MEDICATIONS
Western medicine: A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called allopathic medicine, biomedicine, conventional medicine, mainstream medicine, and orthodox medicine.
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In the last 150 years, modern medicine has made greats leaps forward in diagnosing and treating diseases, maladies, and injuries. Breakthroughs include germ theory, infectious diseases, x-rays, chemotherapy, sulfonamide drugs, antibiotics, antibacterial vaccines, insulin, cortisone, vitamins, anesthesia, heart surgery, organ transplant, drug production, ultrasound, MRI, and CT scanning. It has been truly remarkable that such fantastic improvements have dramatically increased the life expectancy of humans around the globe.
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However, western medicine primarily focuses on the treatment of diseases while relegating prevention as a secondary goal. The problem with modern medicine in American and Europe is that it became monetized by insurance companies, hospital chains, and the pharmaceutical industry which place profit for shareholders over the well being of the patients.
We who are fortunate to live with western medicine have the chose if one can afford it to utilize the latest diagnostic medical instruments like portable glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure monitors or next-generation computer-aided diagnosis system like IBM Watson Health.
Whole Earth Tools recommends using all tools available to prevent, diagnose, and treat all diseases and injuries but believes self-responsibility and prevention for one's health come first.
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Alternatives to Roundup
Roundup products contain glyphosate, a chemical linked to cancer and other illnesses. Chemical alternatives to Roundup can also contain toxic ingredients, but safe alternatives to Roundup include soap, vinegar, salt or iron-based sprays, mulching and integrated weed management.
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Why Use Alternatives to Roundup?
Roundup is a popular glyphosate-containing herbicide used in home gardens and agricultural settings. Research on Roundup and cancer has found that cancer risk increased by 41% with high long-term exposure to glyphosate. Currently, the warning label on Roundup products does not indicate this risk, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is re-evaluating whether glyphosate is an environmental contaminant and, as part of this review, will re-evaluate its cancer risk.
Further research has linked glyphosate to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and oxidative stress in the body, which can be a precursor to cancer and other diseases. Additionally, a 2023 study shows that glyphosate may increase estrogenic activity in breast tissue cancer cells, causing abnormal cell growth.
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The links between Roundup and cancer leave many people looking for alternatives to the herbicide. Natural Roundup alternatives use soaps, oil or acid to kill weeds, but some other options use salt, vinegar or boiling water. These safe alternatives to Roundup can be effective if used properly.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is an herbicide used to kill weeds. It’s the active ingredient in Roundup and other weed killers, and can cause various side effects. Recent lawsuits have claimed that exposure to glyphosate in Roundup has led to certain cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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What Is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup and several other commercial weed killers. Its chemical name is N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine. The widely used herbicide is available as an acid, a salt, a solid, and an amber-colored liquid.
Farmers use glyphosate to eliminate unwanted weeds that compete with crops for sunshine, nutrients, and water. Breathing or coming into contact with glyphosate can lead to certain reactions, including irritations of the skin, throat, and lungs.
Bayer, which manufactures Roundup, said it would remove any lawn and garden products that contain glyphosate from the market in 2023. Multiple Roundup lawsuits name the company as a defendant in lawsuits that allege the weed killer caused them to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.
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How Does Glyphosate Work?
Glyphosate suppresses the enzyme EPSP synthase, which contributes to plant growth. The inhibited enzyme reduces a plant’s ability to synthesize the amino acids it needs to grow. A plant’s stems and leaves absorb the chemical, and then carry it to the roots. Once it reaches the roots, glyphosate stops the plant from absorbing nutrients from the ground, leading to its death.
