Masters of Health Magazine September 2020 | Page 76

8 Conclusion

I believe that glyphosate is a primary factor in the epidemic we are witnessing today in celiac disease.

Evidence to support this idea derives from many aspects of glyphosate’s observed toxic effects. Glyphosate has been shown to cause gut disbiosis, adversely affecting species, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, that are known to be depleted in association with CD. These species normally assist in breaking down difficult-to-digest gliadin peptides. Undigested gliadin peptides induce calcium release from the ER, which in turn activates internally expressed tTG. Then, tTG mobilizes NF-κB to enter the nucleus and effect gross cellular policy changes that induce an inflammatory response.

If glyphosate can substitute for glycine during protein synthesis, one of the proteins most susceptible to disruption in this way is tTG. Glyphosate substitution can be predicted to interfere with binding to GTP and heparan sulfate, which are crucial for maintaining the enzyme in an inactive state. It is plausible that defective glyphosate-substituted versions of tTG enter the extracellular space and actively modify gliadin peptides to more immunore- active forms, as well as attaching them both to tTG itself and to collagen. This explains antibodies to gliadin, tTG, and collagen that are strongly linked to CD. Furthermore, a nasty feedback loop ensues as the modified gliadin peptides further induce tTG expression.

CD is a risk factor for both kidney failure and cancer, particularly NHL. Glyphosate has also been independently linked to kidney disease and cancer, particularly NHL. It is possible that major disruption of tTG activity and binding properties is the primary common link between CD and these other conditions.

Such disruptions can take place even in the absence of overt CD, causing a larger population to suffer from gluten intolerance. In a broader context, systemic tissue fibrosis, linked to multiple organ failure, may also be traced back to glyphosate’s disruption of tTG.

The good news is that certified organic food is widely available, at least in the United States, and so a simple way to minimize risk of CD is to buy only certified organic food when you shop at the grocery store.

Eat only certified organic food