Glyphosate Exposure Linked to Severe Depression and Cognitive Decline in American Adults

Posted on Aug 29 2023 - 2:28am by Sustainable Pulse

A new peer-reviewed study released by a group of scientists in Taiwan has revealed an astonishingly strong link between severe depression, cognitive decline and exposure to the world’s most used herbicide, glyphosate.

The study was fully published last Tuesday in the highly respected Elsevier Journal, Environmental Research, and was met with silence by the manufacturers of glyphosate-based herbicides such as Bayer/Monsanto, who produce the infamous weedkiller Roundup.

The study authors stated that they: “conducted analyses on existing data collected from 1532 adults of the 2013–2014 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to explore the possible relationship between glyphosate exposure and cognitive function, depressive symptoms, disability, and neurological medical conditions.”

“Our study used a cohort representative of the U.S. adult general population and found a significant negative correlation between urinary glyphosate levels and cognitive function test scores. Additionally, our findings suggest that the odds of having severe depressive symptoms were significantly higher than having no symptoms in individuals with higher glyphosate levels, as measured by the PHQ-9,” the scientists continued.

The NHANES is a biennial nationwide survey that recruits a representative sample of the population. The study population had a mean age (SD) of 48.15 (18.32) years and a mean BMI (SD) of 29.15 (7.25) kg/m2. The majority of participants were women (51.5%), while the most common ethnicity was non-Hispanic white (47.1%). Regarding socioeconomic status, 53.7% of participants reported a household income of ≥ $45,000 per year. Additionally, 37.2% of participants had a body mass index of ≥30 kg/m2. The proportion of individuals with detectable levels of glyphosate was 80.4%.

“Because many of the key neurological system questionnaires used to assess neurological function in NHANES are only available to adults, we restricted our study population to those 18 years of age or older,” the scientists added.

“In conclusion, our study provides important evidence of an association between urinary glyphosate levels and adverse neurological outcomes in a representative cohort of U.S. adult population. Specifically, we observed lower cognitive function scores, greater odds of severe depressive symptoms, and increased risk of serious hearing difficulty in individuals with higher glyphosate exposure,” the scientists concluded.

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Industry has not conducted any long-term neurotoxicity studies on Roundup, the substance that people and animals are actually exposed to. Some other recent independent studies however suggest that both glyphosate alone and glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup are neurotoxins.

A toxicological study on rats found that glyphosate depleted the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in our bodies that transmit signals from one brain cell to another.

An epidemiological study carried out in Minnesota, USA found that the children of pesticide applicators exposed to glyphosate herbicides had an increased incidence of neurobehavioral disorders, including ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The finding suggested that glyphosate herbicide impacts neurological development.

In a study by Argentine researchers, glyphosate was found to injure rat brain and liver cells. Glyphosate was more toxic in combination with the fungicide zineb and the systemic insecticide dimethoate than on its own. These three chemicals are often used in combination in Argentina. The researchers commented that their results were consistent with the possibility that these chemicals play a role in the development of the neurological disorder Parkinson’s disease

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Sustainable Pulse is a global news outlet covering sustainable agriculture, GMOs and pesticides.

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

  1. David August 29, 2023 at 17:20 - Reply

    Excellent article expanding our knowledge of the toxic effects
    of the herbicide glyphosate. and Roundup which contains glyphosate..
    Bayer the owners of glyphosate agreed to pay 100,000
    people $10 billion who claimed the herbcide caused their cancer. But that isn’t the end of the matter a further 20,000 and growing are also claiming they were harmed by
    glyphosate. How many more will come forward, difficult to say.
    However as the results of these settlements became known, some of 150 countries around the world who used glyphosate are banning it’s use and it seems likely that peoples in those countries who have been harmed will take legal action against Bayer as well.

  2. Val G August 29, 2023 at 20:15 - Reply

    I have been waiting since 1996 for this reliable informational study to be made public. Why? Because Lorie’s husband died within 24 hours of a massive Glyphosate exposure, leaving her and their 5 children devastated, and only able to vacate their family farm for safety and security.
    Thank you for having the courage and good sense to release this vital information. Please keep up the good work.

  3. SteveR August 31, 2023 at 20:26 - Reply

    How can we limit our exposure?

  4. Janet Nash September 3, 2023 at 15:38 - Reply

    Eat organic foods only especially any grains, sugars, seeds oils, and legume products, which are harvested using glyphosate dessication. Just eat all certified organic food to be sure, or better yet, grow your own….turn you entire lawn into a giant hugelkultur bed! Grow herbs and greens in pots if you must. RESIST!

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