One of the most potentially harmful aspects of genetically-modified crops, or GMOs, are that such crops are often engineered to be resistant to specific herbicides or pesticides. A farmer therefore can spray an herbicide to kill weeds, while the GM crop plant survives. But it means that the plant now has herbicide residues in it. Or it may contain its own built-in pesticide such as Bt toxin, expressed by the plant because the gene for this pest-resistant compound has been spliced into the plant’s genetic code. So GMO crops pose a double-whammy: the crop itself with new genetically-programmed components, especially proteins, coupled with an herbicide or pesticide.
Glyphosate is the most widely applied herbicide in the world, in part because GM corn and soy have been engineered to be glyphosate-resistant. So much glysphosate is being used in modern agriculture that EcoWatch tallied up a total of 2.6 billion pounds having been sprayed on crops in the 20 years between 1992 and 2012. And use of this herbicide has increased since those figures were published. Glyphosate is also used as an herbicide and dessicant in other agricultural applications outside of GM crops, though grains and soy carry the highest levels of glyphosate residues. If livestock such as cows and chickens are fed glyphosate-containing feed, glyphosate residues can be found in meat, eggs, and dairy products. And, to make matters even worse, glyphosate, because of its widespread, high-volume application, is now found in drinking water throughout the U.S.
And, given the bulk of animal and human data, there is no remaining doubt: glyphosate is carcinogenic, increasing risk for non-Hodgkin’s lympnhoma, B-cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, in particular. The Seralini study that showed a dramatic increase in breast cancer from glyphosate is also worrisome. (This was the study that was mysteriously retracted by the publishing journal without explanation after threats were made by agribusiness, but has since been rereleased.) But there’s more to the glyphosate story.
There is growing suspicion that glyphosate can act as an antimicrobial or antibiotic. (Monsanto even has a patent for glyphosate as an antimicrobial.) Animal model data demonstrate that glyphosate selectively kills beneficial bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus badius, Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Lactobacillus species, while allowing the proliferation of undesirable, even disease-causing, species such as Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella gallinarum, Salmonella typhimurium, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum.
Lactic acid producing bacteria that have beneficial effects, such as lactobacilli, lactococci, and enterococci, generate bacteriocins, or factors that suppress growth of undesirable bacterial species. Specifically, the bacteriocins produced by lactic acid producing bacteria help keep Clostridium species at bay, such as C. difficile that often emerges after antibiotics are prescribed. (Farmers in Europe are even seeing an increase in botulism in livestock due to emergence of Clostridium botulinum that is suspected to be due to glyphosate.) This selective effect of glyphosate, killing off lactic acid producing bacteria while leaving undesirable species untouched, may be one of the ways by which humans develop dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, SIBO, that can cause abdominal distress, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, the intestinal “leakiness” that adds to risk for autuoimmune diseases, and neurological conditions.
In food, glyphosate persists for extended periods, is not removed by rinsing with water, and is resistant to cooking temperatures. Some forms of processing can even concentrate glyphosate residues, such as processing of wheat bran. There are limited data on the concentration of glyphosate in food, but the UK government has performed some studies in wheat products:
By eating food or drinking water that contains glyphosate, you are therefore exposed to at least some of these effects, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. In a nutshell, the problems with glyphosate can be summarized as:
- Glyphosate residues in crops, especially grains and soy, and in drinking water in some regions, are at levels too high for human health.
- Glyphosate may act as a selective antibiotic in the human gut, killing off beneficial bowel flora species, while encouraging proliferation of pathogenic species.
- Glyphosate acts as an antimicrobial in the soil, accelerating the deterioration of topsoil, a major problem for agriculture and a phenomenon that has essentially undone every civilization ever since the advent of agriculture.
Some irresponsible authors have claimed that the only problem with wheat is its content of glyphosate which, of course, is nonsense. If that were true, all the problems of wheat would disappear just by choosing organic wheat products. It means that there would be no high blood sugars, no weight gain, no acid reflux, no bowel urgency, no cerebellar ataxia, no behavioral/emotional effects, no iron deficiency anemia, no celiac disease if you just choose organic wheat—absolutely not the case. But glyphosate is indeed yet another aspect of the wheat and grain issue for humans. And it may be one of the crucial reasons that underlies the epidemic of disrupted bowel flora. Glyphosate is something you need to avoid in order to begin the path back to restoration of healthy bowel flora.
