You’re living in a world where a common product used in gardens and the food supply could impact your ability to have children. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in many popular weed killers, is raising concerns about its effects on fertility and fetal health, even with low-level exposure.
Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide, a chemical designed to kill unwanted plants or weeds. It’s used in agriculture on many crops, as well as in home gardens and landscaping. Because of its widespread use, glyphosate is present in the environment in various ways.
It’s widespread in foods, in the air during spraying and even in water sources. Think of it like dust in your home; you might not always see it, but it’s often there. Similarly, glyphosate is present in your daily life without you necessarily realizing it.
You’re exposed to glyphosate through several routes. One common way is through the food you eat, as trace amounts remain on crops treated with the herbicide. Another source of exposure is through inhalation, especially for those who apply glyphosate-containing products themselves or live near areas where it’s sprayed. Contamination of water sources is another route of exposure.
While high levels of exposure to any chemical are generally a concern, scientists are also studying the effects of long-term, low-level exposure to glyphosate. This type of exposure, where you encounter small amounts of the chemical over an extended period, leads to accumulation in your body. This accumulation, even at low levels, could have negative health consequences over time.
The Science Connecting Glyphosate to Reproductive Health Risks
Hormones are chemical messengers that play a role in many bodily functions, including reproduction. In both men and women, a delicate balance of hormones is essential for fertility. These hormones control everything from the development of eggs and sperm to the regulation of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Any disruption to this hormonal balance leads to difficulties with conceiving.
Recent studies have explored how glyphosate interferes with this delicate hormonal balance, particularly in men. Research published in Science of the Total Environment has shown that glyphosate affects the production of testosterone, a key male hormone, in specialized cells called Leydig cells.1,2
These studies suggest that glyphosate disrupts the normal function of these cells, impacting their ability to produce testosterone. Imagine a factory that produces a certain product; if a part of the machinery breaks down, the production of that product will be affected. Similarly, glyphosate interferes with the “machinery” within Leydig cells, affecting testosterone production.
More specifically, glyphosate has been shown to inhibit StAR expression via NR1D1 and drive autophagy-dependent ferroptosis.3,4
This means that glyphosate interferes with the intricate process of testosterone production in two main ways: first, it disrupts the transport of cholesterol (the building block of testosterone) into the cell’s machinery where testosterone is made, by reducing the activity of a protein called StAR (think of StAR as the delivery truck bringing the raw materials).
This disruption is mediated by another protein called NR1D1, which glyphosate seems to activate, essentially telling the “delivery truck” to stop working. Second, glyphosate triggers a form of programmed cell death called autophagy-dependent ferroptosis.
This is a complex process where the cell begins to break down its own components (autophagy), coupled with iron-related damage to its membranes (ferroptosis), ultimately leading to the destruction of the Leydig cells themselves. So, not only does glyphosate block the production line for testosterone, but it also damages and kills the very cells that are responsible for making it.
The Far-Reaching Effects of Glyphosate on Broader Reproductive Health
Beyond its specific impact on testosterone production in males, research indicates that glyphosate exposure has a wider range of effects on reproductive health for both men and women. A review published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science examined various studies and clinical cases, highlighting links between glyphosate and a range of health issues, including reproductive and developmental problems.5
This review suggests that the effects of glyphosate on the reproductive system are more extensive than initially understood, impacting not only male fertility but also female reproductive function and fetal development during pregnancy. The review explored how glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) act as endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with your body’s hormonal systems.
Occupational exposure to GBHs has been linked to disruptions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a complex system that regulates hormone production and stress response. These disruptions affect steroidogenesis, the process of creating steroid hormones like testosterone and estrogen, and ultimately impact the function of reproductive organs and overall fertility.
While some regulatory bodies have downplayed the direct interaction of glyphosate with estrogen, androgen and thyroid pathways, numerous studies point to its disruptive activity on these hormonal systems. The review also addressed the fact that glyphosate-based herbicides are not just glyphosate but a mixture of substances.
These mixtures include metabolites of glyphosate, such as (aminomethyl)phosphonic acid (AMPA), and other ingredients like polyoxyethyleneamine (POEA) and even trace amounts of heavy metals. These additional components have their own toxic effects, exacerbating the harm caused by glyphosate itself.
