The results of a new scientific study on the effects of gyphosate* on the nervous system reveal a link between the use of Round-Up weedkiller (which contains glyphosate as the primary active ingredient) and convulsions in animals.
.
Study overview
The study results revealed that glyphosate and Roundup® increased seizure-like behavior in soil-dwelling roundworms and provides significant evidence that glyphosate targets GABA-A receptors. These communication points are essential for locomotion and are heavily involved in regulating sleep and mood in humans. It is important to note that the scientific study was conducted using significantly less levels of the weedkiller than recommended by the EPA and far less than the amount used in past studies. A significant finding from this study reveals that just 0.002 percent glyphosate**, a difference of about 300 times less herbicide than the lowest concentration recommended for consumer use, had concerning effects on the nervous system.
The study found that the active ingredient glyphosate exacerbated convulsions in soil-dwelling roundworms (C. elegans) and suggest the GABA-A receptor as a neurological target for the observed physiological changes. The data also indicate that there is an important distinction between exposure to glyphosate and Roundup®, with Roundup® exposure increasing the percentage of C. elegans that did not recover from seizure activity. The non-recovery phenotype and prolonged convulsions in C. elegans from this study have helped to set a foundation for understanding nuanced physiological effects of herbicide that occur at concentrations exponentially below neurotoxic levels. The takeaway: roundworms undergo convulsions under thermal stress, and the data strongly implicates glyphosate and Roundup® exposure in exacerbating convulsive effects.
–
Other implications
The findings linking glyphosate/Roundup weedkiller to disruptions in the nervous system and neurotransmission provides evidence to further investigate how chronic exposure and accumulation of glyphosate in the body*** may lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy and other seizure disorders in humans.
–
*Glyphosate-resistant crops account for almost 80 percent of transgenic crop cultivated land, which has resulted in an estimated 6.1 billion kilos of glyphosate sprayed across the world from 2005 to 2014. Roundup® is used at both industrial and consumer levels, and its use is projected to dramatically increase over the coming years. (source)
–
**The concentration listed for best results on the Roundup® Super Concentrate label is 0.98 percent glyphosate, which is about 5 tablespoons of Roundup® in 1 gallon of water.
–
***A recent report by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found more than 80 percent of urine samples from children and adults in the U.S. contained the herbicide glyphosate.
Journal reference: Naraine, A., et al. Roundup and glyphosate’s impact on GABA to elicit extended proconvulsant behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans, Scientific Reports, Volume 12, Article number: 13655 (August 2022). Study | Overview DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17537-w
DG
Chemical Free Life 