French scientists: Roundup herbicide damages sperm

According to a new French study, men who are exposed to even trace amounts of the herbicide Roundup have a significantly increased risk of sperm damage and reproductive problems.

The preparation is patented by Monsanto, but since its 10-year validity has expired, other preparations with the same composition are now being produced, but at a much lower price.

The active substance in all of them is glyphosate. It is also used in Bulgaria, as its price is relatively low, which makes it accessible to all agricultural producers. Mainly weeds are treated with it.

Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini and his colleagues from the University of Cannes, France, found that even short-term exposure to the herbicide Roundup and very small amounts, which are often found in water for irrigation after treating agricultural areas with the preparation, causes long-term abnormalities in reproductive abilities, as the function of the endocrine system is disturbed.

The team of scientists conducted the study on 15 male rats, examining the effects of acute exposure to glyphosate, the herbicide’s active ingredient, on mammals.

Rats were 60 days old and were “fed” an aqueous solution with 0.5% Roundup. This amount is comparable to what is found in the natural environment for 8 days after using the preparation on plants and lawns.

Subsequently, the rats were examined after 68 days /2 months/, on the 87th day /3 months/ and on the 112th day /4 months/ to assess any change in sperm quality, volume and gamete motility, as well as any changes in sperm gene expression.

The team of scientists also assessed changes in the rats’ hormone levels, as the herbicide has previously been linked to endocrine disruption in mammals.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it was found that short-term exposure to even standard amounts of Roundup led to changes in the gene expression of rat germ cells, resulting from an imbalance of the sex hormones androgens and estrogens.

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The most significant change is an increase in microRNA aromatase – an adrenal enzyme that converts male sex hormones into estrogens in the body.

Specifically, during the 4-month study period, Prof. Seralini and his team observed a gradual increase in the expression of GPER1, or G protein estrogen receptor.

PER1 helps regulate the amount of estrogen that enters both cells and tissues and effectively maintains the hormonal balance in the male body.

In fact, the herbicide directly affects the synthesis and release of sex hormones, which can lead to long-term and even permanent adverse health effects.

The study authors suggest that repeated exposure to amounts of Roundup, even lower than those used in agriculture, may cause reproductive abnormalities in mammals in the long term.< /p>

Also, people exposed to low doses of the herbicide over a long period of time, as well as consumers who eat food produced with Roundup, are also at increased risk of developing reproductive abnormalities.

The results of the study should attract the attention of the general public because of the dangerous effects that the use of the herbicide can have on the reproduction of the nation.

And those planning to conceive a child soon should limit their exposure to the herbicide to a minimum.

The team of scientists who conducted the study concluded that we now have increasing evidence to support the Danish government report published in 2010.

It presented and substantiated the claim that an increasing number of people are infertile due to exposure to chemical pesticides and pollutants.