The review highlights the difficulty in assessing the full impact of these herbicides due to the varying compositions of different commercial formulations and the lack of full disclosure of ingredients due to commercial confidentiality.
When hormone levels are thrown off balance by substances like glyphosate, it triggers a cascade of negative effects on reproductive health. In men, disruptions in testosterone lead to decreased sperm count, reduced sperm motility (the ability of sperm to swim) and other issues that directly affect fertility.
In women, hormonal imbalances disrupt the menstrual cycle, making it harder to conceive, and also increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as miscarriage or preterm birth.
The review also mentioned that glyphosate causes changes in the uterus and ovaries, and affects the development of the mammary glands in both males and females. These findings underscore the complex ways in which glyphosate impacts reproductive health beyond just affecting testosterone levels in men.
Steps to Protect Your Fertility from Glyphosate
An overwhelming 81.2% of the U.S. population aged 6 and older has detectable levels of glyphosate in their urine.6 So, it’s wise to take precautions against glyphosate exposure, especially when it comes to something as important as fertility and reproductive health.
Beyond fertility, glyphosate is linked to many other health conditions as well. For instance, glyphosate exposure is linked to increased neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s-like pathology in mice, suggesting a detrimental impact on brain health.7 Glyphosate is also a primary cause of chronic kidney disease.
Significant bioaccumulation of glyphosate has been documented in the kidney, an organ with known susceptibility to glyphosate. Further, glyphosate-induced kidney toxicity has been linked to disturbances in the expression of genes associated with fibrosis, necrosis and mitochondrial membrane dysfunction.8 Glyphosate also damages your gut microbiome and increases intestinal permeability.
One way to reduce glyphosate exposure is through dietary choices. Glyphosate residues are found in many foods, including genetically engineered (GE) crops and non-GE grains, such as oats, as it’s used as a desiccant, or drying agent, to speed up harvesting of non-GE grains and legumes.
As a result, popular foods among children, like breakfast cereal and oatmeal, are among the most glyphosate-contaminated foods on the market, and could be driving up exposures in this vulnerable population. You can help to prompt change by reaching out to the companies that make your food. Let them know that you prefer foods without glyphosate residues — and are prepared to switch brands if necessary to find them.
Choosing organic foods, which are grown without synthetic herbicides like glyphosate, helps minimize exposure through food. Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially if they are not organic, also helps remove some pesticide residues. It’s also important to filter your drinking water with a system certified to remove glyphosate while minimizing environmental exposure.
Avoid using glyphosate-containing products in your garden or around your home and encourage those in your community to do the same.
Embracing Nature’s Solutions for Healthy Food and People
The reliance on chemical herbicides like glyphosate raises important questions about the long-term health of our environment and ourselves. A growing movement is advocating for a shift toward more sustainable and nature-based farming practices. This shift focuses on working with nature, rather than against it, to create a healthier and more balanced food system. This approach, often called regenerative agriculture, offers a promising path forward.
Regenerative agriculture emphasizes practices that rebuild soil health, enhance biodiversity and improve water management.
These practices include techniques like cover cropping (planting crops to protect and enrich the soil), no-till farming (avoiding plowing to preserve soil structure), crop rotation (planting different crops in sequence to improve soil fertility and reduce pests) and integrating livestock into farming systems (using grazing animals to naturally fertilize and manage land).
These methods not only reduce the need for synthetic herbicides like glyphosate but also offer a multitude of other benefits. By focusing on soil health, regenerative agriculture creates a more resilient and productive farming system. Healthy soil acts like a sponge, retaining water more effectively and reducing the risk of erosion. It also sequesters carbon from the atmosphere.
Further, diverse ecosystems within regenerative farms support beneficial insects and other organisms that naturally control pests, further reducing the need for chemical interventions. Moving toward regenerative agriculture requires a shift in mindset and support for farmers who are transitioning to these practices. Consumers play a role in this transition by choosing to support farms and businesses that prioritize regenerative agriculture.
By purchasing products from these sources, you create a market demand for sustainably produced food, encouraging more farmers to adopt these environmentally and health-conscious methods. This shift offers not only a way to reduce our reliance on harmful chemicals like glyphosate but also to create a more sustainable and healthy food system for generations to come.
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