Diquat, an herbicide banned in the European Union but still widely used in the U.S., damages the intestines and may also trigger a harmful chain reaction in the rest of the body—injuring the liver, kidney, and lungs, according to a new review of more than 100 studies.

Studies show that diquat weakens the intestinal barrier, kills beneficial bacteria, interferes with nutrient absorption, and triggers chronic inflammation, among other impacts. These local injuries may fuel damage in distant organs through a “gut-organ axis,” making diquat’s toxicity more widespread and dangerous than previously understood, the researchers say.

That perspective builds on increasing evidence of the gut’s central role in our health, and its interactions with the rest of the body. Similarly, toxic “forever chemicals” that accumulate in the environment have been shown to disrupt the intestinal barrier and affect other organs.

Read more in Pamela Ferdinand’s Healthwire report, Diquat herbicide poisons the gut and may severely damage other organs, research shows

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