Facts Condemn Glyphosate- Are You Willing to Listen?

Ever watch a dog chase it’s tail? It’s a lot like the argument against glyphosate evidence.

But before you even start reading, ask yourself the following question: Am I really open to the fact that glyphosate is not “harmless”? Be honest. If the answer is no, then stop reading and go do something more productive for yourself. If the answer is yes, then file these golden nuggets away.

If you are reading this and asking yourself, what it is glyphosate?, check out our article, Glyphosate | Make America Great Again and Stop Spraying and then keep reading.

If you’ve already joined the anti-glyphosate club, you’ve been hearing the same old regurgitated argument from proponents of glyphosate, affectionately called “Proglyphs”, that reminds me of a parrot repeating the same sentence over and over:

“Correlation does not equal causation. Correlation does not equal causation. Correlation does not equal causation.”

This sentence gets under your skin.

Know What Correlation and Causation Are

It’s more than annoying at this point. Not just because we’ve heard it over and over, but because it’s clear that people who make this argument don’t seem to understand what causality is.

• Correlation: how similarly 2 things tend to increase or decrease together (expressed in a chart, graph, table, etc.)
• Causation: capacity of 1 thing to influence 2nd thing (expressed with argument for WHY and/or HOW something happens)

A positive correlation is an observation that two things happen at a similar rate, however these two things may or may not happen for entirely unrelated reasons. In the case of cigarettes, the Surgeon General wrote his 1964 report based primarily on the overwhelming correlative evidence, drawing a full porta potty of strong criticism from statisticians (i.e., Ronald Fisher who created much of the modern foundations for statistical science).

Showing causation: proglyphs stepping in their own poo

One way of showing causation is to have a randomized, controlled experiment. Such experiments are a highly desirable when they can be done, but it’s not always practical. For example, doing such a test with cigarettes and humans would probably be illegal today. The second and much more common way is to make an argument for the process by which something happens. With glyphosate, the second approach is by far the most realistic – testing the toxicity of a substance on a large human population is ridiculous, and yet Proglyphs are constantly calling for such a test. 

Proglyphs argue that the graphs and statistical data only show a correlation between glyphosate and the sudden rise in disease, but do not prove causation. Therefore, spray away. While such data is a correlation, they make two fatal pitfalls by doing this. In other words, they step in their own poo.

1. The sense is that they are completely dismissing the strong corelative data because it is a correlation (a terrible fallacy)
2. There are hundreds of studies explaining why and how glyphosate acts toxicity in our system (just see this repository of glypohsate and related studies in Europe from the last two years alone)

It’s enough to make you feel like Proglyphs don’t quite understand what causation is:

• To have causation, you need to know why one thing influences a second thing.

As said, there are extremely compelling arguments that explain how glyphosate works and why it’s deadly. The mechanisms are obvious. Glyphosate disrupts essential amino acid synthesis in our gut microflora, leading to a latrine of toxic side effects (like, death) [1]. 

So let’s look at some causal factors and other considerations that condemn glyphosate and make Proglyphs look rather senseless.

Empirical evidence that glyphosate is toxic

Before we nail the lid on the coffin, let’s look at correlation one more time. If you are already familiar with glyphosate, chances are you have seen these graphs, which come from this sweeping empirical study [2]:

Last Next

This is the kind of data that Proglyphs love to look at because, despite the overwhelming similarity on dozens of data comparisons, Proglyphs use them as a golden opportunity to say you-know-what.

For example, take the age related deaths due to intestinal infection above. The correlation is unsettling. Okay, but there certainly could be other factors. Correlation does not equal causation.

Let’s take another graph. Thyroid cancer. Also has unsettling correlations. Okay, there could be other factors. Correlation does not equal causation.

Then a third graph. Liver cancer. More unsettling visuals. Correlation does not equal-

Then a fourth graph. Renal failure. Correlation does not-

Then a fifth graph. Then a sixth. Then an seventh. Then an eighth. The list goes on and on. Understand where we’re going with this?

• How much does it take?

How many strong correlations does it take? Imagine the feeling you would have if you observed a man dump gallons of gasoline all over school house, and then pull a cigarette lighter out of his pocket while bystanders watching this activity just look at him with blank stares and mumble in unison, “Correlation does not equal causation.”

If it were only a few graphs, then that is a different conversation. But we are talking about extremely strong correlations with dozens of graphs: all graphs spike within the same time period that mirrors exactly the spike in glyphosate usage (1996). Instead of “correlation” a much better way to say it is: a logical conclusion.

The fact is that some people just want to dig their heels in and bury their head in the sand, and no amount of correlation or research is enough. It won’t be until the FDA finally says, Well, uh, actually, it seems that, uh, all of that independent research and data was, uh, actually correct, that these people wake up and smell the glyphofarts. 

Shikimate Pathway, your gut bacteria, and glyphorea

Let’s look at some more condemning factors. This is where people who eructate the correlation does not equal causation argument start to look pretty dense. Correlating factors are found in empirical evidence. The Shikimate Pathway shows why this correlation exists.

