ZBMD BLOG

Glyphosate + Toxins

Over the last 25 years we have seen the most profound explosion of chronic disease in human history.

By 2011, our Centers of Disease Control (CDC) was reporting 54% of US children with some form of chronic disorder or disease by the age of seventeen.1 (View the study here) These conditions occur in nearly every facet of biology – the hormone and immune systems, the respiratory and neurologic systems, and beyond.

By 2016 the CDC reported 1 in every 14 kids in the US with developmental disabilities, and 1 in 28 boys (1:28) with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (View the study here).2 Attention Deficit disorder found in one in ten (1:10) children.

The epidemic is not at all limited to children. In adults a broad array of conditions have been on a steady rise, from depression and anxiety all the way to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gherig’s disease), Alzheimer’s in women, and Parkinson’s in men.

All on near identical trajectories of increase since 1996.

Research from around the globe now suggests that environmental factors are now contributing a combination of genetic, neurologic, autoimmune, and metabolic injuries that underpin the collapse of health in our children and adults.

As we continue to uncover the intricacies of this eloquent balance between soil, the microbiome, and ourselves, the timeline of our chronic disease epidemic becomes very interesting, and in fact provides a pathway to the recovery toward human health.

It is now estimated that we spray more than 4.5 billion pounds of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) into the soils, plants, and water systems of our planet. And there are now dozens of genetically modified plant species around the world which have allowed chemical companies to develop a seemingly infinite market for their weedkillers. And after “Roundup Ready” crops were introduced in the mid-late 1990’s, this water soluble toxin would subsequently work its way into the water within the grains, fruits, and vegetables, as well as infiltrating the groundwater, slowly making its way into rivers, oceans, our air, and ultimately our rainfall. Not surprisingly, the diseases in our domesticated animals – from pets to livestock – have followed a similar trajectory.

What I’m saying is, we need to stop trying to micromanage the gut. It is important for you to start backing off, to let the carbon redox system (the communication system between the bacteria in the gut) reestablish a healthy balance in the gut.

And we are getting sick. Since the 1990’s…something alarming began to happen in the United States.

Diseases—in what seemed like completely different organ systems—were going epidemic, almost simultaneously

 

  • Dementia in women increased
  • Parkinson’s in men increased
  • Autoimmune diseases hit an all time high
  • Today, 1 in every 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer before they die
  • And 1 in 36 children are now diagnosed with autism, compared to a mere 1 in 5,000 in the 1970’s

Why are so many diseases, in such unrelated parts of the body, increasing at such a rapid rate? What’s the relation?

The connecting factor is chronic inflammation. And chronic inflammation is the root of all disease.

To boot, we spend more time indoors and in routines that completely disconnect us from mother nature. We have lost touch with how our food is grown, who grows it, what we are actually consuming, and how it is reshaping our biology.

This disconnect has made us more prone to chronic illness than ever before.

So where do we go from here?

Our opportunity – as consumers, farmers, businesses, governments, and beyond – is to build a new health reality for humanity, our planet, and all those creatures great and small that create the web of life that we have called home since our origin.

The answer is Regenerative Agriculture. Through fundamental changes in our approach to soil and food system management, we can revitalize this planet by reconnecting the natural carbon cycles that have long maintained balance in our soil, water and air in order for biology to thrive.

IT’S OUR EMPOWERED DUTY TO EDUCATE OURSELVES REGARDING OUR FOOD AND HEALTH, AND SHIFT OUR ROLE IN THE CONSUMPTION OF THIS PLANETS NATURAL RESOURCES.

We can begin to co-create with the farmers and growers of the food we consume.

Without healthy soil, our produce not only will lack nutrients, but it will invite chemicals into our own biology and ecosystem. These chemicals will continue to break down the cornerstone of our health – our immune system – if we let them.

There are also other ways to be proactive about your health. Small changes today can help you strengthen your microbiome, take action to decrease your exposure to pesticides, and increase your connection to mother nature:

GET OUTSIDE

Diversify your exposure to different outdoor environments as much as possible. Seek diversity in your day and breathe in new ecosystems. Your microbiome is an extension of your greater ecosystem that you interact with each day. The more you adventure, the deeper your health will root.

EAT REGENERATIVELY

Food grown using Regenerative Agriculture practices provides the optimal environment for nutrient-rich, healthy food to grow. Seek out farmers and restaurants in your area who use Regenerative practices or source from Regenerative farms, and take a look at your pantry to really determine what is contributing or degrading your microbiome. Our non-profit, Farmers Footprint, has begun publishing a list of regenerative farms in the US that may be a great place to start your journey.

GROW ORGANIC COMMUNITIES

The third largest crop grown in the US, at 40 million acres, is lawn grass. This monoculture grass is fed enormous amounts of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, making our yards, the school yards, soccer fields, parks, and golf courses some of the most toxic acreage in the US. Learn to eliminate all chemical inputs with the Non-Toxic Neighborhoods Project at Farmer’s Footprint (www.farmersfootprint.us)

DIVERSIFY YOUR DIET

When you diversify your diet with nutrient dense organic foods you are strengthening your microbiome. The closer your plate is to the garden the better! Organic CSA and farmers market resources are a go to when your own backyard is not producing. The daily addition of a few bites of wild fermented foods and eating local fruits and vegetables in their appropriate season, and growing your own food are great ways to diversify your inner ecology.

AVOID PROBIOTIC USE

Probiotics represent a very narrow representation of bacterial species that have been grown to many millions of replicates. The daily use of probiotics has been shown to reduce the biodiversity in the gut, especially after antibiotic usage. Your gut is intended to have 20,000 to 30,000 species of bacteria. A typical probiotic has three to seven species. We have created a monoculture of gut flora with the probiotic industry just as chemical farming has created large scale monoculture across our global agricultural landscapes. The global loss of biodiversity is at the root of our health crisis. Rather than probiotics go after the outdoors and eat wild-fermented (rather than probiotic-cultured) foods.

PROTECT YOUR GUT

It’s why we created ION*Biome – to regain the strength of our gut lining after exposure to glyphosate and other chemicals we’re all exposed to on a daily basis. If we’re successful together in ridding our land of chemicals like glyphosate, we put ION*Biome out of business.

JOIN THE REGENERATIVE MOVEMENT

Support Farmer’s Footprint and our mission to regenerate 5 million acres of farmland by 2025. By supporting our cause, you help to support farmers and communities make the transition from chemical dependence to the life-giving practice of regenerative soil management (www.farmersfootprint.us). If you are seeking a more active role in your schools and community consider becoming a Soil Health Advocate through the online certification program at https://kisstheground.com/advocacy/

Soil health is arguably the most important element impacting our health, the health of future generations, and the health of this planet we call home. Join the Regen Revolution.

1. Academic Pediatrics. Volume 11, Issue 3, Supplement, May–June 2011, Pages S22-S33 
2. NCHS Data Brief No. 291, November 2017