There are similar issues with Bt toxin, found most abundantly in corn and soy. Unlike glyphosate that is sprayed on the crop with only residues persisting in the final food product, Bt toxin is present in food because it has been made part of the plant itself, not just a residue. There is increasing suspicion that Bt toxin, contrary to Monsanto’s assurances and the lax review made by the EPA, USDA, and FDA, has effects on the immune system, potentially heightening phenomena associated with conditions such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as allergic reactions. Although Monsanto claims that Bt toxin is “natural,” the actual forms used in agriculture are not natural, but include a variety of synthetic forms that have increased potential for adverse human health effects. Shockingly, there are virtually no studies—nor did regulatory agencies request them—examining the effects of Bt toxin on the microbiome, though some critics have asked regulatory agencies such as the European Food Safety Authority to demand that such studies be done.
You can see that, by following the Wheat Belly lifestyle in which we reject all wheat, corn, soy, and grains, you have dramatically reduced exposure to GM-associated foods and chemicals. This is a big first step in taking back control over your microbiome.
Aleksandra LM
October 29, 2018 at 2:49 pmHello, to Bob Niland and Stuart. It doesn’t let me comnent under the post from 4 weeks ago. Sorry for reacting so late but i had really hectic weeks.
re: «Ferritin — was at 131 is at 139 ug/L — a cosmetic change.» range 13-150
I didn’t have any ither markers done
re: «Folate — from 12,6 o 21,3 nmol/L — a bit more up.» range: 8,83 -60,8
re: «Triglycerides — was 1.0 — to 0.97» range 0-1,7
That appears to map to 86 mg/dL, which is above program target of 60. Again, any on-going weight loss makes it an unreliable marker.
re: «HDL — from 1,87 to 1.88» (0,9-4)
Is that mmol/L? Yes it is.
re: «Thyroid panel»
Thyroid panel:
THS – was 2,54 to 1,16 mIU/L (0,27-4,3)
FT4 – was 16,9 is 16,8 pmol/L (12-23
FT3 – was 4,6 is 4,38 pmol/L (3,1-6,8)
T4 – was 69.9 is 64.6 kIU/L
(0-34) (according to that GP that analysed my labs that’s slightly below the norm… _ but not really concerning cause the other ones are good)
Antithyiroidperoxidase antibodidies – was 9.0 is 9.00 kIU/L (0-34)
Antithyiroglobuli antibodies was at 10.0 and remained at 10.0 kU/L (0-115)
I was taking those kelp pills, 3 a day when I remembered… should I continue?
re: «Vitamin D — was at 45.1 and shot up to 104.0…» nmol/L and the range 50-100
Need UoM again, plus confirmation that its’ 25OH-D3, and not 1,25 Di.
It is 25 hydroxy vitamin.
Tu Stuart:
Yes, i copied the units correctly
And my 270,0 pmol/L doesn’t look satisfactory indeed consudering the range is 250-569. No, I haven’t had homocysteine checked
I shall continue supplementation then. The question is how much should i take… 1000mcg a day or more? I followed Bob’s advice of taking 4800 IU of vitsmin d3 and it worked. Probably if i went for a stsndard dose of it the results wouldn’t have been so impressive.
Bob Niland
October 29, 2018 at 4:21 pmAleksandra LM wrote: «It doesn’t let me comnent under the post from 4 weeks ago.»
Comments under blog articles close 14 days after the article posts. For anyone not a forum member, post under any open thread, as you did. Inner Circle members can post to the forum, of course, where discussions remain open indefinitely.
re: «Sorry for reacting so late but i had really hectic weeks.»
No problem. I might also add that posting more than one link in a comment (as you did to Stuart) throws it into moderation, and it can take days to get released. Had you posted it last week, it probably would have been in mod until yesterday.
I have no further insight on the lipids, as the question of weight loss status is still open.
TSH is in program range. fT3 and fT4 are both in the lower half of the RRs, which makes them low on program guidance. The thyroid antibodies are both in range, so that suggests that the explanation is not an autoimmune thyroid condition, which is encouraging. Having a reverse T3 would provide more clarity. I’m going to assume that you weren’t taking any biotin, or if so, discontinued it at least 48 hours pre-test.
re: «I was taking those kelp pills, 3 a day when I remembered… should I continue?»
How long had you been taking kelp (and how many mcg/day)? If you had been supplementing to program recommendation, for several months pre-test, then we can probably rule out iodine deficiency as the explanation for the low fT3&fT4. A low dose desiccated thyroid (T3+T4) might be needed. If all you can get without a battle is levothyroxine (T4 only), it just might work (checking TSH, fT3 & fT4 to dial-it in).
re: «Vitamin D — was at 45.1 and shot up to 104.0… nmol/L and the range 50-100»
Program target for 25OH-D3 maps to 150-180 nmol/L, suggesting that yours needs to come up more.
re: «Probably if i went for a stsndard dose of it the results wouldn’t have been so impressive.»
