Research is mounting that an environmental toxicant,
especially an endocrine-disrupting chemical such as
glyphosate in Roundup, may be involved in increasing rates
of male infertility
Roundup exposure induced cell death in Sertoli cells
(required for male sexual development and sperm health) in
rat testis
The exposure was a low dose (36 parts per million), which is
well within the US Environmental Protection Agency’s food
safety exposure levels
Separate research showed that glyphosate led to severe
oxidative stress in male testes, which leads to the
generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); ROS is linked
to male infertility
By Dr. Mercola
In 2011, Purdue University professor emeritus
Don Huber notified US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack,
with a letter warning that tests show glyphosate, the active
ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, may be contributing
to spontaneous abortions and infertility in pigs, cattle, and
other livestock.
This wasn’t the first time the chemical had been implicated
as a threat to fertility, nor was it the last. Steep declines in
human male sperm counts have been occurring alongside rises in
birth defects of the male reproductive tract, and now new
research suggests increasing exposure to glyphosate and Roundup
may be at least partially to blame.
There’s No Denying Trends in Infertility and Poor Semen Quality
A new report from the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS)
has highlighted what appears to be the perfect storm for an
“infertility time-bomb,” courtesy of Roundup.1
Average sperm counts have dropped by nearly half in the last 50
years, even among men without fertility problems.
Further, ISIS noted, 20 percent of young European men have
sperm counts below the World Health Organization (WHO) reference
level of 20 m/ml, and 40 percent have levels below 40 m/ml,
which is associated with prolonging the time to pregnancy.
Meanwhile, rates of conditions that impact semen quality and
fertility are also on the rise. ISIS noted the following, in
particular:
“Testicular germ cell cancer (TGC), which has been
rising in the last five decades. Congenital malformations of
the male reproductive tract, including undescended testes
and incomplete fusion of the urethral folds that form the
penis. Low testosterone.”
There are, of course, many potential explanations for these
conditions, but, as ISIS noted, it has been proposed that an
environmental toxicant, especially an endocrine-disrupting
chemical such as glyphosate, may be involved. ISIS explained:
“In Europe, incidences of TGC and congenital
reproductive tract malformations have been going up
coincidentally with a downward trend in semen quality and
testosterone levels…
These disorders share common risk factors and are
risk factors for one another. Consequently, it has been
proposed that the conditions collectively may represent a
syndrome -- a testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) -- caused
by a common underlying causal factor, which is either a
change in lifestyle or an environmental toxin, especially
endocrine disrupting chemicals such as pesticides.”
Roundup Linked to Male Infertility Even at Low Doses
Of particular concern is a study published in December 2013,
which revealed that Roundup exposure induced cell death in
Sertoli cells in prepubertal rat testis.2
Sertoli cells are required for male sexual development,
including maintaining the health of sperm cells.
The exposure was a low dose (36 parts per million), which is
well within the US Environmental Protection Agency’s food safety
levels.3
After 30 minutes of exposure, researchers found that Roundup
yielded several disruptions to the cells’ health, including:
Induced oxidative stress
Activated multiple stress-response pathways
Increased intracellular calcium concentration, leading
to calcium overload and cell death
The researchers proposed:
“Roundup toxicity, implicated in Ca(2+) [calcium]
overload, cell signaling misregulation, stress response of
the endoplasmic reticulum, and/or depleted antioxidant
defenses, could contribute to Sertoli cell disruption in
spermatogenesis that could have an impact on male
fertility.”
It’s the latest in a series of studies that have pointed
toward Roundup’s troubling impacts on fertility and reproductive
health. Other studies have similarly found:4
Prepubertal exposure to glyphosate alters testosterone
levels and is a potent endocrine disruptor5
Exposure to concentrations as low as 1 part per million
(ppm) of Roundup and glyphosate decreased testosterone in
rat sperm cells by 35 percent6
Exposure to Roundup may alter the structure of the
testis in ducks, leading researchers to conclude the
herbicide may “cause disorder in the morphophysiology of the
male genital system of animals”7
Is Roundup-Induced Oxidative Stress Harming Sperm?
A separate study published last year further showed that
glyphosate (in combination with another pesticide) led to severe
oxidative stress in male testes.8
This may be a key reason for Roundup’s endocrine-disrupting
effects, as oxidative stress leads to the generation of reactive
oxygen species (ROS). ROS are known to induce DNA damage and
decrease sperm counts, linking them closely with male
infertility. As ISIS reported:
“ROS is so closely linked to male infertility that
infertile males generating high levels of ROS are 7 times
less likely to initiate a pregnancy compared with those with
low levels of ROS. A meta-analysis demonstrated that ROS
levels were significantly correlated with the fertilization
rate in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization.
…[Researchers have] concluded that high ROS is an
independent marker of MFI [male factor infertility],
irrespective of whether these patients have normal or
abnormal semen parameters.”
Roundup May Be Even More Toxic Than Glyphosate
While glyphosate is often blamed for much of Roundup’s
toxicity, Roundup is a glyphosate-based pesticide with
adjuvants. These adjuvants, it turns out, may be toxic in
their own right, as well as may act synergistically with
glyphosate to greatly heighten its damaging effects.
