Complementary and Alternative Medicine Advice – Avoid using Roundup Weedkiller!
Roundup is one of the most popular weedkillers used in many home gardens and is sold in over a hundred and fifty countries. It was introduced by Monsanto in 1974 as an effective weedkiller.
It is advertised and sold as one of the most effective a water- soluble herbicide and sales keep growing. Its main active ingredients are Glyphosate 18%, Diquat 0.73%
Practitioners of Alternative Medicine have thought often warned that Roundup can cause cancer as Glyphosphatecarcinogenic i.e. cancer- causing agent.
Farmers in many countries continue to use Roundup and cheaper forms of Glyphosphate. Roundup is found in all gardening stores in Australia and is used extensively in many home gardens but the public has little knowledge of its potential carcinogenic effects.
Research studies
It follows that most effective herbicides and insecticides are toxic to any biological system. A recent study by Samsel et al in 2015 revealed that Roundup depletes Manganese levels in plants and Samsel went on to explain that this may explain the recent increase in incidence of multiple neurological diseases such as autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety disorder, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, renal lithiasis, osteomalacia, cholestasis, thyroid dysfunction, and infertility.
Of more concern was that Samsel previously proposed that glyphosate, is the most important causal factor in the growing incidence of Celiac. He concluded, ‘Celiac disease patients have an increased risk to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which has also been implicated in glyphosate exposure. Reproductive issues associated with celiac disease, such as infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects, can also be explained by glyphosate. Glyphosate residues in wheat and other crops are likely increasing recently due to the growing practice of crop desiccation just prior to the harvest. We argue that the practice of “ripening” sugar cane with glyphosate may explain the recent surge in kidney failure among agricultural workers in Central America. We conclude with a plea to governments to reconsider policies regarding the safety of glyphosate residues in foods’.
Other research evidence that supports the stance that many Complementary Medicine practitioners have taken against the use of Roundup comes from Mesnage (2015) research study which demonstrated that the ultra-low, the environmental dose of Glyphosphate based herbicide can result in liver and kidney damage in animals and this can have significant health implications for human populations.
These findings along with a previous study by Koller (2012) that showed that inhalation may cause DNA damage.
Californian authorities lead the way
While the manufacturers continue to defend its use, many states in the US have serious concerns about the use of Roundup with California requiring Roundup to come with a label warning that it’s known to cause cancer. In addition, 1 million people in the European Union have signed a petition demanding that the EU bans Roundup.
It is time that FDA, TGA and governments around the world take the appropriate action and at the very least make the public aware of the dangers of ‘Roundup’.