving glyphosate residues in food that reach your table.

You know those organic oats you pay through the nose for? Yup, loaded with toxic glyphosate!

Contaminated Water Supply

Glyphosate enters water supplies through runoff from agricultural fields.

When it rains, glyphosate and formulations of glyphosate wash away from treated areas, contaminating groundwater and nearby aquatic environments.

One study estimated that 4,970 tons of glyphosate and AMPA are dumped into rivers every year (15). (But what about lakes, oceans, and other sources of water?)

This can be devastating to pollinators and other wildlife.

Animals are now regularly exposed to glyphosate due to its accumulation in the environment (16). It has been found to be “sub-lethally toxic” for animals, especially those in aquatic or marine environments (16).

Some examples of glyphosate toxicity in animals:

• Glyphosate and its commercial formulations have been determined to negatively impact earthworms on the “sub-individual, individual, population, and community levels,” and it also extends to earthworm-mediated functions (2).
• Glyphosate decreases microbial diversity in honeybees and decreases their survival rate in one study (6).
• It causes dysbiosis and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections in honeybees, impacting both humoral and cellular immunity (7).
• Causes dyslipidemia, macrophage recruitment, and increased risk of atherosclerosis in zebrafish(29).

Once glyphosate contaminates groundwater, it may become a concern for communities relying on this as a water source. This is one reason of many why you should not drink tap water!

Glyphosate in Everyday Products

Glyphosate is found in various products beyond agriculture.

It’s in some personal care products, including tampons and cotton balls.

These products can contain glyphosate residues because they are made from crops like cotton that are often treated with glyphosate.

Organic options reduce exposure since glyphosate is banned in organic farming practices, but it doesn’t guarantee a product to be glyphosate-free.

Final Thoughts from the Literature

I wanted to include some of the statements made by scientists publishing glyphosate research:

• “GBHs’ ingredients, e.g., GLP, polyoxyethyleneamine, and heavy metals, have polluted environmental and industrial areas far beyond farmlands, causing global contamination and life-threatening risk.” (5)
• Glyphosate exposure “exhibits a significant association with mortality.” (8)
• There is a “consistent and positive association of glyphosate with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality.” (17)
• “Widespread use of RoundUp is correlated with an increased risk of various disorders affecting almost every aspect of human physiology.” (28)

How to Protect Yourself from Glyphosate

To reduce glyphosate exposure, consider choosing organic foods whenever possible.

Organic farming avoids synthetic pesticides like glyphosate, making it a safer choice for your health. (But still not perfect!)

Read labels carefully. Look for products labeled as “non-GMO” and “organic.” These often have lower risks of containing glyphosate.

Including fermented foods in your diet is another helpful step. Foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha can support gut health by providing beneficial probiotics.

Support liver detox naturally through foods rich in antioxidants. Adding ingredients like garlic and turmeric to meals can aid in clearing toxins.

Natural binders like activated charcoal can help absorb toxins. Consult with a detox-literate practitioner for guidance before using supplements.

Drinking distilled water can minimize exposure to glyphosate that might be present in tap water. It’s a simple swap that could lower risk.

Learn about spray drift management if you live near areas where glyphosate is used. This could include planting trees or bushes as barriers to reduce drift.

Conclusion

Glyphosate is proof that we can’t take anything at face value.

Just because a substance is legal and widespread doesn’t mean it’s safe, and glyphosate’s track record speaks for itself.

Digestive disorders, hormone disruption, neurological damage—the list goes on and on.

The good news? Your body is on your side. Otherwise, you’d be six feet under already.

It’s on us to make the choices that reduce exposure and support detoxification.

You can start today by being mindful about your food, water, and personal products.

It’s frustrating, sure, but the results are worth it.

Remember, this journey is one of empowerment, not fear.

So, stay informed, stay resilient, and trust your body’s ability to bounce back.

A glyphosate-free life isn’t just possible; it’s essential for true health and vitality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is glyphosate considered dangerous to human health?

After reading this article, what do you think? We can put the pieces together for ourselves – we don’t need an agency to tell us glyphosate pesticide use is dangerous. But according to Pub Chem (the government chemical database), glyphosate is associated with the following disorders:

“Multiple abnormalities, Acute kidney injury, Agricultural workers disease, Arrhythmias, cardiac, Arthritis, rheumatoid, Asthma, Autism spectrum disorder, Cardiotoxicity, Cartilage diseases, Chemical and drug induced liver injury, Chromosome breakage, Colonic neoplasms, Craniofacial abnormalities, Depressive disorder, Dysbiosis, Dyslipidemias, Eye abnormalities, Fatty liver, Fetal growth retardation, Fibrosis, Genetic diseases, inborn, Gram-negative bacterial infections, Hematologic diseases, Hyperplasia, Hypothyroidism,, Infertility, female, Inflammation, Intellectual disability, Intestinal diseases, Kidney diseases, Kidney diseases, cystic, Lymphoma, follicular, Memory disorders, Metabolic syndrome, Microcephaly, Necrosis, Neoplasm invasiveness, Neoplasms, Neurobehavioral manifestations, Neurotoxicity syndromes, Obesity, Oligospermia, Osteoporosis, Pharyngeal disease, Pneumonia, Poisoning, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Pregnancy complications, Premature birth, Prenatal exposure delayed effects, Prenatal injuries, Prostatic diseases, Puberty, delayed, Renal insufficiency, Respiratory sounds, Rhinitis, Rhinitis, allergic, Skin neoplasms, Teratogenesis, Teratozoospermia, Testicular diseases, Uterine abnormalities, Uterine diseases, Weight gain, Weight loss.”

What are the common uses for glyphosate in agriculture?

The herbicide glyphosate is mainly used to control weeds and grasses. It’s popular among farmers for its effectiveness in protecting crops, especially those genetically modified to resist glyphosate.

Are there any long-term effects of using glyphosate in farming?

Long-term use of glyphosate herbicide in agriculture has sparked debates about occupational exposure to glyphosate, soil health, and biodiversity. Prolonged use affects the ecosystem, impacting beneficial soil organisms. It doesn’t have to be high doses of glyphosate – even trace amounts of glyphosate can have detrimental impacts.

What steps has the government taken regarding the regulation of glyphosates

Governments worldwide, including in the U.S. and Europe, have set maximum residue limits for glyphosate in food and monitor its agricultural use. But we have to realize the government may have other interests and take responsibility to protect ourselves.

What are the neurotoxic effects of glyphosate?

Toxicity studies indicate that glyphosate can induce neurotoxicity. Exposure during the early stages of life can seriously impair normal cell development. Glyphosate also disrupts neurotransmission and induces oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction (35), which lead to neuronal death.