Gut health


Have you ever wondered why “suddenly” every one has developed a sensitivity to wheat and gluten? Are all these people just jumping on some new dietary fad? And why is it that this isn't a problem in European countries and other places where wheat is consumed daily?

No doubt you've heard of the herbicide Roundup. It's used extensively in agriculture to kill weeds, but it's also sprayed on crops like wheat right before harvest to help dry it out to get it to market faster. Many other countries don't allow the use of Roundup. The U.S. does, of course.

Glyphosate (Roundup) works by disabling something called the “Shikimate pathway.” This pathway is a seven step metabolic route used by bacteria, fungi, algae, parasites, and plants for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. The active ingredient in glyphosate binds and blocks an enzyme (EPSPS) that converts simple carbs into amino acids, hormones, vitamins, and other essential plant metabolites – ultimately causing the plant to die by starvation.

You're told Roundup is safe for humans because this pathway isn't found in human cells, but consider this: you are ten times more bacteria than you are human cells. Ten times. And guess what? Your gut microbiome -home to your beneficial bacteria- is affected by glyphosate because bacteria utilize the Shikimate pathway.

This is a really important point to consider, because your intestinal bacteria are everything to the state of your health. These bacteria help synthesize vitamins (like B and K,) create anti-inflammatory compounds, stimulate cell growth, repress pathogenic bacterial growth, train your immune system, manufacture hormones which affect fat storage, and help create neurotransmitters.

Oh yeah, and those aromatic amino acids that I mentioned that aren't able to be synthesized...those would be phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. How important are they?

Phenylalanine is a precursor to tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and melanin.

  • Tyrosine synthesis impairment affects the ability to absorb UV light. If you follow anything I write, you know this in itself is a huge problem for many reasons, least of all vitamin D synthesis.
  • In addition, Tyrosine helps with the creation of thyroid hormones.
  • Tyrosine is also a precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine. So no tyrosine, no dopamine. Low dopamine = low motivation, difficulty completing tasks, increased poor concentration, addiction to stimulants, and lethargy. Incidentally, correcting low dopamine is often one of the first things I address when starting with a new client. Otherwise, there is little motivation to actually want to start a program to be healthy.
  • Melanin protects against ionizing UV light. It minimizes the amount of light entering the eye, and a deficiency is associated with cataracts. Melanin is also an antioxidant and has a role in melanoma development.

Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. A deficiency here can have profound effects on mood disorders, depression, carb cravings, dysglycemia, obesity, low self-esteem, obsessive thoughts, compulsive eating disorders, and aggression.

Additionally, glyphosate affects your liver.

  • It lowers methionine, which leads to an inability to detox heavy metals, estrogen (leading to a wide array of hormone related diseases,) and other environmental chemicals.
  • Affects vitamin D activation in the liver and movement disorders associated with demyelination of the spinal cord.
  • Affects bile acid secretion leading to poor fatty acid synthesis and poor cholesterol production. Contrary to popular belief, cholesterol is very important to the body. Without it, you can have imbalanced steroid hormones, increased inflammation, and poor cell membrane synthesis.

Wheat has been cultivated and eaten for 10,000 years. Perhaps wheat isn't the demon it's been made out to be. Instead, perhaps the problem is lurking within the way it's being cultivated now. When you factor in other toxic assaults on the body (including those found in wheat-containing products) – fluoride, chlorine (an antibacterial,) bromine, herbicides, pesticides, food colorings, preservatives, EMFs, blue-light, and heavy metals – it's not hard to see why more and more people seem to be getting sicker and sicker despite following mainstream medical “wisdom.”

There is still much to be learned about the effects of glyphosate on humans, but I want you to answer these questions: are you comfortable with being a lab experiment for the purpose of enriching greedy strangers? Are you okay with letting your children suffer from a lifetime of sickness because it's convenient or cheap?

You are not powerless. You are not helpless. You are not broken.

You are a human being. You deserve to live like one.