Food Contaminants
glyphosate residues causes adverse health effects
In plain terms: Is the glyphosate in your food harming you?
Contested Food Contaminants 🔬 Includes disconfirming
Part of: 🔍 glyphosate
RefutedContestedStrong support
consensus score 0.12
The studies suggesting harm are mostly the same 4,700 people analysed over and over, and they share a flaw: poor kidney function raises urinary glyphosate, so cause and effect may run backwards. Measured dietary intake sits at a tiny fraction of the safety limit.
📅 Last reviewed: 2026-07-29 ⓘ
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: Population patterns (Observational)
MechanismIn-vitroAnimalObservationalRCTMeta-analysis
How the studies fall
7 support 2 contradict 0 tested null 19 mixed · 28 sources, 4 independent groups
What the evidence shows
The apparent support here rests on far less than the paper count suggests. The entire supportive cluster comes from ONE NHANES sample of roughly 4,700 people, re-analysed for different endpoints by different groups, so five papers that read as independent confirmation are one correlational cohort mined repeatedly.
The evidence (28)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zheng J et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL (zebrafish, waterborne exposure): glyphosate (not AMPA) increased intestinal antibiotic-resistance-gene abundance 1.67-fold; synergistic with oxytetracycline (2.30-fold). Aquatic model organism, mechanistic microbiome en |
| Otaru S et al 2024 · preprint | observational | mixed | low | NHANES 2013-2018 cross-sectional, unpeer-reviewed preprint; urinary glyphosate quartiles associated with a metabolic-syndrome score in a non-monotonic, inverted-U/saturating pattern (largest effect at quartile 3, not quartile 4), modified b |
| Marins K et al 2024 · Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) | animal | mixed | moderate | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL (rodent) systematic review (SYRCLE protocol) of maternal/perinatal glyphosate or GBH dosing; reports qualitative disruption of neurotransmitter/redox/metabolic pathways across studies, no pooled effect size or specific m |
| Morris KA et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | Small pilot (n=300), general-population PRENATAL urinary glyphosate/AMPA and birth outcomes; most associations imprecise/CI-crossing-null (e.g. birthweight z-score -0.06, 95%CI -0.13,0.01) except AMPA-AGI in females (0.48, 95%CI 0.02-0.94, |
| Malinoski L et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | Narrative (non-systematic) 'critical synthesis' review of glyphosate/antimicrobial-resistance literature -> grade=observational/low per convention; concludes glyphosate promotes resistance-phenotypes/HGT but states the evidence is 'largely |
| Jenkins HM et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | General-population PRENATAL cohort (PROTECT, Puerto Rico, n=284; same parent cohort as the hormone-disruption entry above); prenatal urinary glyphosate/AMPA associated with lower cognitive (-2.6%, 95%CI -4.3,-0.9) and communication (-2.5%, |
| Giommi C et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | moderate | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL, DIETARY route in female zebrafish fed glyphosate at exactly the EU ADI (0.5 mg/kg bw/day), 10x-ADI (5 mg/kg/day), and NOAEL (50 mg/kg/day) for 21 days; even at the ADI dose, altered oocyte-maturation/estrogen-signaling |
| Sherif M et al 2026 · study_type: in-vitro | in-vitro | mixed | low | IN VITRO: human HL60/HepG2 cell lines exposed 1h to 0.1-10,000 uM commercial GBH formulations; Roundup Mega/Glyfos showed the strongest genotoxicity (comet assay), effects from as low as 0.1 uM in HL60. Cell-culture concentrations not trans |
| Li G et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES cross-sectional plus mechanistic validation; each unit increase in log-urinary glyphosate associated with 25% higher nephrolithiasis odds (OR 1.25, 95%CI 1.06-1.47), with a PI3K/Akt pathway proposed via network toxicology and animal/ |
| Dal' Bó IF et al 2026 · study_type: in-vitro | in-vitro | mixed | low | IN VITRO human thyroid-carcinoma cell lines (BCPAP, 8505C) exposed to Roundup 6.5-6500 ug/L; proliferative stimulation seen at 65 ug/L (below current regulatory limits) in cancer cell lines, cell-type dependent. Cell-culture endpoint in can |
| Valentín-Cortés MA et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | General-population (non-occupational) PRENATAL biomonitoring, n=752 pregnancies (PROTECT cohort, Puerto Rico); urinary glyphosate/AMPA (up to 3x per pregnancy) associated with lower estriol (AMPA -10.6%, 95%CI -18.1,-2.4; glyphosate -8.3%, |
| Cai W et al 2017 · Environmental toxicology and pharmacology | animal | mixed | moderate | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL: meta-analysis of 10 datasets/8 rodent experimental-dosing studies on sperm concentration; MD=-2.77x10^6/sperm/g testis (95%CI -0.97 to -4.58), significant decrease. Rodent experimental dosing, not human dietary exposure |
| Kang Z et al 2026 · Ecotoxicology and environmental safety | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES 2013-2018, n=3177 US adults; higher urinary glyphosate associated with lower muscle mass (ASM/BMI) and sarcopenia (nonlinear), stronger in males; alkaline phosphatase partially mediated the link. Same NHANES 2013-2018 cycle as severa |
