How Pesticides Disrupt Gut, Brain, Heart, and Hormones

Whether applied to your lawn, public spaces, orchards, or farmland, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides are nearly impossible to avoid. These chemicals are used worldwide and are found in the food you eat, water you drink, and air you breathe. While manufacturers claim they are safe for human exposure when used as directed, your body still must detoxify and repair from their impact.

Overall pesticide use in 2022 reached 4.2 million metric tons, which is an 80 percent increase from 1990. China is the largest user of pesticides, followed by the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, France, Russian Federation, Colombia, Australia, and India. Glyphosate found in Roundup and other brands is the most used organophosphate herbicide in the world. It has been a registered pesticide in the US since 1974.

Gut, Lung, Skin: “Breaking and Entering”

Pesticide residues enter your body by food, water, or air. They do so by penetrating and breaking through the epithelial membranes in your respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and skin and then enter deeper into tissues. This intrusion results in:

• Localized release of numerous alarm signals and inflammatory cytokines to alert your body’s defense mechanisms and neutralize the threat.

• As the barriers are breached, more inflammatory reactions with immune signals cause increased oxidative stress in the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and liver.

• Foreign substances trigger gut microbiome changes, leading to dysbiosis. More immune threats and alarm signals occur causing increased intestinal permeability.

• Toxins and inflammatory compounds enter circulation, affecting organs and tissues elsewhere.

Furthermore, glyphosate-based herbicides decrease the activity of glutathione, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and SOD antioxidant systems, while the production of inflammatory TNF-alpha, IL-6, COX-2 and other compounds are upregulated in the intestinal tract and elsewhere. Glutathione is the master antioxidant system of your body and works synergistically with NAC, SOD, and other antioxidant types and systems.

Depending on the type and amount of pesticide exposure, these chemicals may accumulate and cause temporary or permanent changes to tissue physiology of the gut, lungs, heart, kidneys, nervous system, reproductive organs, and other parts of your body.

For example, in animal studies, repetitive exposure to glyphosate (GLP) demonstrated measurable changes in liver, kidney, spleen, lung, heart, muscle, brain, and fat tissues. Results showed increased levels of several oxidative stress markers, imbalanced mineral contents with aluminum, copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc, and overall weakened antioxidant capacity.

The authors stated, “These results suggested that glyphosate caused obvious damage to rats' liver and caused various mineral elements content imbalances in various organs of rats. Ion imbalance could weaken antioxidant capacity and involve in the mechanism of liver oxidative damage caused by GLP.”

Nervous System: Disruption of Melatonin

Several effects occur on the brain and nervous system with pesticide exposures such as the increased release of glutamate. This excitatory neurotransmitter is used for alertness, wakefulness, focus, and other neurological signaling mechanisms. Excess glutamate production, however, creates oxidative stress and overstimulates glial cells contributing to neurological wear and tear.

As glutamate levels increase, melatonin synthesis decreases causing further oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. This causes subtle neurotoxic effects and depletes glutathione and other antioxidant levels in the brain. Melatonin is a sleep hormone, but also a powerful antioxidant produced by mitochondria.

Neurotoxic effects—whether from chemicals, excess glutamate, or lifelong low-level exposures—can contribute to aging faster, mood stress, cognitive decline, fatigue, neurodegeneration, and impaired brain development. You need antioxidant reserves like melatonin, glutathione, phytonutrients and flavonoids to protect your brain and body.

Heart Health

Your heart and vascular system are also impacted by pesticide exposures. A growing body of evidence suggests that pesticides and herbicides can provoke several changes in the heart and lining of blood vessels.

Tissue insults start with the lungs, gut, and liver as described above. Toxins, inflammatory compounds, and free radicals are consequently released into the bloodstream where they bump up against the endothelial lining of blood vessels and travel to the heart.

This process causes oxidative stress to the heart, coronary and systemic blood vessels, and the cardiac autonomic nervous system leading to stiffening and fibrosis of the heart along with electrical changes that lead to atrial fibrillation and other types of arrhythmias. Higher glyphosate exposures are also linked with atherosclerosis/coronary heart disease, angina/chest pain, and heart attacks.

Fertility, Pregnancy, and Neurodevelopment

Pesticides/herbicides and other chemicals are endocrine disruptors that affect fertility for women and men. Recent animal studies demonstrated that 28 days of low-level Roundup/glyphosate exposure decreased the number of ovarian follicles and changed sex steroid hormone levels. Furthermore, increased oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation levels altered glutathione system antioxidant activity and changed gene expression.

A 2024 study showed that glyphosate inhibits testosterone production and increases lipid peroxidation in men as well as depleting glutathione.

Neurodevelopment of the offspring is also affected by exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides during pregnancy. Animal studies in rats showed increased oxidative stress resulting in impaired communication, decreased social play and exploration, repetitive movements, and developmental delays.

Fertility and reproduction are high energy processes that require healthy mitochondria and optimal levels of antioxidants like glutathione. Successful conception, pregnancy, and the lifelong health of the child depends on the health of the parents. What is “washed over the genes” largely influences the expression of health or disease.

The negative effects of these compounds are far reaching for human health as well as animals, fish, insects, other living organisms, and our planet. Various genres of research across the globe demonstrate the detriment to health and life from the millions of tons pesticides/herbicides/insecticides used globally.

Action Plan

Your body works daily to manage everything that it is exposed to. The health and integrity of your mucosal barriers is a critical first line defense. Optimization of antioxidants and support of the three phases of detoxification (see below) are also essential. Avoidance and reduction of exposures is also fundamental as the workload decreases.

Choose organic, locally grown foods as much as possible. Use a water filter or filtration system for your drinking and bathing water. Choose natural methods for weed and pest management for your home and work area.

Fundamental nutritional supplement support for detoxification and barrier protection includes:

• Daily Detoxify – Top nutritional supplement for detoxification

• Glutathione Ultra – Advanced bioavailable form of glutathione

• Daily Protector Eye & Immune – Broad-spectrum red-orange antioxidant and trace mineral support

• Tributyrin Plus – Essential postbiotic for mucosal barrier repair

Commercial pesticide, herbicide, and insecticide use has exploded in the last several decades. Many of these compounds, including glyphosate, have been promoted by manufacturers as having no risks to human health, even in recent years. Asbestos, thalidomide, tobacco smoke, and many other substances have been regarded as safe initially and for a period, only to discover that these substances take a toll on your body.

Clearly, glyphosate and other pesticides must be handled properly, have reduced exposures, and be detoxified with antioxidant protection against oxidative stress. Recognize the concerns, be proactive, and protect yourself and your family with your daily choices.

Must read resources:

Best Nutrients for Detoxification Support – This highly informative article explains the main three phases of detoxification and what nutrients are required for each phase. Knowing, understanding and implementing this information puts you in the driver’s seat for detoxification and optimizing your choices!

Healthy Mucosal Barriers Makes for a Healthier You

Glutathione: Why This Master Antioxidant Is So Important

Environmental Toxins Increase Need for Glutathione

Glutathione Antioxidant for Cell Life and Vitality

Glutathione and Vitamin D: A Powerful Essential Connection

Thyroid and Brain Health Impacted by Glyphosate Herbicides

New Dangers of Glyphosate

Glyphosate in Water, Soil, Food – Protect Your Health

Gluten Intolerance, Gut Problems Linked with Roundup Toxicity

Monsanto’s Roundup Linked to Cancer, ADHD, Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Asthma, Methylation, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Roundup

Gut Symptoms Precede Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s Disease.

GMOs, Roundup, and Sunscreen Linked with Diminished Brain Resiliency

How to Improve Blood Vessel Elasticity