POEA (polyethoxylated tallowamine), a major adjuvant
surfactant in Roundup, has been shown to be cytotoxic (toxic to
cells) at doses far lower than glyphosate itself. Unfortunately,
most regulatory bodies regard POEA as inert, requiring no risk
assessment, even as research suggests otherwise. ISIS reported:
“The major adjuvant POEA in glyphosate Roundup
formulations is by far the most cytotoxic for human cells,
ahead of glyphosate and its metabolite. It also amplifies
the toxic effects of glyphosate…
It is very likely that the primary target of Roundup,
especially its POEA surfactant, is the mitochondria, which
play a key role in the development of sperm cells and sperm
motility. In addition, male infertility could arise from ROS
damages to mitochondrial DNA.”
Glyphosate May Contribute to Numerous Chronic Diseases
Glyphosate has a number of devastating biological effects, so
much so that it may very well be one of the most
important factors in the development of a wide variety of modern
diseases and conditions. According to a peer-reviewed report9
authored by Anthony Samsel, a retired science consultant, and
Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), these detrimental
effects include:
Nutritional deficiencies, as glyphosate immobilizes
certain nutrients and alters the nutritional composition
of the treated crop
Disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids
(these are essential amino acids not produced in your
body that must be supplied via your diet)
Increased toxin exposure (this includes high levels of
glyphosate and formaldehyde in the food itself)
Impairment of sulfate transport and sulfur metabolism;
sulfate deficiency
Systemic toxicity—a side effect of extreme disruption of
microbial function throughout your body; beneficial
microbes in particular, allowing for overgrowth of
pathogens
Gut dysbiosis (imbalances in gut bacteria, inflammation,
leaky gut, and food allergies such as gluten
intolerance)
Enhancement of damaging effects of other food-borne
chemical residues and environmental toxins as a result
of glyphosate shutting down the function of detoxifying
enzymes
Creation of ammonia (a byproduct created when certain
microbes break down glyphosate), which can lead to brain
inflammation associated with autism and Alzheimer’s
disease
REMEMBER -- If You Eat Processed Foods, You’re Eating Glyphosate
You’d be wise to stop using Roundup around your home, where
children and pets can come into contact with it simply by
walking across the area. However, this is only the tip of the
iceberg when it comes to Roundup (and glyphosate) exposure. It's
important to understand that the glyphosate sprayed on
conventional and genetically modified (GM) crops actually become
systemic throughout the plant, so it cannot be washed off. It's
inside the plant. For example,
genetically engineered corn has been found to contain 13 ppm
of glyphosate compared to zero in non-GMO corn. At
13 ppm, GMO
corn contains more than 18 times the “safe” level of
glyphosate set by the EPA. Organ damage in animals has
occurred at levels as low as 0.1 ppm or 130 times the “safe”
human EPA limit.
The vast majority of processed foods sold in the US are made
with GM corn and soy ingredients. So if you consume such foods,
you should know you’re also consuming glyphosate. Tests show
that people in 18 countries across Europe already have
glyphosate in their bodies.10
The answer, of course, is to avoid processed foods of all kinds,
as they’re virtually guaranteed to contain GM ingredients, and
center your diet around whole, organic foods, as toxic
pesticides (and GM ingredients) are not permitted in organic
farming.
Vote with Your Pocketbook, Every Day
The food companies on the left of this graphic spent tens of
millions of dollars in the last two labeling campaigns—in
California and Washington State—to prevent you from
knowing what's in your food. You can even the score by switching
to the brands on the right, all of whom stood behind the I-522
Right to Know campaign. Voting with your pocketbook, at every
meal, matters. It makes a huge difference.
As always, I encourage you to continue educating yourself
about genetically modified foods, and to share what you've
learned with family and friends. Remember, unless a food is
certified organic, you can assume it contains GMO ingredients if
it contains sugar from sugar beet, soy, or corn, or any of their
derivatives.
If you buy processed food, opt for products bearing the USDA
100% Organic label, as organics do not permit GMOs. You can also
print out and use the
Non-GMO Shopping
Guide, created by the Institute for Responsible Technology.
Share it with your friends and family, and post it to your
social networks. Alternatively, download their free iPhone
application, available in the iTunes store. You can find it by
searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications. For more in-depth
information, I highly recommend reading the following two books,
authored by Jeffrey Smith, the executive director of the
Institute for
Responsible Technology:
Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government
Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods
You're Eating
Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health
Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods.
For timely updates,
join the Non-GMO
Project on Facebook, or
follow them on
Twitter. Please, do your homework. Together, we have the
power to stop the chemical technology industry from destroying
our food supply, the future of our children, and the earth as a
whole. All we need is about 5 percent of American shoppers to
simply stop buying genetically engineered foods, and the food
industry would have to reconsider their source of
ingredients—regardless of whether the products bear an actual
GMO label or not.
Copyright 1997- 2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.