Oats Are Healthy And Good For You. Or….. Are They? What About Glyphosate ?
I
haven’t considered it much until now, but I seemed to think that food containing oats – granola, porridge, oat breakfast cereals and whole oats – are better for me than foods with wheat, like bread.
It seems I need to re-think that.
You might too. especially if you’re feeding your children or grandchildren oat-based foods.
Why?
The Problem With Glyphospate
Glyphosate (a weed-killer, a popular brand is RoundUp) is widely used around the world, and there’s glyphosate residue on a lot of our food. Which is bad, because the product is dangerous to us humans as well as weeds. It’s classed as a “probable carcinogen” i.e. likely to cause cancer.
And no one is really sure how much glyphosate is too much, which is also worrying. Based on current knowledge, The Environmental Working Group (EWG) set a health benchmark for safety, at 160 parts per billion.
The EWG recently tested foods that contain oats. The results showed that many of the products had levels of glyphosate residue that were over EWG’s limit.
| Food | Qty Tested | Glyphosate Residue | Exceeded Limit |
| Conventional Oats | 45 | 43 | 31 |
| Organic Oats | 16 | 5 | 0 |
As you can see in the table above – of the 45 conventional foods tested, 43 of them tested positive for glyphosate residue and 31 of them exceeded EWG’s health benchmark. Of the 16 organic products tested, five of them tested positive for glyphosate residue, but none of them exceeded EWG’s benchmark.
What About Children and Glyphosate?
As we’re finding out, pollutants and toxic chemicals are even more dangerous for children as they are developing.
So the EWG also commissioned tests on oat-based products frequently eaten by children – Quaker oat or Cheerios products (oatmeals, breakfast cereals, breakfast bars and granola snack bars).
The EPA’s legal limit for glyphosate residue on oats doesn’t differentiate between children and adults, and what may be safe for an adult may not be safe for a developing child.
And in these tests, the EWG found that all 28 products tested contained traces of glyphosate – and 26 of them contained levels higher than its benchmark.
So, What’s the Answer?
Simple. Buy organic oats and avoid pre-made oats products. Sad, but true.
P.S. These tests were carried out in the US. Because weedkillers like RoundUp are used all over the world, and many breakfast cereals are made by large multi-national companies, the results are probably similar in many other countries.
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Do you eat products with oats? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Want to live a simpler, more green and ecofriendly life? (It’s been shown to increase happiness!). You can download your FREE green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here. Get it now!
Related:
- Do your laundry the green and ecofriendly way – here’s how!
- Get rid of all the toxic products in your life (you’ll be shocked at where they hide!). It’s easy – see how here!
