If you’re a Lotus of Life Chiropractic participant, you already know your health is dependent upon the state of your “terrain”. That means sickness is not simply the result of exposure to a pathogen. Sickness happens when pathogens find an ideal environment in which to reproduce unimpeded within bodies. To live in peace with the multitude of microbes incessantly in, on, and all around us, we need to maintain homeostasis of our own bodies, or terrain.
One of the key disruptions to our terrain is a high concentration of environmental toxins. While humans are well-equipped to eliminate toxic substances every day, it is certainly possible to overwhelm the system! Too many potentially toxic chemicals finding their way into every aspect of daily lives is causing chronic toxicity that can lead to disease. Of course we all know the old adage “the poison’s in the dose”, so let’s take a look at one toxic chemical we’re all exposed to in extremely high doses: glyphosate.
Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is the most widely used herbicide in the world. Its residues are found in water and soil. It’s sprayed along roadsides, sidewalks, parks and playgrounds, gardens, and on school grounds. A new animal study by a group of European researchers has found that low levels of the weed killing chemical glyphosate and the glyphosate-based Roundup product can alter the composition of the gut microbiome in ways that may be linked to adverse health outcomes. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015 said a review of scientific research found ample evidence that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen. Bayer has lost three out of three trials brought by people who blame their cancers on exposure to Monsanto’s herbicides, and Bayer last year said it would pay roughly $11 billion to settle more than 100,000 similar claims. There is so much evidence this chemical is harmful that many countries have banned its use. Still, in the US, millions of pounds of glyphosate are dumped on our crops annually, causing it to seep into the soil and the water, and show up in the foods we’re eating.
Keeping your terrain happy and healthy now will include avoiding glyphosate as best you can! In doing so, you’ll avoid a lot of other environmental toxins by default. This is because in order to decrease your daily intake of glyphosate you’ll need to do at least some of the following:
- Drink and bathe in filtered/purified water
- Choose organic foods as often as possible
- Look for the Non-GMO label on foods that come in bags or boxes
- Consider an annual or semi-annual detox diet, led by your trusted healthcare practitioner