DEAR READERS: With the development of herbicide-tolerant soybeans, corn and cotton in 1996, the use of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides has increased dramatically -- and globally. It is also used as a pre-harvest desiccant on crops like wheat, barley, oats, soybeans, sorghum and beans to accelerate drying and make harvesting easier.

There is considerable published research on how this herbicide affects the nutritive value of treated crops by binding some essential nutrients such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, zinc and iron. Glyphosate is a chelating agent that has the potential to impact the uptake of lithium by binding to lithium ions. Low levels of lithium are associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety and insomnia; sensitivity to stress; chronic pain; and a decline in natural healing processes, memory and learning ability.

Glyphosate may also play a role in cardiovascular disease associated with low levels of magnesium. It reduces perinatal health and has been linked to metabolic dysfunction associated with fatty liver disease. Glyphosate can disrupt hormonal systems, leading to reduced fertility in animal tests. It has been linked to lower birth weights in humans, and has been implicated in neurobehavioral abnormalities in laboratory animal studies.

Glyphosate is thought to suppress cytochrome P450 enzymes, which play a crucial role in activating vitamin D within the liver and kidneys, converting it into its active form (calcitriol). Thus, inhibition of these enzymes could lead to impaired vitamin D activation and potentially deficiency. Glyphosate can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut (dysbiosis). A healthy gut microbiome is essential for various bodily functions, including nutrient absorption and immune system regulation. Some research suggests that alterations in gut bacteria might impact vitamin D metabolism or its effects on the immune system.

A 2023 analysis of several research studies of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate states: “Our findings strengthen the mechanistic evidence that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen and provide biological plausibility for previously reported cancer associations in humans, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.” (See the study "Mapping the key characteristics of carcinogens for glyphosate and its formulations: A systematic review" by Iemaan Rana et al., published in Chemosphere in 2023.)

It would therefore be advisable to consume USDA organically certified foods, since glyphosate is prohibited under organic standards, and organic soils are less nutrient-deficient than conventional. But recently, the USDA permitted hydroponic food producers to spray crops with glyphosate, putting their produce out of the "truly organic" category. (For more information, see realorganicproject.org.)

Feeding racehorses and breeding stock only organically certified dietary ingredients, or at least non-GMO feed tested for glyphosate, might help reduce racetrack deaths and injuries. Laminitis and gastric ulcer syndrome have also been associated with glyphosate-contaminated horse foods.

Glyphosate has been detected in high-fiber/high-cereal-content cat and dog foods. The prevalence of lymphoma and other cancers in companion animals, along with metabolic syndrome, intestinal dysbiosis and associated dermatological problems, may be related to this herbicide contaminant in their food.

Glyphosate contamination of streams and lakes allows toxic algae to proliferate, putting people and animals at risk. Homeowners and municipalities should cease and desist from using this herbicide to prevent runoff and environmental contamination.

For a deep dive into this and other products approved by the government, go to: midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-deadly-campaign-to-shield-all. And for supportive reference citations, see my post here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/farming-and-consuming-with-less-harm-and-the-the-glyphosate-saga.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Please see the following post from the Union of Concerned Scientists:

“President Trump’s second administration has targeted the public science that we all depend on: from weather forecasts to public health, from cancer research to climate science. This administration has made quick work of gutting scientific expertise, halting science and innovation, ignoring public input, cutting out independent experts, and censoring and suppressing scientific information.

"These actions are not normal. They are part of an illegal power grab that violates our democratic systems. UCS wrote a comprehensive and illuminating report on the administration’s attacks because we cannot improve what we do not measure. And improve we must; our future demands it.”

For more, see this interview with UCS Analyst Dr. Jules Barbati-Dajches: blog.ucs.org/guest-commentary/ask-a-scientist-how-does-documenting-attacks-on-science-stop-authoritarians.

I wonder, in President Trump's vociferous attacks against “wokeness,” what he is afraid of, exactly? This word, arising from the Black community concerning social justice, is now also linked with economic and environmental justice. It literally means being awake -- open to reality and to the truth. That is the quest of science.

But now that quest has been politicized in this polarized society, where any interference with making money is taboo -- regardless of scientifically documented adverse socioenvironmental consequences. This is probably why funds for maintaining NASA's climate-monitoring satellites may soon be curtailed. (See npr.org/2025/08/04/nx-s1-5453731/nasa-carbon-dioxide-satellite-mission-threatened.) Trump also signed a bill in July canceling approximately $1.1 billion in previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity that provides federal funding to NPR, PBS and local public stations. This is because of concerns about perceived liberal bias in news coverage.

Money rules us, and will be the ruination of the planet.

The recent global summit in Geneva, where representatives from 184 countries met to address plastic pollution, fell flat because the U.S., Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries opposed any limits on the production of plastics. These are toxic petrochemicals, some 400 million tons of which are manufactured every year.

Trump’s military deployment to selected cities to "fight crime" is more than just another step toward authoritarianism. It is also a distraction from the deeper concerns and existential crises in America and around the world.

There is crime and violence across the country, along with escalating deaths from drug overdoses and rising rates of mental health issues in adolescents and children. Much of this is a consequence of generations of oppression, racism, sexism, injustice and socioeconomic inequality. This existential and spiritual crisis surely calls for compassionate action and empathic understanding -- the antithesis of deploying the military. This is evidence of empathy-deficit disorder and an abuse of power.

