Roundup Weedkiller Linked to Fatal Kidney Disease Epidemic

Posted on Feb 26 2014 - 4:43pm by Sustainable Pulse

The mystery of what is causing thousands to die each year from a fatal kidney disease may now be solved, with evidence pointing to the world’s most heavily used herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) as the primary culprit.

Source: GreenMedInfo, Posted on:  Tuesday, February 25th, Written By: Sayer Ji

Find Full Study Here: www.gmoevidence.com/dr-jayasumana-roundup-has-destroyed-renal-tissues-of-thousands-of-farmers/

A new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health proposes a link between the herbicide known as Roundup (aka glyphosate) and a series of mysterious epidemics of fatal chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) affecting several poor farming regions around the world.

The extent of the health problem is so massive that the Center for Public Integrity found that CKDu has killed more people in El Salvador and Nicaragua than diabetes, AIDS and leukemia combined, over the past 5 years on record.

Titled, “Glyphosate, Hard Water and Nephrotoxic Metals: Are They the Culprits Behind the Epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology in Sri Lanka?” researchers hypothesized that while glyphosate is toxic, it alone is not capable of destroying kidney tissue on the scale recently observed in rice paddy regions of Northern Sri Lanka, or in El Salvador where it is the second leading cause of death among men. They propose glyphosate becomes extremely toxic to the kidney when it mixes with ‘hard’ water or heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium, either naturally present in the soil or added externally through fertilizer inputs. Hard water contains ‘metals,’ such as calcium, magnesium, strontium and iron, along with carbonate, bicarbonate, sulphate and chlorides.

The new hypothesis explains a number of observations connected with the disease, including why in afflicted regions like Sri Lanka there has been a strong association between the consumption of hard water and the occurrence of this special kidney disease, with 96% of CKDu patients having consumed hard or very hard water for at least five years.

The discovery of a ‘new disease’

According to the study, a “Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown etiology (CKDu)” was discovered among the rice paddy farms in Northern Central Province of Sri Lanka in the mid-1990s. The condition spread quickly to other farming areas, and now afflicts 15% of working age people in the northern part of the country, or a total population of 400,000 patients with an estimated death toll of around 20,000.

Watch the videos “Mystery in the Fields” and “Cycle of Death for 5 minute documentaries providing additional background information on afflicted areas around the world.

CKDu does not carry the same known risk factors as chronic kidney disease, which include diabetes, high blood pressure and glomerular nephritis, an inflammatory kidney condition.

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Health introduced criteria for CKDu in 2009, including:

1. No past history of, or current treatment for diabetes mellitus or chronic and/or severe hypertension, snake bites, urological disease of known etiology or glomerulonephritis.

2. Normal glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1C ˂ 6.5%).

3. Blood pressure ˂160/100 mmHg untreated or ˂140/90 mmHg on up to two 
antihypertensive agents.

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3 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Gilberto Guerra February 28, 2014 at 07:31 - Reply

    It is apparent that America is not a leader in alleviating world hunger but is a leader in world genocide through corporate, capitalist greed. This must change, unless every American wants the blood of the world poor on their hands for lack of action against the activities of heartless, abusive corporations.

  2. Russ March 2, 2014 at 11:47 - Reply

    The same symptoms, occurring in separate hemispheres, with only these factors in common – that rules out any kind of local cause.

    This is just one example of a highly toxic combined effect of an agricultural poison and a second factor. Such combinations are never considered or tested for in the regulatory process, and are ideologically denied by cartel and regulators alike.

    That in turn is just one of the several ways in which we have proof that the regulatory process is inimical to the health of the people and environment. The impending TTIP/TPP intend to coordinate these regulators for far more aggressive action against us.

    They’re systematically and intentionally poisoning humanity and the earth. Will we do anything about it?

  3. Maggie Barrington March 10, 2014 at 20:12 - Reply

    What no one has done so far is to recognize that CKDu will NOT remain in only the heavy/standing water crop fields – in foreign countries. The combination of glyphosate and fertilizer is being used in virtually ALL of the farming communities in the United States, except for (for now) organic farms. This toxic combination is daily soaking into the grounds of the millions of farm fields – and gradually into ALL of our underground AQUIFERS: the water we give our livestock, our beloved pets, cook with, bathe in, make our tea and coffee and drink our medically-recommended eight glasses a day, fill the glasses for our families, our infants, and for ourselves to drink. This is not a far-fetched, histrionic, hypothetical possibility. It is the Future, unless we collectively revolt to save our very lives NOW, while we still have the ability to speak.

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