HerbicideTox-META®
A bowl of oats every morning, a fresh salad for lunch — assuming that's the health gold standard? It may carry more than fiber. Invisible residues of non-selective herbicides are travelling with it. Through a [urine] sample, this analysis simultaneously detects parent-compound exposure (Glyphosate), in-body metabolic output (AMPA), and a separate neurotoxicity pathway (Glufosinate) — closer to real internal burden than residue reports, more objective than guessing from dietary habits, and serving as a key differential tool that clarifies environmental load across three levels: what's currently coming in, what's already been metabolized, and what neurotoxicity exposure may exist.
SECTION 01
What is this test for?
透過【尿液】檢體,同時偵測草甘膦原型暴露(Glyphosate)、體內代謝結果(AMPA)與另一條神經毒性路徑(Glufosinate),比單看食物殘留報告更貼近真實負擔、比靠飲食習慣自我推測更客觀,是釐清「正在攝入、已被代謝、神經毒性暴露」三個層級環境負擔的關鍵鑑別工具。
Food residue data tells you "how much went in." Urine concentration tells you "how much your body is still processing." Glyphosate and AMPA in urine reflect what you've actually absorbed over the past 24–48 hours — not what's printed on a label. Glyphosate is the parent compound; AMPA is the byproduct of its breakdown in the environment and the body; Glufosinate represents a separate pathway with neurotoxicity risk. Reading all three together reveals whether your exposure is dietary, environmental drift, or layered across multiple sources. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is the method adopted by international public-health agencies and biomonitoring studies. Its high sensitivity and precision are widely regarded as the "gold standard" of analytical testing — sensitive enough to detect both occupational exposure and general-population background levels, providing stable, clinically actionable results. CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2013–2014) found that approximately 80% of Americans aged 6+ had detectable glyphosate in urine; the rate among children reached 87%. Source: CDC NHANES, 2022. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as Group 2A in 2015, citing sufficient evidence in animal studies and epidemiological links to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Source: IARC Monograph Vol. 112.Why this test is worth the time it takes to collect a sample.
Quantifies what's actively circulating in you
Parent compound and metabolite, side by side
The industry-recognized "gold standard" method
Non-selective herbicides don't discriminate between crops and weeds. The paths to your plate are wider than most realize. These four profiles tend to underestimate their environmental load. Wheat, oats, barley, and soybeans are often treated with glyphosate pre-harvest as a desiccant — to make crops dry uniformly for machine harvesting. The more health-conscious your diet, the more sustained the unintentional exposure may be. Non-selective herbicides are widely used around orchards, farm borders, and for pre-tillage clearing. Leafy greens and root vegetables sourced from treated areas can carry higher residues than expected — especially when you can't verify the supply chain. Herbicides are also routinely applied for roadside maintenance, orchard verges, rail systems, and public green spaces. Studies show children living within 1 km of farmland have significantly higher urinary glyphosate levels. Even without farming, environmental drift reaches you through air and skin. Glyphosate inhibits the shikimate pathway in gut bacteria, with animal studies linking it to microbiome imbalance, hepatic steatosis, and oxidative stress. If you've already ruled out food allergies and histamine intolerance, environmental toxins may be the layer you haven't checked yet.It's not about doing something wrong — you may simply be accumulating faster.
Wholegrain, oat, and plant-protein enthusiasts
Daily salads, juice cleanses, or vegetable-heavy dining out
Living within 1 km of farms, parks, or rail corridors
Chronic inflammation, gut issues, or fatigue without a clear cause
"I don't work on a farm — how could I have herbicide exposure?" This is the most common blind spot. Non-selective herbicides kill anything green. That's why they're applied to genetically modified crops engineered to tolerate them — and why wheat, oats, and barley are sprayed pre-harvest to dry uniformly for machine collection. These are staples on tables worldwide, including imported grains widely consumed in Taiwan. The residue conversation is no longer just about farmers. The real question isn't "am I exposed?" — it's "how much is my body silently processing, and to what degree?" Neither the CDC nor the EPA defines a "normal value" for environmental toxins, because the target is non-detect (ND). When a urine test still picks up a measurable level, your body is still doing the work. This test is a functional medicine assessment tool, applying the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) for clinical interpretation. It is not a diagnostic for disease. Tolerance values vary by region, dietary habits, and individual constitution. Discuss your report with a qualified clinician. CDC's NHANES biomonitoring program found glyphosate in 80% of Americans aged 6+; the rate among children was 87%. In France, detection rates reach 99%. Sources: CDC NHANES, 2022 / Environ Sci Pollut Res, 2022 A meta-analysis of 18 human studies found that those with the highest cumulative glyphosate exposure faced a 41% higher relative risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). IARC has classified glyphosate as Group 2A "probably carcinogenic to humans." Sources: Zhang et al., Mutat Res Rev, 2019 / IARC Monograph Vol. 112, 2015 In a controlled US study, four families switching to a fully organic diet saw urinary glyphosate drop by an average of 70.93% and AMPA by 76.71% — returning to baseline within 3 days. Translation: your body responds faster than you might think. Source: Fagan et al., Environmental Research, 2020No symptoms doesn't mean your body isn't processing something.
Real exposure rate in the general population
Lymphoma risk in high-exposure individuals
The timeline for measurable change
"I don't farm — how could I have herbicide in me?" The largest application of non-selective herbicides is actually pre-harvest desiccation — used to dry wheat, oats, and legumes for machine collection. The whole-wheat toast, the oat milk, the granola bar from your local store are all endpoints of this path. CDC's national survey shows an 80% detection rate in the general population — whether or not you've ever set foot on a farm. "I eat local — I should be fine." Glyphosate is the most widely used non-selective herbicide in Taiwan, applied across orchards, farms, public greenways, and home gardens. Choosing local doesn't eliminate exposure — it changes the source. Taiwan's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection has confirmed glyphosate and its metabolites in surface water and sediment at multiple monitoring sites. "I rinse my vegetables — that should be enough." Glyphosate is systemic — once absorbed by a plant, it distributes throughout the tissue rather than sitting on the surface. Rinsing, peeling, or blanching cannot remove what's already inside the plant cells. That's why even thoroughly washed produce can still result in detectable urinary levels. "Humans don't have the shikimate pathway — so it can't harm us." Your cells don't have it, but your gut bacteria do. Glyphosate disrupts microbiome balance by inhibiting that pathway in gut microorganisms. Animal studies link this disruption to hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Gut microbes aren't "you" — but they shape your immunity, metabolism, and mood. "Residue levels are below the legal limit, so it's fine." Legal residue limits are designed around single foods and single intakes — but your body faces multiple foods accumulating over years. In 2022, Taiwan's MOHW proposed raising the glyphosate tolerance for oats, buckwheat, and barley from non-detect to 10 ppm; civil society pushback paused the change. The standards themselves are in motion. "Even if I find out, what can I actually change?" This is where the test becomes most hopeful. In a US study, four families switching to a fully organic diet saw glyphosate drop 70.93% and AMPA drop 76.71% within 3 days. Your body is already clearing it daily — you just haven't seen the numbers. The value of testing is turning effort into something measurable.Have you ever thought this?
Urine analysis covering 3 of the world's most-used non-selective herbicide markers. NT$ 3,800 Includes at-home collection kit and full report Places the single test back into your body's full operating context — to find the real "why." From NT$ 13,800 Includes functional medicine assessment and 1-on-1 consultation The herbicide test tells you what's in your body — Body Decoded tells you why it's getting stuck there, and which metabolic pathway to unblock first.Measure the environmental load, or see how your body carries it?
HerbicideTox Analysis
Body Decoded Plan
