Glyphosate – the unknown poison that everyone in Switzerland is exposed to!

29. August, 2024(letzte Änderung)

Autor: Marc Sonderegger

The best known and most widely used product is called Round-up and was patented in 1974 by Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018. In the same year, Monsanto was fined 288 million Swiss francs in the U.S. for failing to adequately warn about the health risks of glyphosate and Round-up. This amount will have to be paid out to cancer plaintiffs in the US.

What exactly is glyphosate and what is it used for?

It is a chemical compound similar to the natural amino acid glycine. Glyphosate is used along with other pesticides in the herbicide Roundup. Glyphosate is toxic to almost all plant species, causing them to die. Monsanto also sells genetically modified seeds (corn, cotton, soy, canola). This means that they can kill weeds even if other crops have already been planted and are growing in the field. These are resistant to the herbicide. However, more and more weeds are becoming resistant to Round-up.

Numerous studies show that glyphosate mimics glycine in our bodies due to its similarity to this amino acid and is incorporated in its place during protein synthesis. Other substances similar to other amino acids have been shown to cause serious disease. For example, Aze, which is similar to proline, has been linked to multiple sclerosis. Glyphosate has been linked to diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, infertility and other diseases.

Other studies show

Changes in heart size and increased spontaneous abortion in rats.
Effects on sperm count, sexual behavior, and 2-3 times higher mortality in rats.
Endocrine disruption of key pathways in the body, including testosterone and estrogen.
Negative impact on DNA repair, which correlates with an increased risk of cancer cells.
Negative effects on intestinal flora, leading to leaky gut.

What does the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office think?

The FSVO website or PDF stated on 4.2.19: “negligible amounts of glyphosate in food”. It adds: “The results show that about 40% of foods contain low but measurable traces of glyphosate”. The following table is provided:

30mg for an adult is given as an “acceptable daily intake”. It also states: “In agreement with other internationally recognized expert bodies, the FSVO concludes that it is unlikely that glyphosate poses a cancer risk to humans from food”.

Unlikely? That’s reassuring! How can this be when the WHO has classified the herbicide as “probably carcinogenic” since 2015?

As if all this wasn’t alarming enough, in 2017 the decision was made to increase the allowable level of glyphosate in water by a factor of 3,600.

No, there’s no decimal point error! According to the latest reports from the end of 2018, it is now “only” 100 times higher! The new values are valid from 1.1.2019!

It’s a pity that such decisions are still made in the 21st century. Apart from political activity, I can currently recommend 4 things.

This is what you can do:

1. Buy organic!

However, and this is a major concern, pesticides, including glyphosate, can also be found in organic products. The following graph comes from a 2015 Kassensturz test in which 4 employees consumed organic products for 1 week and “normal” products for 1 week.

Possible reasons include wind and water, which can also carry the products used to organic fields. In the USA, glyphosate has been found even in the rain! Pesticides are also found in personal care products. Here is a blog post about this:

2. Eat apple cider vinegar and sulfur foods

It has been shown that 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per day can reduce the amount of glyphosate or improve its breakdown. Sulfur-containing foods such as garlic and onions are also good.

The extent to which glycine supplementation may help is still unclear. However, too much glycine can be problematic, so be careful!

3. Use a sauna or infrared cabin

Sweating helps detoxify the body. Toxins like glyphosate can be eliminated through the skin.

4. Install a water filter

There are different systems with pros and cons. Personally, I use a filter from DrinkPure. Developed by engineers at the ETH, it uses 2 membranes (including activated carbon) to filter out toxins without filtering out the desired minerals. If you are interested, you can find more information or buy the filter here.

For more valuable tips on living a healthy lifestyle, check out our free lifestyle guide (GERMAN).

To the lifestyle & nutrition counseling offer

Sources

ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS

Group Training Overview

Gruppentrainings

Fitness Holidays & Health Retreats

Fitness & Health Retreat

Personal Training & Coaching

Challenge of the Month

No budget for personal training?
TRAIN FOR FREE WITH US!

Every month anew – the almost legendary challenge trains both strength and cardiovascular equally. Little to no equipment needed! Train wherever you are.

Learn more

What Clients Say

«Marc is incredibly motivating and always gets the best out of his clients. Thanks to Marc’s motivation to always give my best, I can also motivate myself better to train alone. My goal was to get fitter. With additional nutrition tips, I’ve lost 11 kg and reduced my waist circumference by 10 cm. Thank you, Marc!»

