This article outlines a possible connection between the use of the herbicide glyphosate and the rise in autism:

[link to www.anh-usa.org]

I thought this short excerpt was the most interesting part of the article since a healthy gut flora is such a basic part of health:

"Monsanto claims that Roundup is harmless to humans. Bacteria, fungi, algae, parasites, and plants use a seven-step metabolic route known as the shikimate pathway for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids; glyphosate inhibits this pathway, causing the plant to die, which is why it’s so effective as an herbicide. Monsanto says humans don’t have this shikimate pathway, so it’s perfectly safe.

Dr. Seneff points out, however, that our gut bacteria do have this pathway, and that’s crucial because these bacteria supply our body with crucial amino acids. Roundup thus kills beneficial gut bacteria, allowing pathogens to grow; interferes with the synthesis of amino acids including methionine, which leads to shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate; chelates (removes) important minerals like iron, cobalt and manganese; and much more."

My understanding has been that glyphosate interferes with a plants ability to use minerals in its metabolism, that's how it kills weeds.

This article is saying it has the same effect on our gut bacteria, it prevents us from absorbing and utilizing minerals from our food. This would be guaranteed to produce disease states and illness, including mental illness.

I was just reading the other day how processes in our gut produce neurotransmitter chemicals that go directly from the gut to the brain. If we can't use minerals and amino acids we are truly compromised as biological entities.