A pesticide that has been found in breakfast cereals, oats, and orange juice may be able to cause dementia symptoms in weeks.
Weed-killer glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in RoundUp, has long been linked to cancers and nerve damage. Much of the earlier research focused on people who interact with it daily like farm workers.
The new study, performed on mice, suggests even small amounts of exposure can have long-lasting effects. Experts found rodents given glyphosate for about three months saw Alzheimer's-like changes to their brains which persisted for months.
"These findings highlight that many chemicals we regularly encounter, previously considered safe, may pose potential health risks," said Patrick Pirrotte, a study author and director at City of Hope.
Foods found to contain glyphosate include Quaker oatmeal, Cheez-It and Tropicana orange juice according to a separate analysis by Sokolove law firm. Outside food items, they also detected the chemical in cotton products and bottled water.
Previous studies mainly focused on dosing mice with high levels of glyphosate. Only certain humans are commonly exposed to high levels of the herbicide; however, the average person likely encounters much smaller amounts daily.
According to the US Geological Survey, about 300 million pounds of the chemical are used annually in products like corn, soybeans, oats, alfalfa, cotton and wheat. From there it can accumulate in soil or water or stick to crops processed into food items.
The CDC estimates that about 81 percent of Americans had been exposed to glyphosate as of 2014.
This led the International Agency for Research on Cancer to classify glyphosate as 'possibly carcinogenic,' but it's still approved by the EPA and considered safe. It's banned or restricted in European countries like Germany and Spain.
The New Research
The new research set out to examine what impact lower levels of long-term exposure might have. Researchers from Arizona State University and City of Hope conducted this study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation.
"Herbicides are used heavily around the world," Professor Pirrotte said. Dr Velazquez added: "Our goal is identifying environmental factors contributing to cognitive decline."
Mice Study Findings
- Mice were fed two levels: one high level and one low level closer resembling human exposure levels for 13 weeks then observed for six more months without further doses.
- High-levels caused brain inflammation consistent with older research showing Alzheimer's-like changes even after stopping dosage six months prior;
- Mice fed low doses exhibited similar yet less pronounced changes indicating possible links between inflammation leading towards dementia symptoms such as memory loss due mass cell death within healthy brain cells becoming clogged sticky plaques over time period studied here too!