The Herbicide Diquat Poisons The Gut, Leading To Multiple Organ Dysfunction

The toxin diquat is used in the United States as a non-selective odorless herbicide, meaning it destroys a wide range of plants, weeds, and grasses, including aquatic weeds. The odorless poison does so by interfering with plant photosynthesis and disrupting cell membranes. However, like many toxins we are told are safe, diquat doesn’t just damage weeds; it also damages humans. Banned in Europe but still legal in the US, a review of over 100 studies shows that diquat, which primarily enters the body through the digestive tract, damages the intestines, disrupts gut bacteria, and may also activate a catastrophic chain reaction in the rest of the body, causing harm to the kidneys, liver, and lungs.

The review published in May 2025 in Frontiers in Pharmacology, titled “Effect of Diquat on gut health: molecular mechanisms, toxic effects, and protective strategies,” plainly reveals that the intestines are a primary target for the destructive effects of the herbicide. The review outlines how diquat disrupts the intestinal structure, microbial balance, and immune homeostasis, noting that these local injuries may amplify systemic toxicity through the “gut-organ axis.” Remaining active in the environment for up to ten days in aquatic ecosystems and even longer in soil, the review explains that residual diquat may continue to pose long-term threats to ecosystems (including all forms of life) and human health through the food we eat.

Diquat enters the body primarily through the digestive system, typically by being swallowed, where it soon reaches the gut (intestines). Once inside the body, diquat (and its highly toxic counterpart, paraquat) creates harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which damage cells by attacking their membranes, proteins, and DNA. So, once the herbicide enters the intestines, the review explains that it damages the gut lining by weakening its protective barrier by injuring proteins (including ZO-1 and occludin) that hold gut cells together. Guess what comes next? Leaky gut, which allows toxins and bacteria to enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation throughout the body.

The damage to the intestines is extensive. In addition to causing leaky gut, diquat harms beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, while allowing harmful bacteria to thrive, creating an imbalance known as dysbiosis. This destructive imbalance reduces the production of beneficial intestinal metabolites that maintain gut health and reduce inflammation. Instead, diquat is so toxic that it causes the gut’s immune system to overreact, leading to chronic inflammation and further damage to the gut lining, increasing the likelihood of a leaky gut.

Moreover, the wrath of diquat’s destruction in the intestines also injures the mitochondria of cells in the gut, reducing energy production and causing increased ROS. Like clockwork, this leads to cell death and further weakens the gut barrier, making it more difficult to absorb nutrients efficiently. The review explains that these intestinal injuries then spread to other organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and lungs, damaging cells by attacking their membranes, proteins, and DNA. This damage leads to devastating consequences, like cell death, inflammation, and organ damage, especially in the kidneys and liver. The review notes that the body primarily eliminates diquat through urine and feces, but any Diquat left behind can cause lasting harm.

As noted by USRTK, the recent review of diquat’s destruction coincides with ever-mounting concerns over the long-term health consequences of pesticides, including atrazine and glyphosate, particularly in our children and agricultural communities. Likewise, it also comes as the billion-dollar pesticide industry attempts to limit damage awards in lawsuits related to pesticide-related illnesses and death, and after years in which the pesticide industry sought to mislead the public about their products.” The never-ending falsehoods and persistent poisoning for profit must come to an end.

Importantly, as previously mentioned, diquat is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it kills any and all vegetation that it comes into contact with. And its uses in agriculture alone are many. Diquat’s most extensive use is as a desiccant (desiccation is the process of drying out crops to speed up harvesting) on potatoes. It is also applied to sugarcane, corn, dry beans and peas, rapeseed, and cotton, to name a few. It is also used to dry crops that are grown for animal feed, including alfalfa seed, clover seed, and flax. Diquat can be used to accelerate the abscission of fruits, such as olives, to control raspberry shoots, and to aid in the mechanical harvesting of fruits. It is also used on cereals, rice, and pulse crops, such as soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, and beans.

In other words, toxic diquat impacts a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and grains consumed by both humans and animals. The review points out that some substances like resveratrol, taurine, and probiotics can help protect the gut from diquat’s harmful effects. Still, like the other chemicals initiating the slow and steady destruction of essentially all life, the better choice is to eliminate the toxins in the first place.