Pure Organic Diet Reduces Glyphosate Levels in Body by 70% in Just Six Days
- ketogenicfasting
- 14 hours ago
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A study found that after just six days of eating organic, adults and children had, on average, more than a 70% reduction in levels in the body of a widely used herbicide glyphosate and its breakdown products.
Glyphosate has been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and other adverse health effects. Emerging research has linked glyphosate exposure to:
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, a conclusion later supported by an independent international panel of scientists.
However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to maintain that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a cancer risk to humans when used according to its approved label directions.
Researchers from the Health Research Institute, Commonweal Institute, and Friends of the Earth measured glyphosate and its primary breakdown product AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid), in the urine of participants—adults and children—from geographically and demographically diverse families. Participants followed their usual diet for six days before switching to a "fully organic diet" for another six days. After the switch, glyphosate and AMPA levels declined by an average of more than 70% in both adults and children.
Most of the reduction occurred within just three days of switching to an organic diet. This aligns with animal studies showing that most glyphosate is eliminated from the body within five to seven days, although small amounts may remain in bone and bone marrow, where they are cleared more slowly.
Published in Environmental Research, the study is one of the most comprehensive investigations of how an organic diet affects glyphosate levels in the human body. The findings provide further evidence that dietary choices can significantly reduce exposure to the herbicide, the active ingredient in Bayer's Roundup.
The study also comes amid ongoing litigation involving Roundup. Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has paid 10 billion US dollars to settle thousands of lawsuits alleging that long-term exposure to glyphosate-based Roundup contributed to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
While previous studies have measured glyphosate residues in cereals and other grocery store foods, relatively few have examined how diet influences glyphosate levels in the human body.
"Despite glyphosate's widespread use in agriculture, residential yards, school playgrounds, and city parks around the world, the U.S. government has done remarkably little to understand the extent of our exposure," said Kendra Klein, senior staff scientist at Friends of the Earth and a co-author of the study, in an interview with Environmental Health News.
Glyphosate use has increased dramatically since 1996, when the first genetically modified “Roundup Ready” crops were introduced.
Today, roughly 280 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed each year on about 298 million acres of U.S. cropland, largely for GMO corn, cotton, and soybeans. Another 26 million pounds are used in public parks, rights of way, and home gardens.
Researchers detected glyphosate and its primary breakdown product, AMPA, in 94% and 97% of the urine samples, respectively. The analyzed urine samples provided sufficient statistical power to identify significant differences despite the study's limited sample size.
Children consistently had significantly higher concentrations of both glyphosate and AMPA than adults during both the conventional and organic diet phases of the study. During the conventional diet, children's average glyphosate levels were nearly five times higher than those of adults (1.27 ng/mL vs. 0.26 ng/mL). Even after switching to an organic diet, children's levels remained about five times higher (0.46 ng/mL vs. 0.09 ng/mL).
Study co-author Kendra Klein said the reason for the higher levels in children remains unclear. Possible explanations include greater exposure at schools, playgrounds, and parks where glyphosate is commonly used, increased exposure relative to body weight, and differences in how children metabolize and eliminate the herbicide.
"Growing up with this kind of chemical in their body will harm them," said Sharyle Patton, director of the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center and a co-author of the study, in an interview with Environmental Health News. "It's a tragedy."
Meanwhile, Bayer has been negotiating settlements with several plaintiffs who alleged they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from exposure to Roundup and other herbicides made with glyphosate.
"It's egregious that our government allows pesticide corporations to profit from poisoning people when we already know organic farming works," Kendra Klein, senior staff scientist at Friends of the Earth said. "These chemicals do not belong in our bodies." She added that the current agricultural system remains heavily invested in pesticide-intensive farming, while farmers working to expand organic practices are left fighting for the research funding and support they need.
Organic works — but doesn’t mean zero exposure
This study is the second in a two-part series examining how an organic diet affects pesticide levels in the human body. The first study, published earlier, measured urinary levels of organophosphate, pyrethroid, and neonicotinoid insecticides, along with the herbicide 2,4-D, and found similarly significant reductions after participants switched to an organic diet. Together, the two studies add to a growing body of evidence showing that eating organic is an effective way to reduce pesticide exposure.
"Knowing that these chemicals can leave your body within just a few days of changing your diet means people have the power to do something about their exposure," said study co-author Sharyle Patton, director of the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center. "That's valuable information for everyone."
Glyphosate's use as a desiccant for drying oats, wheat, garbanzos and other grains and beans just prior to harvesting results in the largest residues on food products, according to Charles Benbrook, coordinator for the Heartland Study, a hospital-based research project investigating the potential link between U.S. midwestern herbicide use and harmful reproductive outcomes. Glyphosate has been approved for many vegetables and fruit crops and has also been found in orange juice, wine and honey.
"One of the interesting questions this research raises, is why were the study participants still eliminating glyphosate in their urine six days after a 100 percent organic diet?" Benbrook, who was not involved in the study, told EHN.
Benbrook said there is so much glyphosate in the ambient environment, soil and water, as well as in grain bins, trucks and food production lines, that it's likely "impossible to keep organic grains and beans sufficiently separate from parts of the conventional food supply chain." Organic crops can also pick up some glyphosate residue, he said, from wind erosion blowing soil particles off a nearby conventionally-managed field.
Study participants may also have had other exposures to glyphosate, such as from spraying in public parks. Animal studies also show that a small amount of the weed killer is excreted more slowly from bones.
Regardless, "this paper serves as a wake up call for regulators, public health scientists, the food industry and farmers—that whenever a pesticide comes to be used as frequently and as heavily as glyphosate-based herbicides, they're going to get into all sorts of hidden corners of the environment, and because of that they're going to show up in the food supply in all kinds of ways that no one ever really anticipated," said Benbrook.
Source: The original article by Meg Wilcox was published on EHN (Environmental Health News) website.
Key Takeaways
Switching to a 100% organic diet reduced glyphosate and AMPA levels by more than 70% on average in both adults and children after just six days.
Most of the reduction occurred within the first three days, suggesting the body can eliminate much of its recent glyphosate exposure when the source is removed.
Children consistently had significantly higher glyphosate levels than adults, highlighting the importance of minimizing unnecessary exposure during childhood.
Choosing organic foods does not eliminate pesticide exposure entirely. Glyphosate is now widespread in the environment and can be found in soil, water, food-processing equipment, and even through spray drift from nearby conventional farms.
This study adds to growing evidence that dietary choices can meaningfully reduce exposure to several common agricultural pesticides, including glyphosate.
While the scientific community continues to debate some of glyphosate's long-term health effects, reducing unnecessary exposure is a practical step many people can take.
Ultimately, these series of research studies demonstrate that one of the simplest ways to lower your pesticide burden is not through expensive detox programs or supplements, but by reducing the amount of pesticides entering your body in the first place. Supporting the body's natural detoxification systems begins with limiting the chemicals they have to process.
Comfort Keto's Recommendation
The studies reviewed in this article demonstrate that switching to a 100% organic diet can rapidly reduce the body's glyphosate burden. While no clinical trials have specifically evaluated scheduled "purely organic reset" periods, the available evidence suggests that reducing dietary pesticide exposure allows the body's natural detoxification systems to eliminate these compounds efficiently.
For individuals who cannot maintain a fully organic diet year-round, we believe that periodically following a 100% organic diet for several days may be a practical strategy for reducing pesticide exposure. Although the long-term benefits of scheduled "purely organic reset" periods have not yet been studied, the approach is inexpensive, non-invasive, and biologically plausible based on the current evidence.
As always, more research is needed to determine the optimal frequency and duration of these periodic organic resets.
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