Among all the topics I’ve researched for this blog, one that fascinates me most (well, at least in the top ten), is the common substances that either overcome antibiotic resistance or contribute to it. Any time I write on an herb that is found to help overcome antibiotic resistance, I make note of it. Even if we or our family members are opposed to herbal medicine, almost nobody would decline using a tea or tincture that might help cure a bacterial infection faster.
And then there are the substances that facilitate antibiotic resistance. The Australian study that showed that Tylenol and Advil contribute to antibiotic resistance, particularly in regard to Cipro and amoxicillin, blew my mind.[1] The pills we take to feel better may actually kill us. Seems counterproductive.
As if Cipro, Tylenol, and Advil weren’t bad enough, Roundup (glyphosate) wants in on the action.
Of course, you say, you don’t normally ingest Roundup, so you’re safe.
LOL.
Almost all of us are taking it to some extent, in daily doses, in our food. Roundup is, after all, the most widely used herbicide in the world. It’s applied to wheat, corn, and soybean crops, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s never rinsed off. Food is processed, and we eat it, getting small doses of Roundup with every bite.
Is that really something we should be doing?
It appears that sustained exposure to Roundup is selecting for traits that enhance the clinical risk for antibiotic-resistant illnesses.[2] That’s in plants, in the field. Note that none of these studies have been done with respect to the food that we eat and medicines we take. However, the observation that Roundup facilitates antibiotic resistance is worth investigating. Many more studies are forthcoming.
In the meantime, it would behoove us to be a little more careful with our diet, including with the foods that we store. Knowing that Roundup is applied to soybeans, corn, and wheat suggests that perhaps we don’t want to feed that food to our children. If we’re sick, and especially if antibiotics will be administered, we might wish to avoid foods grown with Roundup. That includes anything with corn or soy as ingredients, all sugar beets, and wheat. And we might wish to set aside that really old wheat that sat in Penny’s barn for 50 years, since before Roundup. It doesn’t make good bread, but it could become quite valuable yet.
In addition, consider refreshing your memory with which herbs help overcome antibiotic resistance. Juniper, pomegranate, thyme, ginger, and Japanese barberry are some of the most potent.
Links to related posts:
Boost Antibiotic Efficacy with Medicinal Herbs
Pain Relievers and Antibiotic Resistance
[1] H Chen,. et al. The effect of commonly used non-antibiotic medications on antimicrobial resistance development in Escherichia coli. npj Antimicrob Resist 3, 73 (2025).https://www.nature.com/articles/s44259-025-00144-w (accessed 8 July 2026).
[2] Knecht CA, et al., Glyphosate resistance as a potential driver for the dissemination of multidrug-resistant clinical strains, Frontiers in Microbiology, 24 March 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13054660/ (accessed 8 July 2026).
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