Why? Evidence points to glyphosate
toxicity from the overuse of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide on our food.
For over three decades, Stephanie
Seneff, PhD, has researched biology and technology, over the years publishing over 170 scholarly
peer-reviewed articles. In recent years she has concentrated on
the relationship between nutrition and health, tackling such topics as
Alzheimer’s, autism, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the impact of
nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxins on human health.
At a [recent] conference, in a special
panel discussion about GMOs, she took the audience by surprise when she
declared, “At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be
autistic.” She noted that the side effects of autism closely mimic
those of glyphosate toxicity, and presented data showing a remarkably consistent
correlation between the use of Roundup on
crops (and the creation of Roundup-ready GMO crop seeds) with rising rates of
autism. Children with autism have biomarkers indicative of excessive
glyphosate, including zinc and iron deficiency, low serum sulfate, seizures,
and mitochondrial disorder.
A fellow panelist reported that after Dr.
Seneff’s presentation, “All of the 70 or so people in attendance were
squirming, likely because they now had serious misgivings about serving their
kids, or themselves, anything with corn or soy, which are nearly all
genetically modified and thus tainted with Roundup and its glyphosate.”
Dr. Seneff noted the ubiquity of
glyphosate’s use. Because it is used on corn and soy, all soft drinks and
candies sweetened with corn syrup and all chips and cereals that contain soy
fillers have small amounts of glyphosate in them, as do our beef and poultry
since cattle and chicken are fed GMO corn or soy. Wheat is often sprayed with
Roundup just prior to being harvested, which means that all non-organic bread
and wheat products would also be sources of glyphosate toxicity. The amount of
glyphosate in each product may not be large, but the cumulative effect
(especially with as much processed food as Americans eat) could be devastating. A recent study shows that
pregnant women living near farms where pesticides are applied have a 60%
increased risk of children having an autism spectrum disorder.
Other toxic substances may also be
autism-inducing. You may recall our story on the CDC
whistleblower who revealed the government’s
deliberate concealment of the link between the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps,
and rubella) and a sharply increased risk of autism, particularly in African
American boys. Other studies now show a link between
children’s exposure to pesticides and autism. Children who live in homes with
vinyl floors, which can emit phthalate chemicals, are more likely to have
autism. Children whose mothers smoked were also twice as likely to have autism.
Research now acknowledges that environmental contaminants such as PCBs, PBDEs,
and mercury can alter brain neuron functioning even before a child is born.
This month, the USDA released a study finding that
although there were detectable levels of pesticide residue in more than half of
food tested by the agency, 99% of samples taken were found to be within levels
the government deems safe, and 40% were found to have no detectable trace of
pesticides at all. The USDA added, however, that due to “cost concerns,” it
did not test for residues of glyphosate. Let’s repeat that: they
never tested for the active ingredient in the most widely used herbicide in the
world. “Cost concerns”? How absurd—unless they mean it will cost
them too much in terms of the special relationship between the USDA and
Monsanto. You may recall the revolving door between Monsanto and the federal
government, with agency officials becoming high-paying executives—and vice
versa! Money, power, prestige: it’s all there. Monsanto and the USDA love to
scratch each others’ backs. Clearly this omission was purposeful.
In addition, as we have previously reported, the number of
adverse reactions from vaccines can be correlated as well with autism, though
Seneff says it doesn’t correlate quite as closely as with Roundup. The same
correlations between applications of glyphosate and autism show up in deaths
from senility.
Of course, autism is a complex problem
with many potential causes. Dr. Seneff’s data, however, is particularly
important considering how close the correlation is—and because it is coming
from a scientist with impeccable credentials. Earlier this year, she spoke at
the Autism One conference and presented many of the same facts; that
presentation is available on YouTube.
Monsanto claims that Roundup is harmless
to humans. Bacteria, fungi, algae, parasites, and plants use a seven-step
metabolic route known as the shikimate pathway for the
biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids; glyphosate inhibits this pathway, causing
the plant to die, which is why it’s so effective as an herbicide. Monsanto says
humans don’t have this shikimate pathway, so it’s perfectly safe.
Dr. Seneff points out, however, that our
gut bacteria do have this pathway, and that’s crucial because
these bacteria supply our body with crucial amino acids. Roundup thus kills
beneficial gut bacteria, allowing pathogens to grow; interferes with the
synthesis of amino acids including methionine, which leads to shortages in
critical neurotransmitters and folate; chelates (removes) important minerals
like iron, cobalt and manganese; and much more.
Even worse, she notes, additional chemicals
in Roundup are untested because they’re classified as“inert,” yet according to
a 2014 study in BioMed Research International, these chemicals
are capable of amplifying the toxic effects of Roundup hundreds of times over.
Glyphosate is present in unusually high
quantities in the breast milk of American mothers, at anywhere from 760 to
1,600 times the allowable limits in European drinking water. Urine testing
shows Americans have ten times the glyphosate accumulation as Europeans.
“In my view, the situation is almost
beyond repair,” Dr. Seneff said after her presentation. “We need to do something drastic.”
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