Glyphosate: A common weedkiller may induce anxiety by disrupting gut bacteria
PsyPost • • health
Key Points:
- A new study published in Frontiers in Toxicology found that chronic exposure to glyphosate at government-approved safe levels caused heightened anxiety and altered gut microbiomes in rats, leading to hypervigilance and misinterpretation of harmless stimuli as threats.
- Rats exposed to glyphosate showed increased activity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a brain region linked to anxiety, without significant changes in other fear-processing areas like the amygdala or prefrontal cortex.
- The herbicide disrupted gut bacteria, notably reducing Lactobacillus populations essential for serotonin production, which likely contributed to the observed anxiety and altered emotional responses.
- The study only tested male rats and measured gut bacteria at the experiment's end, indicating a need for further research including female subjects and more frequent microbiome analysis to fully understand the timing and sex-specific effects.
- These findings challenge current regulatory safety thresholds for glyphosate, suggesting that its impact on gut bacteria and brain health warrants a reevaluation of acceptable exposure limits.
