Before you blame another virus, it might be worth asking what else your body has been exposed to.
You wake up with a scratchy throat. Maybe you're feeling congested, unusually tired, or just a little off.
Your first thought? Great. I'm getting sick.
You immediately assume you've caught whatever virus has been making its way around your office, your kids' school, or your social circle.
But what if it's not a virus at all?
One of the most interesting patterns I encounter in my work involves clients who believe they're coming down with something, only for our sessions to bring attention to an entirely different possibility: environmental and dietary exposures.
And one substance that frequently comes up in my practice is glyphosate, a widely used herbicide that has become part of the conversation around our modern food supply.
What I See When Clients Think They're Getting Sick
When someone comes to me complaining of a sore throat, congestion, fatigue, or other cold-like symptoms, I don't automatically assume they're dealing with an infection.
In my practice, I use a form of muscle testing to explore potential areas of imbalance, including factors related to food, environmental exposures, and emotional stress. What's fascinating is how often these sessions bring our attention back to what clients have been consuming or encountering in their everyday environments.
In many cases, these patterns suggest that food-related exposures deserve a closer look.
That doesn't necessarily mean a virus is ruled out completely - in some situations, a virus can attach to a toxicity (like glyphosate) when its consumed. But in quite a few instances, after the glyphosate is detoxed from the body using the energy protocol I created, symptoms disappeared.
Allergies, environmental irritants, reflux, and other noninfectious conditions can often produce symptoms that overlap with a common cold.
And that brings me to something I believe deserves considerably more attention.
Glyphosate: The Chemical Hiding in Plain Sight
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in many herbicides, including Roundup, and is widely used in conventional agriculture. It is applied to control weeds and is used in the production of crops that become ingredients in many everyday foods. (Think cereals, conventional crops like corn and soybeans, grains, and other products that routinely find their way into our kitchens.)
And here's where the research gets interesting.
A study using data from the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found detectable glyphosate in approximately 81% of Americans aged six and older in the 2013–2014 sampling period. Even more interesting? Researchers found that people who had fasted for longer periods generally had lower urinary glyphosate concentrations, suggesting that diet is an important source of exposure.
In other words, this isn't simply an issue for people working on farms or spraying chemicals in their yards.
Exposure is widespread.
It raises a question I think we should all be asking: How much attention are we paying to what comes into our bodies every single day?
Can Glyphosate Affect Your Throat and Respiratory System?
This is where the distinction between exposure and symptoms becomes particularly important.
There is evidence that inhaling spray mist from glyphosate-based herbicide products can irritate the nose and throat. Occupational studies have also examined associations between pesticide exposure and respiratory problems.
And if you've ever experienced irritation in your throat or nasal passages, you know how easily those sensations can resemble the beginning of a cold or an allergy flare-up.
When clients describe recurring throat discomfort, I usually investigate their dietary and environmental exposures first - and more often than not, herbicides and pesticides appear in testing as either a primary or secondary root cause of their symptoms.
What Else Does Research Say About Glyphosate and Human Health?
Glyphosate has been the subject of considerable scientific debate, particularly around its potential long-term effects.
In 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans, based on its evaluation of available evidence.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, however, has reached a different conclusion, finding no dietary risks of concern from glyphosate residues within established regulatory limits.
Researchers have also investigated possible relationships between glyphosate exposure and respiratory health, the gut microbiome, and other biological systems. Much of this research remains preliminary, particularly when it comes to demonstrating health effects from typical dietary exposures in humans.
Based on my own research and client work, it’s evident that our food supply is having a significant impact on our health.
A Few Ways to Become More Conscious of Your Daily Exposures
You don't need to become obsessive about every ingredient or environmental chemical to make meaningful changes. In fact, I'm a big believer that obsessing over health can become its own source of stress.
Instead, start with what you can reasonably control:
Choose organic foods when accessible and practical, particularly if reducing synthetic pesticide exposure is a priority
Limit restaurants, as most establishments cook with conventional food
Eat a variety of whole foods rather than relying heavily on the same processed products every day
Pay attention to the quality of your drinking water and the filtration options available to you
Reduce unnecessary pesticide use around your home and outdoor spaces
Notice recurring symptoms and discuss them with a qualified healthcare professional rather than assuming you know their cause
And perhaps most importantly, remain curious about how your body responds to your everyday environment.
Your Symptoms Deserve More Than an Assumption
The next time you wake up with a scratchy throat or that familiar feeling that something isn't quite right, don't automatically assume you know why.
It could absolutely be a virus.
It could be allergies.
It could be irritation from something in your environment.
And there may be aspects of your daily routine worth examining more closely.
Your body is constantly responding to its environment. The more aware we become of those inputs, the more informed our choices can be.
This is a huge part of why I do the work I do.
I believe wellness is about more than managing symptoms. It's about understanding ourselves more deeply, identifying patterns, and creating the conditions that support our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Research & References
CDC (2024): Diet Is a Factor in Contact with Glyphosate. Explains findings on widespread exposure and the relationship between food consumption and urinary glyphosate levels. https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/featured-work/diet-is-a-factor-in-contact-with-glyphosate.html
Ospina et al. (2022): Exposure to glyphosate in the United States: Data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36368224/
International Agency for Research on Cancer (2015): Glyphosate Monograph. https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/glyphosate-monograph-now-available/
National Pesticide Information Center: Glyphosate General Fact Sheet. Includes documented irritation from inhaling herbicide spray mist. https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Glyphosate. Regulatory assessment of potential health risks and dietary exposure. https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate
Disclaimer: This article is educational and reflects both published research and observations from my wellness practice. Persistent or concerning symptoms should be evaluated by a licensed healthcare professional.
