Glyphosate found to accelerate growth of human breast cancer cells, even at ridiculously low concentrations

Glyphosate found to accelerate growth of human breast cancer cells, even at ridiculously low concentrations

Sunday, May 08, 2016


(NaturalNews) The adverse effects of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup Ready herbicide, continue to mount. According to an alarming study, published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, glyphosate, even in ridiculously low concentrations, can accelerate the growth of human breast cancer cells.

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide on genetically modified (GM) crops. It's been linked to a variety of health problems, including birth defects, Alzheimer's disease and heart disease, and was deemed "probably carcinogenic" to human health by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015. In recent years, there has been a spike in glyphosate resistant weeds, largely due to the increased use of the herbicide. Glyphosate resistant crops make up more than 80 percent of the world's transgenic crops.

The authors of the study, titled, "Glyphosate induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptor," compared the impact glyphosate had on hormone-dependent breast cancer T47D cells and hormone-independent breast cancer MDA-MB231 cells. The cells were exposed to low concentrations of glyphosate typically found in the environment.

Glyphosate acts like oestrogen to aid the propagation of beast cancer cells

The researchers found that glyphosate acts like oestrogen, a primary female sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system, and uses the same pathways as the hormone to enhance the proliferation of human hormone-dependent breast cancer T47D cells.

Specifically, the team discovered that glyphosate at concentrations in the parts per trillion range increased the proliferation of T47D cells by 15 to 30 percent, which is about half as effective as the most potent form of oestrogen, 17 b-estradiol (E2).

The researchers also found that genistein phytoestrogen, a major isoflavone in soybean crops, spurred "an additive estrogenic effect" when exposed to glyphosate. Genistein has a structure similar to, and uses the same pathways as, E2. This suggests that GM soybeans, which are coated with the herbicide and widely consumed in the west, could be responsible for epidemic levels of breast cancer, reports Green Med Info.

No glyphosate concentrations are safe

The results of the study are particularly alarming, since the glyphosate concentrations used were intended to reflect concentrations present in the actual world. This was achieved by gathering data from studies that reviewed the respective levels of genistein and glyphosate in GM soybeans, as well as collecting plasma and urine concentrations after they were consumed. The authors of the study write:

"This finding should raise concern about the existence of more than one xenoestrogen such as phytoestrogen and contaminants in plant derived food which may be beneficial or harmful depending on the hormonal and pathological status of consumers. This study implied that the additive effect of glyphosate and genistein in postmenopausal woman may induce cancer cell growth. In this present in vitro study, we showed an estrogenicity of pure glyphosate.

"In summary, we found that glyphosate exhibited a weaker estrogenic activity than estradiol. Furthermore, this study demonstrated the additive estrogenic effects of glyphosate and genistein which implied that the use of glyphosate-contaminated soybean products as dietary supplements may pose a risk of breast cancer because of their potential additive estrogenicity."