Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

Journal Club - Were "High Levels" of Glyphosate Found in Sperm?  - Dr. Andrea Love

Journal Club - Were "High Levels" of Glyphosate Found in Sperm? - Dr. Andrea Love

FromTalking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta


Journal Club - Were "High Levels" of Glyphosate Found in Sperm? - Dr. Andrea Love

FromTalking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

ratings:
Length:
28 minutes
Released:
May 22, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

The news reports say that scientists have found "high levels" of herbicide in human sperm, and suggest it is a cause of infertility. But what do the data really say? Dr. Andrea Love and I discuss the paper. A report by Vasseur et al., in the June 2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety entitled Glyphosate presence in human sperm: First report and positive correlation with oxidative stress in an infertile French population strongly implies a tight connection between the herbicide glyphosate and world population decline.  However, it is a classical case of overstepping the data. This group studied 128 men in a French infertility clinic and quantified glyphosate in in their blood and seminal fluids. Amazingly, they found parts per trillion, very low levels. They also never measured levels in sperm. They did measure sperm quantity and quality and they are just fine in individuals with glyphosate levels and those below detection. So there is no effect on sperm, consistent with previous studies. They do identify a correlation between glyphosate presence and two oxidative stress markers, but it is unclear what the "normal" range is, and it is very difficult to connect parts per trillion of a benign herbicide and meaningful physiological response. However, this was enough to ignite the media into connecting this trace of herbicide to crashing world populations, when people are most likely simply having smaller families. Dr. Andrea Love @Dr_AndreaLove and immunologic.org
Released:
May 22, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Talking Biotech is a weekly podcast that uncovers the stories, ideas and research of people at the frontier of biology and engineering. Each episode explores how science and technology will transform agriculture, protect the environment, and feed 10 billion people by 2050. Interviews are led by Dr. Kevin Folta, a professor of molecular biology and genomics.