Glyphosate Present in 57% of Sperm Samples From Infertile Men

Written by Dr. Joseph Mercola on July 22, 2024. Posted in Current News

Story at a glance:

• A recent French study found glyphosate present in 57% of sperm samples from infertile men, with concentrations four times higher in sperm than in blood.

• Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is widely used globally and has been linked to various health issues, including infertility and cancer.
• Animal studies have shown glyphosate can damage testicular cells, reduce sperm count and alter testosterone levels, even at low concentrations.
• Other factors contributing to infertility include exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals and electromagnetic fields from wireless technologies like cellphones and Wi-Fi.
• To reduce glyphosate exposure, buy organic foods, filter drinking water and avoid using glyphosate-based products. Consider testing glyphosate levels and detoxing with apple cider vinegar or glycine.

Infertility is now a worldwide crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 6 people today are having difficulty conceiving. Although female infertility is usually given more attention, infertility among men is also being more closely scrutinized.

Research notes that male infertility accounts for 30% of infertility cases, and while the root causes of this condition could be multifaceted, there’s no doubt that environmental factors, particularly the chemicals you’re exposed to every day, play a crucial role.

A recent study confirms this, putting into the spotlight one of the most ubiquitous and devastating manmade chemicals today — glyphosate.

More than half of sperm samples contain glyphosate, study finds

A group of French researchers sought to determine the link between glyphosate and male infertility.

After analyzing samples from males who visited a local infertility clinic, they found that 73 out of 128 (around 57%) participants had detectable levels of glyphosate in their blood and semen.

Published in the June issue of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety journal, the study noted that although glyphosate levels are higher in semen samples, there’s a positive correlation between plasma blood and seminal glyphosate content.

The study authors note:

“We have reported for the first time in human [research], the presence of GLY [glyphosate] in human sperm in nearly 60% of male patients in a French infertile cohort in our infertility clinic.

“We found GLY concentrations four time[s] higher in sperm than in blood, corresponding probably to a hemato-testicular barrier alteration. Our results suggest a negative impact of glyphosate on human reproductive health and possibly on progeny.”

The samples were from men ages 26 to 57 years old who did not have any physical abnormalities or chronic diseases. The researchers also discovered negative effects on DNA and oxidative stress.

According to an article from The Guardian:

“The paper comes as researchers look for answers to why global fertility rates are dropping, and many suspect exposure to toxic chemicals like glyphosate is a significant driver of the decline.

“Glyphosate is used on a wide range of food crops and in residential settings in the U.S. The most popular glyphosate-based product is Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller, which has been at the center of legal and regulatory battles in recent years.”

Glyphosate is Monsanto’s toxic legacy

Once known as the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide, glyphosate is used in around 60% of herbicide formulations today.

This broad-spectrum weedkiller was first brought to the market by Monsanto (now acquired by the Biotech company Bayer) in 1974.

Since its introduction, around 8.6 billion kilograms (or about 18.9 billion pounds) of glyphosate has been applied to agricultural fields and other lands worldwide. Up to two-thirds of this amount was used just in the last decade.

Glyphosate has also become a popular tool for desiccating non-genetically engineered grains, legumes and beans, which further spurred the use of the chemical.

In her book, “Toxic Legacy: How the Weedkiller Glyphosate Is Destroying Our Health and the Environment,” Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., details just how widespread glyphosate use is.

According to her research, at least 1 pound of glyphosate is applied in the U.S. every year for every man, woman and child, which is an astounding amount.

Even if you just decide to buy non-genetically modified organism (GMO) products, it wouldn’t do any good, as many non-GMO items have been shown to have some of the highest levels of glyphosate.

And while Monsanto claims that their product is “biodegradable” and “environmentally friendly,” the evidence points to the contrary, as glyphosate has been linked to damaging health effects, such as kidney damage, liver disease and cancer.

“In December [2023], a group of top U.S. public health advocacy groups petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the product, though its defenders have said there is no definitive proof of its toxicity to humans. Still, dozens of countries have banned or restricted its use,” The Guardian reported.

Previous animal studies have associated glyphosate with infertility

While the featured study confirms the pervasive nature of glyphosate and how it accumulates in the human body, earlier animal studies have shown similar findings about this chemical’s link to infertility.

Glyphosate is an endocrine-disrupting chemical. In women, these chemicals adhere to hormone receptors and directly interfere with the functioning of steroid hormones, which are crucial for pregnancy and fetal development.

As a result, they can change how many receptors are present in cells, as well as affect the creation, movement, levels and breakdown of hormones in your blood.

In males, endocrine-disrupting chemicals alter sperm production, damage the structure of the testicles, including their protective barriers and blood vessels and harm testicular cells called the Leydig and Sertoli cells.

These are crucial for sexual development, as they help maintain sperm health.

In 2013, a study found that exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide induced Sertoli cell death among prepubertal rat testis.

What’s particularly concerning is that the effects were seen in low doses — 36 parts per million (ppm) — and occurred after just 30 minutes of exposure.

These effects include:

• Induced oxidative stress.
• Activated multiple stress-response pathways.
• Increased intracellular calcium concentration, leading to calcium overload and cell death.

A 2017 study also found that Wistar rats given the Roundup herbicide orally experienced lower sperm counts, reduced sperm movement and higher amounts of abnormal sperm cells.

The herbicide caused severe damage to the structure of the subjects’ testicles as well.

Other previous studies also found:

• Rats exposed to glyphosate concentrations as low as 1 ppm had a 35% decrease in testosterone in their sperm cells.
• Prepubertal exposure to glyphosate can alter testosterone levels.
• Ducks exposed to Roundup experienced changes in their testis structure. The researchers concluded that the herbicide may “cause disorder in the morphophysiology of the male genital system of animals.”

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