RDA for D3 can be expected to do almost nothing for 25OH-D3 titer.
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Aleksandra LM
October 30, 2018 at 5:59 pmIodine wad in 150 (this strange lettwt that i seem not to have on my keyboard + g). Was taking 3 whenever i remembered which was probably 2 out of 4 months.
Bob Niland
October 30, 2018 at 7:44 pmAleksandra LM wrote: «Iodine wad in 150…»
150 µg/day? (mcg/day)
If so, that’s RDA in most places, and is just enough to prevent gout. Wheat Belly program guidance may be found here.
re: «…this strange lettwt that i seem not to have on my keyboard + g)»
I don’t either. I enter it as HTML named entity µ
The WordPress engine converts it to the native micro character µ (Unicode U+00B5).
re: «Was taking 3 whenever i remembered which was probably 2 out of 4 months.»
That leaves me wondering if you are getting 150 or 450 µg/day. A consistent intake of 450 would tend to rule out any role for iodine deficiency in a thyroid ailment.
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Aleksandra LM
October 31, 2018 at 2:21 pmOk. Looks like i have to take more than meagre 450 of iodine then.
I will have to get some kind of organizer and an app to help me stay on track. I’ve already said i suck at taking supplements.
Bob Niland
October 31, 2018 at 3:13 pmAleksandra LM wrote: «Looks like i have to take more than meagre 450 of iodine then.»
If the 450 is 450 micrograms, it’s nearly within the range that Dr. Davis suggests (and possibly is in range if you consume much seafood). If your dosing units are 150µg, one or two more per day would do the trick. And, you need to be consistent about it.
re: «I’ve already said i suck at taking supplements.»
It can be a challenge, and can be made even more complicated if taking things that must be separated in time. Pill organizers can be useful. Iodine, at least, doesn’t have any timing considerations.
Although the WB/Undoctored program is pared down to the minimum supplements necessary, it’s still a fair number for most people. I don’t see this getting any simpler soon, for a variety of reasons.
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Stuart
October 31, 2018 at 7:45 pmBob Niland wrote: “Although the WB/Undoctored program is pared down to the minimum supplements necessary”
Is there a list of those anywhere?
Bob Niland
October 31, 2018 at 9:28 pmStuart wrote: «Is there a list of those [minimum supplements necessary] anywhere?»
WB Blog: Nutritional supplements in the wake of wheat elimination.
There are specific public articles on the Inner Circle for each, linked from the [topics] item in my signature block on that site (under Forum Stickies).
I took a wider look a few years ago for my own purposes. This isn’t entirely up to date.
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Aleksandra LM
October 29, 2018 at 3:36 pmA question tu Stuart then. Which of these methylated forms of b6 and folic acid do you recommend?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_5?k=b6+pyridoxal+phosphate&sprefix=b6+py&crid=HE0F1UTWKPHU
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_6?k=folate+l-methylfolate&sprefix=folate&crid=JIXZI8G5UV5F
Stuart
October 30, 2018 at 11:08 amHi Aleksandra, I don’t have experience with any of those brands as I’m in Australia and they’re not available locally. Having said that here’s my take on the subject:
You only need to take B6, B9 (folate) and B12 if you’re not getting enough via diet. As far as I am aware there aren’t tests easily available for B6 and B9 here in Oz. I’m assuming you’re in the UK, so they may not be available under the NHS. An alternative is to use your homocysteine level as a proxy, so get it tested before you start supplementation. Bredesen says you want it under 6 mmol/L.
If you’re body can adequately methylate the B6 & folic acid there’s no need to take the methyl form. This will depend on whether or not you have the ApoE4 gene, but you’d need a DNA test ($$$) to be sure. My strategy is to look at the homocysteine level before and after supplementing. If after 3 months of supplementing you haven’t got your Hc where you want it, switch to the methylated form. Bredesen cites a patient whose Hc only dropped from 16 to 11 after 3 months of supplementing, then went to 7 after taking the methylated forms.
Lacking an analytical laboratory, I assume that if the package says it has X units of substance Y then it does unless I know different, especially if it is made by a reputable company. I don’t believe that any one company’s Vit X is any different from the competition: most of these firms buy the active ingredient in bulk from one of a handful of major manufacturers and package it. Also there is often a lot of contract manufacture especially if it’s not a major seller for that brand. Here in Oz the Therapeutic Goods Administration closed down the largest contract manufacturer in the country, Pan Pharmaceuticals, in a fit of bureaucratic excess (and had to pay out millions after being found to have acted illegally but still denies they got it wrong). The list of recalled products covered practically every brand in the country, including a few products for even the largest brands.
