Increased Childhood Illnesses Linked to Herbicide Exposure

Increased Childhood Illnesses Linked To Exposure to Herbicides

Increased Childhood Illnesses Linked To Exposure to Herbicides.

An increase in chronic illness in children is being linked to the increased sub lethal exposure to herbicides in food. [1]

Glyphosate based herbicides have now become the most commonly used pesticide around the world. They are heavily used on GE crops developed to survive them. The latest research shows the sub lethal exposure to glyphosate is likely to be a cause of cancer, autism and a growing antibiotic resistance in humans.

“When these herbicides were limited to the control of weeds along verges there was little contact with food," said Claire Bleakley, president of GE-Free NZ.

“Over the last ten years our food is being laced with a toxic cocktail of pesticides and we are seeing the regulators sitting back and ignoring the growing evidence"

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the EPA regulators have never assessed the final herbicide formulations used in GE crops or the field. Over the last fifteen years, they have never required long term studies on the sub lethal doses of these formulations in GE foods and constantly rely on Industry data for safety.

Studies published in the last week [1] [2] [3] raise further ongoing serious concerns over the severe depletion of minerals in foods that are engineered to be resistant to the glyphosate-based herbicide RoundUp and the possibility that sub lethal glyphosate doses are causing antibiotic resistance [2] and the world Health Organisation has re re categorised glyphosate as Group 2A probablycarcinogenic to humans [3].

The glyphosate based herbicides chelate (lock up) vital minerals like manganese that are essential for hormonal function, mental stability and digestion. Reproductive enzymes are impaired, and digestive problems like leaky gut or irritable bowel lead to impaired digestive function. There is also increased anxiety and neurological disease.

Dr. Michelle Perro - in her 30 years work as a paediatrician in the USA, observed the dramatic decline in children's health. She believes we need a new toolkit to deal with children’s illness.

There is compelling evidence that gut disorders, (which include leaky gut and a reduced microbiome), are a leading contributor to weaker immune systems, and the increase in autoimmune disease and a host of other problems we are seeing.

Zen Honeycutt - An American mother of three young boys, one who suffered from life threatening allergies, started "Moms across America" an awareness movement for change. Zen has connected with thousands of mums that have seen a level of illness unprecedented in their families.

Dr. Michael Antoniou is a scientist and academic who is head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London School of Medicine. He has found that todays environment is affecting our children’s health, and that the causes cannot be just blamed on genetics. He has stated that:

“Given its increasing wide-scale use and consequent rise in exposure, we urgently call for greater research efforts on the toxicology of glyphosate and its commercial herbicide formulations, as well as pesticide neurodevelopmental effects in general. Furthermore, pesticide combinatorial (additive or synergistic) effects remain a poorly investigated subject and area of concern that needs to be addressed. Such studies are particularly relevant to the brain since it is physiologically dependent on neurosteroids, making it potentially very sensitive to endocrine disruptive compounds”

These speakers will be talking in Hamilton, Tauranga and Auckland this weekend. [4]

“Our food could be the cause of much chronic illness and our growing dependence on medicines in an over stretched health system. We as parents need to take control of the food we eat and learn how we can affect change in our own lives, and those of our children," said Claire Bleakley.

[1] Samsel A, Seneff S. Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases III: Manganese, neurological diseases, and associated pathologies. Surg Neurol Int 2015;6:45. http://www.surgicalneurologyint.com/text.asp?2015/6/1/45/153876

[2] Kurenbach B, Marjoshi D, Amábile-Cuevas CF, Ferguson GC, Godsoe W, Gibson P, Heinemann JA. 2015. Sublethal exposure to commercial formulations of the herbicides dicamba, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and glyphosate cause changes in antibiotic susceptibility in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, mBio 6(2):e00009-15. doi:10.1128/mBio.00009-15. http://mbio.asm.org/content/6/2/e00009-15.full.pdf

[3] http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Glyphosate_Probably_Carcinogenic_to_Humans.php

[4] https://www.facebook.com/childrenfoodandhealth

ENDS

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