Non-Cancerous Health Issues Linked to Round-Up

The agricultural behemoth Monsanto invented the glyphosate-based herbicide known as RoundUp and began to market it to the public in 1974 after Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was almost universally banned. In the late 1990s the use of Roundup skyrocketed, thanks to Monsanto’s clever marketing strategy in which genetically engineered seeds were used to grow food crops that could easily withstand high doses of Roundup. With the introduction of these genetically engineered seeds, farmers could now effectively control weeds on their corn, cotton, soy, sugar beets, canola, and alfalfa crops. The crops would now thrive while the surrounding weeds were eradicated by the dangerous herbicide.

After more than 30 years of ever-increasing exposure, scientists have been documenting the negative health consequences of having glyphosate put into our food, into the water we drink, and into the air we breathe. Anxious to increase their already substantial profits by selling more of its flagship, Monsanto also urged farmers to use the herbicide as a desiccant. This means it would also be used to dry out their crops so they could harvest them sooner. As a result, Roundup is now regularly sprayed directly on an ever-widening range of non genetically modified crops, including wheat, oats, barley, canola, peas, flax, lentils, dry beans, soybeans, and sugar cane. Studies conducted over the years have shown that people who come down with certain ailments, more often than not, have higher levels of glyphosate in their systems than their healthier counterparts. Scientists have also been tracking health problems which have demonstrated links to glyphosate levels in humans. By now we are all familiar with RoundUp’s strong tie-in to cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but scientists have uncovered some other health issues that could potentially be brought on by exposure to glyphosate.

• ADHD: In farming communities, there is a strong correlation proven between Roundup exposure and attention deficit disorder due to glyphosate’s ability to disrupt thyroid hormone functions
• Alzheimer’s disease: It has been shown in laboratory studies that Roundup induces the same type of oxidative stress and neural cell death observed in Alzheimer’s disease. This stress affects CaMKII, an enzyme whose dysregulation has also been linked to the disease
• Chronic kidney disease: Steady growth in the use of glyphosate could explain the recent growth in kidney failure among agricultural workers in Central America, India, and Sri Lanka. Scientists have concluded, “Although glyphosate alone does not cause an epidemic of chronic kidney disease, it seems to have acquired the ability to destroy the renal tissues of thousands of farmers when it forms complexes with [hard water] and nephrotoxic metals.”
• Depression: Glyphosate disrupts all of the chemical processes that affect the production of serotonin. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that controls mood, regulates appetite and promotes sleep. Serotonin impairment has been linked to depression.

Filing a legal claim for damages related to any health issue that has been caused by glyphosate can be both terrifying and frustrating. You will most likely need to hire a qualified, reputable personal injury lawyer for your legal representation. Your attorney can help review the facts of your case and can help determine what your next steps should be. We here at the Brady Law Group do not shy away from difficult or complicated cases and we go to any required lengths to protect the rights of our clients. If you would like a free consultation regarding a Roundup lawsuit that you believe you may have, please reach out to our law firm by calling (866) 211-2562 as soon as possible.