(NaturalNews) Men exposed to even trace amounts of the Monsanto herbicide Roundup are at a serious risk of sperm damage and reproductive problems, according to a new study. Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini and his colleagues from the University of Caen in France found that short-term exposure to Roundup at levels frequently found in water after agricultural sprayings causes long-term fertility issues, including damage to hormonal systems.

Using 15 male rats, the team studied the effects of acute exposure to glyphosate, the most well known ingredient in Roundup, in mammals. The 60-day-old rats were given a water solution containing 0.5 percent Roundup, an amount similar to that found in the natural environment from typical use of the chemical on crops and lawns, for just eight days.

Following this period, the rats were evaluated at days 68 (two months), 87 (three months) and 112 (four months) to look for changes in sperm quality, volume and motility, as well as any alterations to normal gene expression in sperm cells. The team also looked at the rats' hormone levels, as Roundup has previously been linked to endocrine disruption in mammals.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it was discovered that short-term exposure to common levels of Roundup led to alterations in sperm cell gene expression, resulting in an imbalance of the sex hormones androgen and estrogen. The most significant change was an increase in aromatase mRNA, the adrenal enzyme responsible for initiating the biosynthesis of estrogens inside the body.

Specifically, at the four-month mark, Prof. Seralini and his team observed an increase in the expression of GPER1, or G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1. GPER1 helps regulate how estrogen acts in both cells and tissues, effectively mediating hormonal balance. In other words, Roundup directly interferes with the body's production and use of sex hormones, potentially leading to long-term and even permanent health consequences.

"The authors suggested that repeated exposures to Roundup at doses lower than those used in agriculture could damage mammalian reproduction over the long term," explains GMWatch.org. "People exposed to lower doses repeated over the long term, including consumers who eat food produced with Roundup and people who happen to be exposed to others' spraying activities, should also be concerned."

Roundup is everywhere, including public parks and your neighbor's yard

Besides its heavy use in industrial agriculture to the tune of nearly 200 million pounds annually, Roundup is also a problem in more close-to-home places like public parks, strip mall planters and even your neighbor's yard. Roundup is pervasive and difficult to avoid, in other words, which means that males face a difficult road trying to stay healthy.

"The study's findings should raise alarm in farm workers, as well as people who spray Roundup for municipal authorities and even home gardeners," adds GMWatch.org. "Those who want to conceive a child should take special measures to minimise their exposure, including eating organic food and lobbying for a ban on Roundup spraying in their neighbourhoods."

So, now we have even more evidence to back what a 2010 study out of Denmark found concerning the health of modern men: an increasing number of them are becoming infertile as a result of exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides. Not only this, but modern men are experiencing an unprecedented drop in testosterone levels as a result of being exposed to such chemicals, which are robbing them of their drive and quality of life, and making them weak, ill and more prone to early death.

Sources:

http://gmwatch.org

http://www.sciencedirect.com

http://www.i-sis.org.uk

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://organicconnectmag.com