Glyphosate (RoundUp) and Horses; What You Need To Know
Glyphosate intolerance is a common problem among people and pets today. We’ve all heard, “Is it the wheat or the Glyphosate?”. In most cases, Glyphosate is the culprit when it comes to food allergies. As an example, many who cannot properly digest conventional wheat, can easily digest organic wheat. Why is this? And how does this information pertain to our horses?
Glyphosate, the main ingredient in RoundUp, is a registered antibiotic, pesticide, carcinogen and chelator (strips the body of critical vitamins and minerals). It can disrupt a normal pH, negatively impact the gut microbiome and lead to an an overall compromised immune system. This is especially true in the case of GMO’s, which are heavily contaminated with Glyphosate, as they’re designed to blow up the intestinal tract of bugs, instantly killing them. It can do the same to us and our pets, it’s just a slower process... IBS, IBD, Crohn’s, Colitis, Lymphangectasia, etc.
Glyphosate can perforate the gut wall, creating breaks in the tight junctions of the intestinal tract, negatively impacting nutrient absorption, creating inflammation, allowing rogue molecules and pathogens to cross into the bloodstream and spread systemically, leading to allergies and other illnesses. It can destroy the integrity of the blood brain barrier, paving the way for neurological issues and CNS disorders. It can also replace critical amino acid glycine with itself, severely interrupting protein synthesis and creating a long list of health conditions and diseases.
Dr. Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist with MIT, has done extensive research on Glyphosate and has presentations available on YouTube if you’re interested in learning more.. which we highly recommend!
Glyphosate is not listed as an ingredient in food/feed, grains or supplements, but it is found in GMO’s, conventional crops (i.e., wheat) and vaccines. So we need to become increasingly aware of where it lurks, be well versed in GMO crops and crops that are commonly sprayed with Glyphosate. Glyphosate seems to be everywhere these days, which is part of why we are so passionate about sourcing certified organic foods in efforts to avoid it.
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It is commonly used on: hay, oats, rice, wheat, barley, corn, beets, soybeans, alfalfa, peas, carrots, sunflower seeds, peppermint, wild rice, mustard, pumpkins, squash, rye, flax, chickpeas, beans, molasses, sweet potatoes, canola, hops, sugarcane and more.
How many of you recognize these crops from your horses feed bag or supplement ingredient list? You can call the manufacturer and ask if the product is GMO-free or tested for Glyphosate residue, but if there isn’t a seal for non-GMO, USDA organic certification or organic ingredients called out in the product facts, odds are these ingredients are GMO and/or Glyphosate laden. Unless it’s organic, there’s a chance Glyphosate was used on that crop.
It’s important for us to be our horses’ advocates and be on the look out for Glyphosate in order to best protect their health. It can be a very long and expensive process to restore the gut and immune system once it’s been compromised, so being proactive is key! Once consumer demand is high enough for non-GMO and organic, and we all vote with our dollars (don’t purchase products containing GMO’s/Glyphosate contamination), only then will we see a change in the pet food industry offering safer feed and supplements for our equines and other pets.
