Glyphosate damages gut health across three generations in mice, even at “safe” doses
By isabelle // 2025-10-02
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  • A new study links prenatal glyphosate exposure to lasting gut and metabolic harm.
  • These negative health effects persisted across multiple generations of mice.
  • The damage occurred at exposure levels the EPA currently deems safe for humans.
  • Glyphosate is suspected of causing harm by altering the gut microbiome.
  • The findings add to existing concerns about glyphosate's link to serious diseases.
A shocking new study has revealed that prenatal exposure to the world’s most common herbicide can damage gut health, disrupt metabolism, and alter behavior, with these harmful effects persisting across multiple generations. The research, set for publication on November 1 in Science of the Total Environment, was conducted by scientists at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta. It found that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, caused these issues in mice at doses far below what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently deems safe for humans. This is not an isolated alarm but the latest in a mountain of evidence exposing glyphosate as a significant threat to public health. For years, corporate giants like Monsanto have fought to conceal the dangers of their blockbuster chemical, but independent science continues to break through the deception, revealing a trail of damage to our pets, our food, and now, our children’s future.

A legacy of harm

The researchers provided pregnant mice with drinking water containing glyphosate at two levels: one modeling the average American’s dietary exposure and another matching the EPA’s official safety limit. The results were horrifying. The offspring of exposed mice showed gut inflammation, insulin resistance, and imbalances in key appetite hormones. They were less active, moved more slowly, and exhibited weaker memory. Critically, these changes were not confined to the first generation. The grandchildren of the exposed mice also suffered from chronic gut inflammation and damage, demonstrating a transgenerational effect. The study suggests the herbicide wreaks havoc by reconstituting the gut microbiome. Researchers noted an increase in gut bacteria linked to depression, Parkinson’s disease, and metabolic disorders. The chemical also disrupted vital gut-brain signaling and thinned the protective mucus barrier of the colon, making it easier for toxins to leak into the bloodstream. “These results show that while the gut microbiome remains largely stable, prenatal glyphosate exposure reconfigures it in ways that may promote inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and neuroimmune disruption,” the researchers stated. This new evidence dovetails with what health advocates have warned for years. Jeffrey Smith has highlighted damning internal memos from Monsanto. In one, the company’s own scientist, Donna Farmer, admitted they could not say Roundup doesn’t cause cancer because the research hadn’t been done. She also conceded that deaths in studies might be dose-related and that the surfactant used with glyphosate could potentially lead to tumors. The World Health Organization has classified glyphosate as a class 2A carcinogen, a finding that agribusiness has aggressively fought. This new mouse study adds a terrifying dimension to the crisis, showing that the damage from this chemical may not be immediate but can echo through generations, impacting people who were never directly exposed. The implications for human health are profound. A recent review article has already associated glyphosate with gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. The finding that it disrupts hormones is consistent with other research showing glyphosate is a potent endocrine disruptor that can drastically reduce testosterone production. The study concludes that the appearance of effects in grandchildren suggests a transgenerational impact, potentially through epigenetic changes. The researchers cautioned that effects appearing at very low doses suggest glyphosate may not follow a simple “higher dose equals greater harm” pattern, meaning traditional safety tests are likely failing to protect the public. “These findings suggest that prenatal glyphosate exposure, even below regulatory thresholds, may disrupt multiple physiological systems across generations,” they wrote. It is a sobering reality that the food supply is saturated with a chemical that can silently undermine the health of future generations. The system, corrupted by corporate lobbying and influence, has failed to act. As this science emerges, it becomes a personal responsibility for every family to seek out clean, non-GMO, organic food to protect themselves from a regulatory regime that refuses to do its job. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org USRTK.org EcoWatch.com
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