We’re Spraying Chemicals on Our Food — What’s It Doing to Our Brains?
When most people think about weedkillers, they think of weeds — obviously. But few stop to consider what these herbicides might be doing to us. Maybe environmental pollution at a stretch. But how often do we think about the brain?
It’s an uncomfortable question — especially in a world where Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative conditions are on the rise. According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, the number of people living with dementia is expected to nearly triple by 2050. Parkinson’s is now the fastest-growing neurological disorder worldwide.
Yet, we continue to saturate our environment and food supply with herbicides — including glyphosate — often with little understanding of their long-term effects on the human brain.
New Research Raises Red Flags
A recent article from TechFixated spotlights growing concerns about herbicide exposure and brain health. It references emerging research showing that even low-level exposure to common weedkillers may trigger long-term brain inflammation — a known contributor to neurodegenerative disease..
Much of this research doesn’t focus on glyphosate specifically — and that’s exactly why we should be paying attention.
If multiple herbicides are now being shown to cause chronic neuroinflammation, what makes glyphosate — the most widely used herbicide on the planet — exempt?
We don’t have a satisfying answer to that. And that’s a problem.
The Brain Is Not Off Limits
Neuroinflammation isn’t just a buzzword. It’s now recognized as a key contributor to a range of cognitive and neurological conditions — from memory loss and brain fog to full-blown Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
One of the critical pathways researchers are exploring is the blood-brain barrier — the brain’s protective shield. When this barrier is weakened or compromised, harmful substances, including environmental toxins, can seep through and cause damage that accumulates over time.
Pesticides have already been implicated in damaging this protective barrier. A 2023 review in Science of the Total Environment found that chronic low-dose exposure to certain pesticides can disrupt the blood-brain barrier, trigger oxidative stress, and fuel inflammation — all hallmarks of neurodegeneration.
So again, the question must be asked: Has glyphosate ever been tested thoroughly for its effects on the brain? On the blood-brain barrier? On cumulative inflammation?
Spoiler: It hasn’t.
Regulatory Silence Doesn’t Equal Safety
The argument often put forward is that glyphosate is “low toxicity” to humans. But these conclusions are generally based on short-term toxicity tests — not long-term neurological health outcomes. There is little to no safety testing on how glyphosate, especially in commercial formulations like Roundup®, might affect brain development in children or neurodegeneration in adults.
And when formulations contain multiple ingredients designed to increase absorption or disrupt plant cell walls, how do we know what those same mechanisms are doing in the human body?
The truth is, we don’t. And regulators aren’t asking.
Why This Matters in New Zealand
In New Zealand, glyphosate is sprayed:
- Around schools, parks, and public walkways,
- In residential gardens,
- On food crops — including pre-harvest desiccation of wheat, oats, and legumes,
- Near water sources that connect to communities.
We are exposed through inhalation, skin contact, and most significantly — ingestion. Yet, the long-term neurological implications of that exposure remain virtually unexamined in regulatory reviews.
Meanwhile, the number of people watching their parents, partners, or friends fade away from neurological disease is only growing.
A Final Thought
The rise of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s can’t be pinned on any single factor. But that doesn’t mean we ignore possible contributors hiding in plain sight. If a new herbicide were discovered today and was shown to cause long-term brain inflammation, would we fast-track its approval? Or would we pause, study it, and apply the precautionary principle?
It’s time we asked the same of glyphosate. Because the cost of getting this wrong isn’t just environmental. It’s deeply human.
Resources & References
While glyphosate hasn’t been studied as extensively as well-known neurotoxic pesticides like paraquat, its widespread use and potential to interfere with biological systems raise serious questions. Given the clear links between some herbicides and Parkinson’s Disease, it’s reasonable — and necessary — to consider the long-term neurological risks associated with glyphosate exposure.
Scientific Research
Glyphosate exposure exacerbates neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology despite a 6-month recovery period in mice.
This study demonstrates that chronic exposure to glyphosate in mice leads to significant neuroinflammation and accelerates Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology. Notably, these adverse effects persisted even after a 6-month recovery period without further exposure.
Journal of Neuroinflammation, 04 December 2024
Neurotoxicity of pesticides: a brief review.
This review discusses the neurotoxic effects of various pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, and their potential link to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease
Frontiers in Bioscience, 13(4), 1240–1249.
Environmental Exposures and Parkinson’s Disease
This review explores how chronic exposure to pesticides may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s Disease and highlights the need for further research on other herbicides, including glyphosate.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2016
Pesticides at Brain Borders: Impact on the Blood-Brain Barrier, Neuroinflammation, and Neurological Risk Trajectories
This comprehensive review explores how chronic low-dose exposure to certain pesticides can disrupt the blood-brain barrier, promote neuroinflammation, and increase the risk of long-term neurological disorders.
Science of the Total Environment, 2023
These four studies are just the tip of the iceberg. As scientific understanding evolves, more connections are being drawn between chemical exposures and neurological disease. The question isn’t whether glyphosate might be involved — it’s why more people aren’t asking. Keep looking. Keep questioning. Because regulatory silence is not the same as scientific certainty.
Related Articles on NoMoreGlyphosate.nz
The Hidden Cost of Spray Drift: Are We Protecting Our Communities?
Learn how herbicide drift might be exposing people who never consented to the risk.
Read more here
Glyphosate and Hormone Disruption: What We Know So Far
Understand how glyphosate may interfere with key hormonal systems — including those linked to brain health.
Read the article here
Why Glyphosate Isn’t Just a Weed Killer — It’s a Public Health Issue
The deeper we look, the more connections we find.
Read this article here
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