| Caba IC et al 2026 · study_type: in-vitro | in-vitro | mixed | low | IN VITRO: primary human gingival fibroblasts exposed to glyphosate and Roundup; 'minimal cytotoxicity' at low/intermediate doses, significant cytotoxic effect only at 1 mM with prolonged exposure (a very high concentration). Environmental-m |
| Guesdon L et al 2025 · Environmental research | observational | contradicts | moderate | DIETARY exposure route explicitly modeled via food-frequency questionnaire plus food-residue monitoring data (Elfe cohort, France, n=11512, 791 GDM cases); dietary glyphosate exposure associated with LOWER odds of gestational diabetes (aOR |
| Panzacchi S et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | moderate | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL (SPRINT EU project): Sprague-Dawley rats dosed prenatally through 13wk post-weaning at doses <=NOAEL (regulatory 'safe' levels) with glyphosate, tebuconazole, acetamiprid, and mixture; female glyphosate-only group showed |
| Chen Y et al 2025 · Scientific reports | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES general-population cohort, n=4740 US adults, median 4.03y follow-up; each 1 ng/mL increase in urinary glyphosate associated with 40% higher all-cause mortality (HR 1.40, 95%CI 1.09-1.80), modified by sex. Dietary/background-level uri |
| Rodgers KM et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | moderate | OCCUPATIONAL cohort (n=285 agrochemical workers, Nicaragua/El Salvador); urinary glyphosate inconsistently linked to eGFR - lower-exposure group declined at 1yr (-4.0 mL/min/1.73m2, 95%CI -7.2,-0.87), but detectable glyphosate at both timep |
| Yang T et al 2025 · Ecotoxicology and environmental safety | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES 2013-2018 cohort, n=4697 US adults; log2 urinary glyphosate associated with higher frailty (OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.04-1.25) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.19, 95%CI 1.07-1.31); frailty mediated 30.3% of the mortality link. Near-identical n/ |
| Karakuła KH et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | Structured narrative review (SANRA) of 37 experimental studies (2004-2026) testing antioxidants/supplements against GLY/GBH toxicity; the review itself flags 'frequent use of high-dose or non-representative exposure paradigms' and 'absence |
| Nechalioti PM et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL: Wistar rats dosed perinatally at EU ADI (0.5 mg/kg bw/day), NOAEL (50 mg/kg bw/day), and in a pesticide mixture; sex-specific hepatic miRNA changes found (52 differentially expressed in the mixture group), framed as 'ea |
| Hall M et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | contradicts | moderate | General-population PRENATAL cohort (MIREC, Canada), n=572-840 mother-child pairs; maternal first-trimester urinary glyphosate/AMPA (median 0.31/0.25 ug/L) NOT significantly associated with child IQ, social, or behavioral scores at 3-4y - a |
| Napierkowska S et al 2026 · study_type: in-vitro | in-vitro | mixed | low | IN VITRO rooster semen exposed 1-3h; pure glyphosate had limited effect on motility/membrane integrity but altered DNA fragmentation/Ca2+/lipid peroxidation; the commercial GBH formulation caused broader effects (30-50% motility reduction) |
| Khalil N et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES 2013-2018 general-population cross-sectional, n=2710; urinary glyphosate inversely associated with DXA-measured bone mineral density (whole-body slope -0.018, 95%CI -0.027,-0.010) and, in postmenopausal women, higher odds of self-rep |
| Rihani R et al 2026 · study_type: in-vitro | in-vitro | mixed | low | IN VITRO: isolated rat cardiac mitochondria + H9c2 cardiomyocytes; glyphosate ALONE had no significant effect on mitochondrial respiration, whereas the Roundup formulation decreased OXPHOS CI by 46.9% (p=0.007) and impaired coupling (-35.4% |
| Lacroix R et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL (zebrafish embryos), waterborne Roundup at 10 ug/L acid-equivalent ('environmental level'), 10-48hpf; caused morphological, respiratory, hatching, locomotion, and neurogenesis-pathway disruptions persisting to the juveni |
| Kougias DG et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | moderate | OCCUPATIONAL/APPLICATOR simulated heavy residential herbicide application (n=12); passive-dosimetry doses ~7x higher than biomonitoring-based doses, but even the highest individual applicator dose stayed below the 60 ug/kg/day regulatory he |
| Zheng J et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL (zebrafish, waterborne Gly/AMPA + oxytetracycline); glyphosate/AMPA induced hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammation, and oxidative damage via the gut-liver axis, worse combined with antibiotic. Aquatic model organism at |
Disagree, or know a study we missed?
We grade by evidence, not opinions. The way to weigh in is to point us to a study we haven't cited (check the evidence table above first), or to flag a problem with one we have. Every submission is reviewed; if it holds up, the grade updates and shows in Science Changes Its Mind.
Opens a short form. You'll sign in with Google so submissions are tied to a real account — we don't display your identity, and we only accept a link we can verify (PubMed, DOI, ClinicalTrials.gov).
Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.