Artículo de Rivka Seeman

Chronic health conditions such as diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome are increasing dramatically. Children are getting sick more often and what we often think of as lifestyle diseases are showing up earlier and earlier. While the types and amounts of food eaten are important factors, chemicals sprayed onto their food can also play a significant role.

Moms Across America was founded as one Mom’s answer to a food system that was making her children sick.

Evidence is mounting against glyphosate, the main ingredient in RoundUp herbicide, as a contributing factor to many widespread diseases. In 2018, a jury awarded school groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, $289 million in a suit brought against Monsanto alleging that the company’s RoundUp herbicide caused his cancer. Though the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has not accepted that glyphosate is a carcinogen, many studies suggest otherwise. New information is now coming out about glyphosate’s possible role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetes, and metabolic syndrome - particularly when exposure to glyphosate occurs during gestation, infancy, and early childhood.

The new study reported in Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol 131, No.3, on marzo 1, 2023, “Association of Lifetime exposure to Glyphosate and Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA) with Liver Inflammation and Metabolic Syndrome at Young Adulthood: Findings from the CHAMACOS Study,” is a longitudinal study that followed farm worker families and measured the glyphosate in urine samples over time from the mother’s pregnancy until the child was 18 years old. The study concludes that “glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide worldwide, and AMPA, a degradation product of glyphosate and amino-phosphonates, may increase risk of liver inflammation and/or cardiometabolic disease in young adulthood.

As reported in the UC San Diego Health Sciences blog, “Herbicide May Increase Incidence of Liver Cancer, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease,” the first documented correlation between liver disease and glyphosate was reported in 2019 by Paul J. Mills, Ph.d., professor at The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, one of the 12 authors of the latest study.

The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children has doubled over the past 20 years. Although a silent disease that tends not to cause symptoms in its early stages, it can lead to devastating liver damage such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer as these children get older. A fatty liver will not perform its job well of filtering toxins out of the blood. Dr. Ramirez writes in Fatty Liver Disease is On the Rise, that while there is no medication that can reverse fatty liver, the condition can be reversed with exercise and a healthy diet. Eventually, doctors may recommend an organic diet free of glyphosate.

While the latest study focuses on farm workers, all children are at increased risk of glyphosate exposure through the food they eat. According to the CDC, glyphosate residue was found in 80% of urine samples of adults and children that were tested. “Cancer-causing herbicide found in 80% of US urine samples” by Cailey Gleeson - Tuesday, julio 12, 2022.

Take Action: Eliminating glyphosate from all of your family’s meals can be overwhelming. Start slow, but start. If you have a baby or child, start switching to organic foods, especially cereals. Foods with a non-GMO symbol are a step up from unlabeled genetically modified foods but they can still be sprayed with glyphosate. Cheerios has tested high for glyphosate residue and does not belong on a child’s menu. Buy organic (or grow your own) as much as possible. Remember, organic is always non-GMO. If you’re pregnant or nursing a baby, remember that your baby is eating what you’re eating. Now may be the time to spend a little more on food and less on something else if you have the flexibility in your budget. You can learn more about glyphosate and how to avoid it at Moms Across America-Glyphosate Free Shopping.