No one would willingly (at least we hope not) put a drop of weed killer in their glass of water… but as it turns out, a lot of drinking water in the U.S. (and around the world) contains detectable levels of glyphosate, the most commonly used weed killer in the world.
And that could have a devastating impact on one of the most important aspects of human health: your gut microbiome, where trillions of bacteria reside and perform life-sustaining functions.
Quick Answer: Glyphosate is the most widely used weed killer in the world, and testing has found detectable, low-level amounts in much of the U.S. drinking water supply and in many common foods. Because glyphosate runs off into groundwater, streams, and wells, and drifts on the wind, small amounts add up across everything you drink and eat. The concern for gut health is that glyphosate has antibiotic-like properties that can affect beneficial gut bacteria, which may throw the microbiome out of balance and contribute to occasional digestive issues. A high-quality spore-based probiotic is studied for its ability to help restore and maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut.
How Does Weed Killer End Up in Drinking Water?
Glyphosate reaches drinking water through run-off and rain that carry it into groundwater, streams, aquifers, and wells. It can also drift on the wind when sprayed on crops, lawns, and golf courses, landing in nearby reservoirs and bodies of water.
How does weed killer end up in drinking water?
First, glyphosate (the main chemical in many weed-killing formulas) makes its way from run-off or rain into groundwater. From there it flows into streams, aquifers, and drinking water wells. At the same time, when this weed killer is sprayed onto crops, golf courses and lawns, winds and breezes can blow it into nearby bodies of water, including any nearby reservoirs.
Is Glyphosate in My Drinking Water?
Independent and government testing has found glyphosate in a large share of U.S. water samples and households, usually at very low levels. Because it also shows up in many foods, regular low-level exposure is common for most people.
Is my water effected?
U.S. Geological Survey researchers reported that weed killer was found in most of the water samples they tested in nine Midwestern states. The scientists measured levels of glyphosate and another substance called AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) – one of the byproducts that remains as glyphosate breaks down. While glyphosate was found in 36% of the water samples, AMPA was found in 69% of them.
There’s also further evidence that this toxic, weed-killing chemical is making its way into our drinking water. For example, localized testing in a few water facilities in Florida and Louisiana uncovered higher-than-expected levels of glyphosate, some even higher than the EPA’s official Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).
On top of that, independent testing commissioned by Moms Across America (MAA) (a nonprofit group dedicated to raising awareness about GMOs and environmental toxins) found that 70% of households in the U.S. had detectable levels of glyphosate in their drinking water! Their research also found that Americans had 10 times more glyphosate in their urine than Europeans.
Now, all of this research (from the U.S. Geological Society, state facilities, and MAA) found very low levels of glyphosate and AMPA in the water. But when you add up all the water you drink, mix into food, and cook food in...that can start to add up.
What’s more, glyphosate has been found in many foods that we eat. And when you put that all together, it’s almost certain you’re regularly ingesting glyphosate.
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How Does Glyphosate Affect the Gut Microbiome?
Glyphosate has antibiotic-like properties, so it can affect beneficial bacteria in the gut while some harmful bacteria resist it. That imbalance may let the bad bacteria outnumber the good and contribute to occasional digestive issues like gas, bloating, and irregularity.
How Glyphosate Harms Your Microbiome
Glyphosate is almost certainly present in your food and drinking water, albeit in miniscule amounts. Still, that means you’ve been ingesting it every day for years – so it’s not too surprising that the constant presence of weed killer (a toxic chemical) could damage your digestive tract.
To make matters worse, glyphosate has been formulated to contain proven, patented antibiotic properties, which means it can kill off beneficial bacteria – like probiotics – in your gut, but it doesn’t kill off harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, which have developed antibiotic resistance (click here to listen to Kiran Krishnan's podcast on antibiotic resistance). That throws your microbiome out of balance, causing the bad bacteria to outnumber the good bacteria, which causes all sorts of uncomfortable occasional GI issues, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gas
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Abdominal pain
- Leaky gut
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How Can Probiotics Help Protect Your Gut From Glyphosate?
Supplementing with a high-quality spore-based probiotic can help restore healthy populations of good bacteria and keep the microbiome in balance. Spore strains are studied for surviving digestion and arriving in the gut alive, where they help good bacteria gain the edge.
Probiotics Help Neutralize The Threat to Your Gut
Luckily, supplementing with a high quality probiotic like Just Thrive Probiotic can recondition the health of your microbiome and help to restore healthy populations of good bacteria, which will keep your microbiome in healthy balance.
Packed with four high-potency spore-form probiotic strains, Just Thrive Probiotic delivers the probiotic power you need to repair and prevent damage caused by glyphosate, and restore balance to an already overtaxed microbiome.
There four strains are:
- Bacillus Indicus HU36 is the game-changing strain that produces high levels of carotenoids - such as Lycopene, Lutein, Astaxanthin, Zeaxanthin and Beta-Carotene - to promote healing and cell repair.
- Bacillus Subtilis HU58 produces nearly a dozen targeted antibiotics that help knock out and “crime fight” against pathogenic bacteria, including some bacteria that are resistant to pharmaceutical antibiotics.
- Bacillus Clausii is touted for its ability to resist damage from a variety of common antibiotics and harmful bacteria that can cause GI issues, like diarrhea.
- Bacillus Coagulans is widely used to resolve GI disorders and improve digestive health. It offers an expanded effect of controlling intestinal inflammation in addition to its potent immune boosting activity. Coagulans is also a tremendous colonizer and thus assures proper colonization of Just Thrive, which in turn will produce the beneficial effects required. Coagulans also plays a key role in digestion of food and absorption of nutrients.
Unlike most probiotic foods and supplements you’ll find at the store, Just Thrive Probiotic comes with a 100% survivability promise – that’s the superpower of spore-form probiotics.
And every capsule of Just Thrive delivers powerful probiotics that survive the digestive system 100% and arrive 100% alive to your gut… beneficial bacteria that survive, thrive, and effectively colonize the GI system with good guys it needs to stay healthy and strong.
Add Just Thrive to your routine today to keep your microbiome in perfect balance and protect your gut from glyphosate threat.
Frequently Asked Questions About Glyphosate and Gut Health
What is glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the active chemical in many weed-killing formulas and the most widely used herbicide in the world. It is sprayed on crops, lawns, and golf courses, and traces of it have been detected in drinking water and many foods.
Is glyphosate really in drinking water?
Testing by the U.S. Geological Survey and independent groups has found glyphosate in a large share of U.S. water samples and households, generally at low levels. Combined with traces found in food, regular low-level exposure is common.
How does glyphosate affect the gut?
Glyphosate has antibiotic-like properties, so it can affect beneficial gut bacteria while some harmful bacteria resist it. This can throw the microbiome out of balance and is associated with occasional digestive discomfort.
Can probiotics help with glyphosate exposure?
A high-quality probiotic can help restore and maintain healthy populations of good bacteria in the gut. Spore-based strains are studied for surviving digestion and reaching the gut alive, where they support a balanced microbiome.
Why choose a spore-based probiotic?
Spore-based Bacillus probiotics have a protective shell that helps them survive stomach acid and harsh conditions, so more of them reach the gut intact compared with many conventional probiotics. That survivability is why they are studied for restoring gut balance.
