Roundup ingredient correlated with shortened pregnancies - Entrepreneur Generations

Parvez (IUPUI photo)

More than 90 percent of a group of pregnant women in central Indiana--especially those in rural areas--had detectable levels of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the popular herbicide RoundUp, according to research from Indiana University and the University of California San Francisco. The glyphosate levels correlated significantly with shortened pregnancy lengths, Rich Schneider reports in an IU press release. The study, recently published in Environmental Health, is the first to examine glyphosate exposure in American pregnant women using urine specimens as a measurement.

"There is growing evidence that even a slight reduction in gestational length can lead to lifelong adverse consequences," said principal investigator Shahid Parvez, an assistant environmental health science professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

The researchers originally thought the public drinking water supply was the primary source of glyphosate exposure, but none of the tested drinking water samples showed glyphosate residue. Rather, the main source of glyphosate intake seemed to be consumption of genetically modified food items and caffeinated beverages.

"Use of glyphosate is heaviest in the Midwest due to corn and soybean production. Its residues are found in the environment, major crops and food items that humans consume daily," Schneider reports.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2uu7G6c Roundup ingredient correlated with shortened pregnancies - Entrepreneur Generations

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