If you have read our longer overview article about glyphosate, how it works, and why it’s harmful, this graphic will look familiar. Here how the Shikimate Pathway works:

The Shikimate Pathway interferes with the ability for some strains of bacteria to survive.  Imbalances in gut flora wreak havoc on our system due to toxins and immune responses. The chemistry involved is extremely complex – for more information see this article discussing the biochemistry of glyphosate as a pathway to disease [3].

So, what kinds of gnarly gut-flora related toxins are we talking about? Here’s the general beat on what we know:

• We know that gut flora microorganisms of animals (i.e., poultry) are affected strongly by glyphosate [4]. 
• We know that strains of negative gut flora (i.e., endotoxin producing bacteria) in our bodies are highly resistant to glyphosate, while many beneficial gut flora (i.e., Lactobacillus) are moderately/highly susceptible to glyphosate [4, 5, 6].
• We know that failure to clear endotoxins is deadly for our thyroid, deadly for our kidneys, is a causal factor in Autism, IBS, liver disease, cancer, candida (mold) infections and a number of other brain-related health problems [7, 8, 9, 10].http://www.microbialinfluence.com/Brain.html 
• We know that our body’s response to endotoxins is an inflammatory response; chronic inflammation plays a major role in just about every major disease [11].
• We know that the types of disease we are seeing a strong correlators spike in are the same diseases caused by endotoxins [12].
• And we also know that glyphosate greatly disturbs the critical interactions of cells, proteins, and essential compounds that are the building blocks of our health (i.e., manganese, glyoxalase, methionine, the list goes on and on) [3].  

Willing to Offer Children as Glyphosate Guinea Pig? 

For Proglyphs out there: if you wouldn’t call these causal factors, what would you call them?

The long story short is that we have a good idea- biochemically – why glyphosate causes disease not only in humans but also in the animals and plants that we share the planet with. Even still, Proglyphs will say that because the research showing the toxicity of glyphosate is performed on chickens and rats and cows and pigs and goats and other mammals, it doesn’t prove anything. Show us the proof in homo-sapiens.

Well, how don’t the graphs prove what the biochemical research shows us? To the people who want even more proof: Are you willing to be the guinea pig or offer your children up as glypho-guinea pigs?

We thought not.

Thank you for reading! Your path to enhanced cellular wellness starts here!

Health Disclaimer: It is recommended the reader of this site consult with a qualified health care provider of their choice when using any information obtained from this site, affiliate sites and other online websites and blogs. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.

references

[1] Anthony Samsel, Stephanie Seneff. Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases. Entropy. 2013;15(4):1416-1463.

[2] Nancy L. Swanson, Andre Leu, Jon Abrahamson, Bradley Wallet. Genetically engineered crops, glyphosate and the deterioration of health in the United States of America. Journal of Organic Systems. 2014;9(2).

[3] Anthony Samsel, Stephanie Seneff. Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases IV: cancer and related pathologies. Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry. 2015 January;15(3):121-159.

[4] Shehata AA, Schrödl W, Aldin AA, Hafez HM, Krüger M. The effect of glyphosate on potential pathogens and beneficial members of poultry microbiota in vitro. Curr Microbiol. 2013 Apr;66(4):350-8.

[5] Mezzatesta ML, Gona F, Stefani S. Enterobacter cloacae complex: clinical impact and emerging antibiotic resistance. Future Microbiol. 2012 Jul;7(7):887-902.

[6] Ouided Benslama, Abderrahmane Boulahrouf. Isolation and characterization of glyphosate-degrading bacteria from different soils of Algeria . African Journal of Microbiology Research . 2013 December;7(49):5587-5595.

[7] Nakatani Y, Fukui H, Kitano H, Nagamoto I, Tsujimoto T, Kuriyama S, Kikuchi E, Hoppou K, Tsujii T. Endotoxin clearance and its relation to hepatic and renal disturbances in rats with liver cirrhosis. Liver. 2001 Feb;21(1):64-70.

[8] Akasaka S, Nomura M, Nishii H, Fujimoto N, Ueta Y, Tsutsui M, Shimokawa H, Yanagihara N, Matsumoto T. The hypothalamo-pituitary axis responses to lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia in mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase. Brain Res. 2006 May 17;1089(1):1-9.

[9] Li G1, Ma R, Xu Y. Protective effects of triptolide on the lipopolysaccharide-mediated degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2006 Aug;26(8):715-8.

[10] Vallières N, Berard JL, David S, Lacroix S. Systemic injections of lipopolysaccharide accelerates myelin phagocytosis during Wallerian degeneration in the injured mouse spinal cord. Glia. 2006 Jan 1;53(1):103-13.

[11] Howcroft TK, Campisi J, Louis GB, Smith MT, Wise B, Wyss-Coray T, Augustine AD, McElhaney JE, Kohanski R, Sierra F. The role of inflammation in age-related disease. Aging. 2013 Jan;5(1):84-93.

[12] Jill A. Poole MD. Farming-Associated Environmental Exposures and Atopic Diseases. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2012 Aug; 109(2): 93–98.

 

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