A lot of the products in the Amazon search are “combination” products eg B6 with magnesium. I prefer to use single nutrient supplements (eg B6 only) as this gives me control over what I’m taking and doesn’t involve taking other things I may not want. Also I’ve found that frequently the combo products are low on the ingredient you want and high on the cheaper stuff you don’t need eg 25IU Vit D plus calcium when you really need 5000IU of D and calcium is plentiful in the diet. Or the supplement is in the wrong form eg in a lot of magnesium supplements the Mg is mostly in the form of cheap mag oxide which is poorly absorbed (or not at all!) when what you need is a chelated form eg Mg citrate. So read labels carefully.
In manufacturing the active ingredient is a very small component of the total cost of the product so it’s almost always cheaper to buy the largest dose that will give you what you need in one pill. Bredesen recommends (pages 176-177 of his book) starting with 20 to 50mg of P5P, 1mg of methyl-B12 and 0.8mg of methyl-folate. (He says you can go as high as 5mg of the folate?) If after 3 months it hasn’t dropped to 6mmol/L he says to add 500mg of glycine betaine (also called trimethylglycine).
Re your B12 levels I found this conversion site for pmol/L to pg/ml
http://www.endmemo.com/medical/unitconvert/Vitamin_B12.php
Your 270 pmol/L converts to 366pg/ml which is just over the level thought to prevent dementia. To be safe I’d want to be up at Bredesen’s recommended level of 500pg/ml which translates to 370pmol/L so I’d up my B12 dose.
Aleksandra LM
October 30, 2018 at 6:08 pmThanks.
Will have to study the labels then.
Currently i’m not covered by NHS. Have to go privately. And the provider seems not to have any homocysteine tests.
As a carnivore who doesn’t miss the occasion to eat a steak or any other animal products i find my levels of b13 really strangely low. The supplement of b12 i have now is i the form of methyl… the previous one i was taking in summer was a combo of various Bs and folic acid… perhsps thats why these levels didn’t really rise
Stuart
October 30, 2018 at 8:56 pmAleksandra wrote: “the provider seems not to have any homocysteine tests.”
Another example of where conventional medicine ignores the bleeding obvious when it comes to the science. See the article here
https://www.lifeextension.com/Magazine/2015/5/Newly-Identified-Risks-Of-Excess-Homocysteine/Page-01
Although Life Extension are in the business of selling supplements they do at least reference their claims to the scientific literature so you can make up your own mind.
Have you enquired about paying for the Hc test yourself, if not in the UK then maybe you can send the sample to another European country? LE quote $US54 for the test but it’s only available in the US. If you really can’t get tested I’d just take the methylated forms of the B vitamins plus the 500mg of betaine and hope for the best. Since I read that the B vitamins work in concert I’d also take a B-50 tablet as well.
Regarding your B12 status, absorption of B12 is highly complicated and depends on stomach acid and secretion of “intrinsic factor”, and you may have poor absorption even if the diet is adequate. So if you’re taking antacids or Protein Pump Inhibitors for acid reflux they interfere with absorption of B12 and other nutrients. One solution in the short term may be to use injectable B12 to get your levels up to where you want them. It’s impossible to overdose on B12 and the injectable form is available without prescription, at least here in Australia not sure about UK. (However the pharmacist may not be happy supplying syringes and needles unless he/she knows you) The injection is subcutaneous not into a vein so it’s easy to do yourself. Just fill the syringe, swab a spot on your abdomen with an alcohol tissue and throw the syringe at the spot like a dart from a few inches away. The needle is very fine so you barely feel it. Press the plunger and you’re done.
BTW I read on Malcolm Kendrick’s blog that in the UK the lower limit for B12 is considered “adequate” at 200pg/ml, whereas in Germany or Japan that would be considered severely deficient. Apparently the UK medical establishment (and in US & Aus too) are quite happy for you to lose your hearing, your sight and your brain. If you anticipate resistance from your doctor re your targeted B12 levels you might like to take along the relevant pages from Dr K’s blog and Bredesen’s book.
Aleksandra LM
October 31, 2018 at 2:30 pmI’m not on any meds. I only have some reflux if i go to town with seasoning. But even then i don’t take anything for it.
I’d sooner go for some herbal teas or whatever like this.
I make labs at thriva.co.uk from.what i see they are a fairly new company and don’t do all possible tests yet. It may change if people demand. They have already added a Full Blood Count, fasting insulin and crp to the offer. I bet if peple keep on asking for specific tests, the offer will broaden in the near future.