A. “Don’t stop eating oatmeal,” says Judith C. Thalheimer, RD, LDN, managing editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter. “Glyphosate is an herbicide that is used in hundreds of weed-killing products. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a ‘probable human carcinogen’ after an association was found with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The levels of glyphosate found by independent and government studies in foods like oat products have been well within the limits determined to be safe by the FDA, the EPA, and European agencies. While not everyone agrees these limits are strict enough, particularly for children, at this time there is no scientific proof that the levels of glyphosate in the American food supply is a reason for concern.”
“Eating oats is associated with a number of important health benefits, including lower heart disease risk, and the benefits of eating oat products outweigh the risks. If you have concerns, choose organic products, which are not allowed to be treated with this herbicide.”