The relationship between herbicides & oxalate problems

Glyphosate (Round Up) is a widely used herbicide implicated in many health issues, including oxalate sensitivity. It's a great reason to eat chemical free or organic.

how do herbicides cause oxalate sensitivity?

1. Gut microbiota disruption

   1. Glyphosate's antimicrobial properties can cause an imbalance in gut microbiota, favouring the growth of harmful bacteria and reducing beneficial ones that metabolise oxalates

   2. Oxalobacter formigenes plays a crucial role in breaking down oxalates in the gut, which glyphosate can lower, leading to less oxalate degradation and greater absorption
      

2. Mineral chelation

   1. Glyphosate chelates (binds) to essential minerals like magnesium and calcium, reducing their availability. These bind oxalates in the gut to form insoluble compounds that are excreted. Reduced availability can increase oxalate absorption and endogenous (the body's own) production

      1. It also chelates zinc and manganese, crucial for enzymatic functions involved in detoxifying oxalates
         

3. Shikimate pathway inhibition

   1. Glyphosate inhibits this in plants and bacteria, which is necessary for the synthesis of the amino acids tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine. Although humans don't have this pathway, our gut bacteria do, and disrupting it can affect our overall amino acid balance and metabolism, including of oxalates
      

4. Intestinal permeability

   1. Glyphosate increases leaky gut, allowing larger molecules, including oxalates, into the bloodstream and leading to higher systemic oxalate levels

   2. This can also lead to inflammation, which further disrupts nutrient absorption and metabolic processes related to oxalate management
      

5. Liver detoxification

   1. The liver is crucial for detoxifying oxalates. Glyphosate exposure can impact liver function, potentially reducing its efficiency

   2. Liver function disruption can also alter the metabolism of precursors to oxalate, increasing endogenous oxalate production

Addressing glyphosate exposure and its impacts on gut health, nutrient absorption and metabolic function is crucial for managing oxalate-related health problems