Glyphosate: the weed-killer that hurts people too

with Stephanie Seneff

Glyphosate is a weed-killer considered “safe” and “non-toxic” by the FDA and EPA but scientist Stephanie Seneff believes otherwise. And she is not alone! An avid researcher and brilliant mind (Stephanie holds a PhD from MIT), Stephanie will convince you that we should take a second look at this pervasive herbicide that is used in your neighborhood and on industrial farms, across the nation, and around the world. Touted as a help to battle pesky weeds and improve our crop yields, it may be unintentionally damaging our health in unprecedented measure.

Studies have shown that glyphosate is problematic and Stephanie is convinced that it is contributing to the rising incidence of auto-immune disorders including autism, ADHD, diabetes, Alzheimers, and more. She discusses in today’s episode how to avoid it (eating an organic diet is key) and how to take action to help stop its encroachment on the health of the human race.

Notes

Stephanie Seneff is a senior research scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in Massachusetts. She has a Bachelor of Science from MIT in biology and a PhD in electrical engineering and computer science. But in recent years she has brought her brilliant mind to bear on the topic of toxic chemicals and their impact on our bodies. She has written over 30 peer-reviewed journal papers on this topic.
On today’s show, she speaks about the most commonly used herbicide in the U.S., glyphosate—the active ingredient in the product RoundUp. Stephanie reveals her concerns about its use, its prevalence in our food system, and how we can take steps to avoid it.

Here are highlights from the conversation:

studies have shown glyphosate to be problematic – in the brains of chickens and frogs, it causes cancer cells to proliferate
glyphosate came onto the market in the 1970s but only recently did the FDA begin testing its safety or looking into it
glyphosate is alarmingly prevalent in our food streams—it has even been found in organic honey
the government plans to stop testing for glyphosate because the results are super ambiguous. Glyphosate appears to be bound up with proteins making it difficult to identify and find.
Alzheimers and autism are increasing at a troublesome rate
Stephanie has written a paper on the connection between ALS and glyphosate
Parkinsons, Alzheimers are among neurological diseases that have been linked to it, too
Stephanie tells of a woman with psoriatic arthritis who saw improvement upon dietary changes
Stephanie herself noticed less frequent UTIs when her diet changed
Her husband’s heart issues and back pain resolved with dietary changes
Stephanie believes glyphosate even has a role in global warming and climate change
Glyphosate is banned in Sri Lanka and why it was banned
Our sicknesses are driving up our health care costs
Stephanie’s suggestion to focus more on food to maintain our health
The new herbicide 24D (a component of Agent Orange) is coming soon (and will certainly also be damaging to our health)
Her suggestion to avoid glyphosate’s damaging effects is to eat an exclusively organic diet