Nathalie

«I wanted to get fit again, lose weight, reduce fat, and build muscle – we achieved all that. A thousand thanks, Marc; you also managed to bring back my joy for sports.»

Gaby

«Hard but cool! Under Marc’s professional and knowledgeable training guidance, we train hard, but the fun factor isn’t neglected either. The 45-minute workouts are perfectly timed, and if you stick to the given training and nutrition plan, the kilos will drop off by themselves. I lost almost 10 kg! I feel much better and more capable. Want impressive results? Then I can only recommend training with Marc!»

Giancarlo

«I can highly recommend Marc as a personal trainer. Almost without noticing and with little difficulty, he helps you bring out the best in yourself and achieve, even surpass, your goals. Using modern equipment and apps, he motivates you daily to stay on the right track and remain motivated. With his kind and friendly personality, you can’t help but be enthusiastic. Thank you, Marc, for making me feel fit and comfortable in my body again, and I look forward to more successes!»

„With Marc’s Personal Training and the Hardest30 group courses I was able to gain and maintain valuable core strength and lose 12kg during the pandemic. This was possible thanks to the straightforward adjustment of training plans and outdoor options when inside was not possible. In his friendly and familiar environment it is no problem to keep the motivation and drive to reach new training goals. Also loved his diet tips and tricks as I did not have to change it, but adjust it.”

Benjamin

„Mit dem Ziel ein paar Kilo abzunehmen und mich in meinem Körper fitter und wohler zu fühlen, bin ich zu Personalworkout gegangen. Das abwechslungsreiche Training bei Oli und auch bei Marc und Sofia hat mir immer Spass gemacht, sie haben mich motiviert und gefordert! Es brauchte Disziplin und ein bisschen Geduld von mir, aber auch von Oli und Marc mit mir ????, aber es hat sich definitiv gelohnt! Mit 10 Kilos weniger fühle ich mich viel besser und leistungsfähiger und habe mein Ziel dank der guten Tipps von Marc und Oli erreicht. Vielen Dank!”

Nicole

„Nach mehreren Jahren erfolglosem Abnehmens habe ich mit der 90 Tage Challenge endlich das Richtige gefunden. Mit Marc als Trainer an meiner Seite, hat das ganze umso mehr Spass gemacht. Nach den ersten bemerkbaren Erfolgen stieg die Motivation und ich habe gelernt, dass man oft den Fokus auf die falschen Dinge legt. Am meisten erstaunte mich, wie ich durch Disziplin, ein wenig Sport und gewisse kleine Einschränkungen beim Essen, ich trotzdem abgenommen habe. Mit strengen Trainings, klaren Grenzen und guten Lösungen holt Marc das Beste aus einem raus. Besonders toll finde ich, dass er die Wichtigkeit auf die Gesundheit des Menschen legt. Sein Lob und ab und zu ein Lachen verleiht dem Ganzen eine gewisse Leichtigkeit und macht Spass. Ein Training bei Marc kann ich nur weiterempfehlen! Mit meinem Resultat bin ich sehr happy. Dafür danke ich dir sehr Marc.”

Angelica

„Bevor ich Marc kennengelernt habe, war ich völlig verwirrt wegen den ganzen „Mode-Diäten”, die es mittlerweile auf dem Markt gibt, was ich überhaupt essen kann bzw. darf, um erfolgreich abzunehmen. Selbstverständlich ist jede „Diät” gescheitert, da es zu viele „Verbote” gab. Der Ernährungsplan von Marc ist leicht umsetzbar und auch in Stresssituationen problemlos machbar. Die Trainingseinheiten sind kurz und knackig. Rückblickend auf die letzten paar Monate war es die beste Investition in meine Gesundheit – nicht nur wegen den verlorenen Pfunden, sondern auch wegen vielen anderen positiven Aspekten wie z.B. eine bessere Schlafqualität, höhere Belastbarkeit bzw. mentale Stärke und einige körperlichen Beschwerden sind verschwunden. Egal in welche Richtung euer Ziel ist – mit Marc habt ihr einen kompetenten und zuverlässigen Trainer an eurer Seite, der mit euch den Weg zusammen geht.”

Silke

„Sehr professionell und am Puls der Zeit mit den Trainings- und Ernährungsplänen. Das Training ist hart, macht aber trotzdem Spass und die Resultate lassen nicht lange auf sich warten. Die digitale Unterstützung in Form von state of the art Apps und rascher Antwortzeit bei Fragen sind beeindruckend. So soll’s sein!”

Heinz