by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola:
Story at-a-glance
- Research shows that glyphosate exposure, even at “safe” levels, causes hormone imbalance, oxidative stress, and permanent damage to reproductive organs like the ovaries and uterus
- Exposure reduces estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) while increasing testosterone and progesterone, creating conditions similar to PCOS. It also impairs egg quality and lowers the chance of successful fertilization and implantation
- Glyphosate alters gene expression in the uterus of offspring who were never directly exposed. These inherited disruptions impact fertility for your children and grandchildren
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- The chemical shuts down mitochondria, blocks detox enzymes, and depletes essential minerals, setting off a chain reaction that affects everything from hormone production to brain function
- Avoiding glyphosate-contaminated food, filtering your water, eliminating seed oils, and healing your gut are key steps to reverse its impact and regain reproductive and metabolic health
Glyphosate-based herbicides now account for 19% of all herbicides used globally, with over 240 million pounds sprayed annually across American farmlands. However, glyphosate doesn’t stay in the soil — it shows up in your body as well. In fact, measurable glyphosate residues have been detected in the urine of 60% to 80% of the general U.S. population,1 including pregnant women and children, meaning you’re likely carrying trace amounts of this chemical.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, a product first released by Monsanto in the 1970s. It’s often marketed as “safe” because humans don’t have the same enzyme pathways it targets in plants. However, our gut bacteria do have this pathway, so it can affect the gut microbiome.
As explained in Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D.’s book “Toxic Legacy,“ glyphosate also binds strongly to toxic metals such as aluminum, and has been shown to make the intestinal barrier and the blood-brain-barrier more porous. As a result, heavy metals can gain entry into these organs.
Many studies have also raised the alarm regarding its harmful effects on reproductive health. One recent example highlights how it particularly affects females’ ability to reproduce.
Glyphosate Alters Reproductive Tissues in Ways You Can’t Feel Until It’s Too Late
A comprehensive review published in Reproductive Sciences pulled together animal and human studies from PubMed showing how glyphosate damages reproductive organs, disrupts hormones, and alters the quality of reproductive cells.2
The study emphasized that glyphosate’s effects aren’t limited to short-term exposure — they accumulate over time, increasing your risk of infertility, developmental issues in your offspring, and chronic reproductive diseases that might not surface until much later in life.
•Even “safe” levels of glyphosate disrupt your reproductive system — The research reviewed a mix of healthy animals, pregnant females, and cell lines exposed to levels of glyphosate considered safe by regulatory standards.
Despite these being “acceptable,” the exposure still caused hormone imbalance, oxidative stress, damage to developing eggs, and shifts in gene expression that could impact future pregnancies. These effects showed up repeatedly in different test models.
•Glyphosate causes visible damage to the ovaries — In female piglets fed glyphosate-contaminated feed, researchers observed visible ovarian damage: tissue shrinkage, fat accumulation, and cell calcification. In rats exposed in utero, the number of healthy follicles (which hold your eggs) decreased significantly while abnormal ones increased. The damage is permanent, as follicles don’t regenerate once damaged.
•Hormone disruption from glyphosate mimics PCOS-like patterns — Animals exposed to glyphosate showed adverse hormone effects. Estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels dropped, while testosterone and progesterone rose. Without healthy estrogen and FSH levels, your eggs won’t mature properly, and the uterus will not be prepared for pregnancy.
In one study, glyphosate increased signals like luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone — pushing hormone rhythms toward a polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)-like state, which makes conception harder and disrupts other systems like insulin sensitivity.
•The uterus becomes overly sensitive to estrogen, setting you up for disease — Aside from suppressing estrogen, glyphosate also makes the uterus respond too strongly to even low doses. This hyper-responsiveness is linked to endometrial hyperplasia, a condition where the uterine lining grows too thick.