Many of the federal agencies dealing with these societal issues, and their related environmental counterparts, have been decimated by executive order and must be restored for the common good.

REIMAGINING STATE FAIRS

Every summer, agricultural states hold their state fairs, which often include exhibits with poultry, sheep, cows and pigs. At the very least, these events should be held in the fall, during cooler weather. Many of these animals suffer in the heat and during transportation to and from the fairs.

The risk of poultry and livestock infecting people at state fairs with any number of bacteria and viruses -- notably swine and avian influenza, fecal E. coli, listeria and salmonella -- is ever-present and considerable, especially for the young and the immunocompromised. Veterinary health checks give no guarantee of biosecurity, which can be breached when visitors are reaching out to pet the animals and breathing the same air (perhaps carrying airborne pathogens).

One would hope, for reasons of compassion, that displays of cows, sheep and pigs giving birth in "miracle of life" centers will soon become things of the past. All birthing animals prefer seclusion, and being transported to fairs while heavily pregnant is an added stress that cannot be justified on the grounds of public education. Where is the empathy?

With tragic irony, while an estimated 2 million people attended the Minnesota State Fair and likely consumed some $40 million worth of food and beverages over 12 days, there is a concurrent humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, about which the U.S. government has remained relatively silent. Children and babies are dying from starvation, disease, chronic malnutrition and injuries from military weapons. This involves some 7.3 million Palestinians.

Many believed a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude could never happen again after the genocidal holocausts of the Jews under Germany’s Nazi fascism, Armenians under the Ottoman Turks, Cambodians under the Khmer Rouge, and Ukrainians under Russia’s Stalin.

How can this cycle of inhumanity be broken? It surely lies in our restoring the circles that connect us all, and in extending the golden rule to embrace all sentient beings. Living simply so that others may simply live is a good beginning, but to little avail if governments and industries continue to ignore reality and act in discord rather than concord.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Pet surrenders are rising in Chicago, straining shelters and rescues. Chicago Animal Care and Control has seen a significant increase in surrenders, with numbers this year shaping up to be six times higher than in 2023. Economic pressures, such as pet-related housing fees, are major factors behind the trend. (Full story: Chicago Sun-Times, July 25)

I have posted about this issue in earlier columns, and the problem is not going away. It is indeed a tragedy that beloved companion animals are being surrendered to shelters, where some will probably be euthanized and others will go crazy, confined to a kennel for the rest of their lives.

The mental health costs to those who loved their animals, and the negative impact on children especially, call for community support for low-income pet owners -- including the homeless with animals at their sides. Any landlords who will not rent to cat owners unless the cats are declawed and devocalized can, with a grain of empathy, change these policies and accept unmutilated cats -- perhaps requiring a security deposit to cover any damages.

Shelter Animals Count (SAC), the most comprehensive national database of shelter animal data, has released its 2025 Mid-Year Analysis, offering a detailed snapshot of intake and outcome data from shelters and rescues across the country from January through June. While overall intake of dogs and cats is slightly lower than the same time period in 2024, many organizations continue to operate at or above capacity, facing ongoing challenges in moving animals through the system quickly. Adoptions decreased slightly, with nearly 1.9 million animals adopted in the first half of 2025 -- down 1% from the prior year.

Nearly 2.8 million dogs and cats had a community outcome (adoption, return to owner, return to field, or non-live outcome) in the first half of 2025 -- a slight decrease of 2% compared to the same period in 2024. And 317,000 dogs and cats were returned to their owners, down 3% compared to 2024.

The report is available here: shelteranimalscount.org/explore-the-data/2025-mid-year-report.

CONTAMINATED WELL WATER: RISKS TO DOGS AND HUMANS

A recent analysis tested the quality of drinking water for dogs participating in the Dog Aging Project who lived in homes not served by a municipal water supply. Researchers tested for the presence of 28 metals in dogs’ drinking water. This included eight heavy metals that have maximum contaminant levels designated by the Environmental Protection Agency, and five heavy metals that have EPA health guidance levels. The eight metals with MCLs are known to cause chronic health issues in humans after long-term ingestion. Detectable levels of all metals tested were found.

Researchers also identified "a potential association between the presence of titanium and chromium and the occurrence of a known health condition in dogs," per the study's abstract. "This prompts further investigation with a larger, stratified sample, analyzing dogs’ drinking water composition and long-term health outcomes in dogs living in diverse geographies. These results may impact veterinary care decisions and husbandry, and underscore the validity and importance of utilizing dogs as sentinels of human health outcomes in the context of drinking water contamination."

See the study "Testing for heavy metals in drinking water collected from Dog Aging Project participants" by Courtney L. Sexton et al., published in PLOS Water in 2025.

An additional concern, especially in parts of Minnesota, is well-water being contaminated with PFAs -- “forever” chemicals -- and nitrates from animal manure and chemical fertilizers. Many homes and various institutions now install reverse-osmosis systems to purify drinking water. I use the Zerowater activated charcoal filter with patented ion exchange for my animal companions and myself. Used filters can be mailed (at owner’s expense) to the company for recycling; see zerowater.com for details.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)