Right now, Bayer is facing a host of lawsuits related to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that has been linked to the use of Roundup herbicide. Bayer took on the legal burdens of Roundup maker Monsanto when it bought the company for $66 billion in 2018.
The number of lawsuits related to this illness exceed 42,000, which is absolutely staggering. One of the biggest lawsuits saw a groundskeeper initially awarded $289 million in damages, although that was reduced on appeal. Another suit saw a couple receiving $2 billion in punitive damages in a jury award. A federal multidistrict litigation action containing thousands of lawsuits ended with a $10.9 billion settlement agreement.
But all of those suits are really just a fraction of what may be coming as Roundup and its main ingredient, glyphosate, have also been linked to many other chronic and mental illnesses.
Many of these are related to its effects on the gut microbiome. A study by an international team of scientists led by King’s College London’s Dr. Michael Antoniou found that glyphosate exposure can dramatically raise the levels of two types of acids in the gut. In particular, its inhibition of the EPSPS enzyme of the shikimate pathway is very concerning.
This type of modification in gut flora has been linked to illnesses such as diabetes, autism, arthritis, coronary heart disease, fatty liver disease, asthma and metabolic syndrome. It may also play a role in neurological illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Glyphosate linked to depression and suicide
In addition, this gut microbiome disruption can lead to mental health issues. A team of Australian researchers found that microbial imbalances could cause problems such as depression, dementia and anxiety disorders. Is it any coincidence that these problems are being seen at unprecedented levels in the population just as glyphosate use has skyrocketed?
In fact, the long-term use of pesticides has been linked to higher rates of depression and suicide, and “pesticide poisoning,” which occurs when someone is exposed to a heavy dose of pesticides within a short period of time, doubles the risk of depression.
In Brazil, workers who used more pesticides had a higher likelihood of committing suicide, while a World Health Organization survey found that people who stored pesticides in their home had more than twice the risk of having suicidal thoughts. Moreover, a study that was based on 19 years of national data found that farmers were 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide than people in other professions.
However, you don’t have to be a farmer or live close to a farm to suffer the ill effects of glyphosate. Many Americans are ingesting this chemical every day through glyphosate-contaminated food.
While many people tend to associate fruits and vegetables with pesticides, there are other foods to watch out for as well. Non-organic soy often has a high amount of glyphosate. Other foods that often contain glyphosate residues include almonds, corn, quinoa, and carrots. Oats often test high for glyphosate residue as the herbicide is sometimes sprayed directly onto oat crops to facilitate harvesting. It can also turn up in wheat-based products, such as pasta and crackers. Traces of it have even been detected in children’s cereal and baby formula.
These chemicals are designed to destroy an insect’s nervous system, so it makes sense that they can cause such damage to human nerve cells as well. To minimize your risk of illnesses related to glyphosate, avoid working with glyphosate or spending time in areas where it has been sprayed, and make sure the food you buy is organic to limit your exposure to this dangerous poison.
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