Americans are fatter and sicker than ever. Why? Answers may vary.

Right-wing bodybuilders and Erewhon pilates moms alike say it’s the xenoestrogen effect of seed oil. Others blame a sedentary lifestyle, too many carbs, too much meat, big sodas, Big Pharma, high-fructose corn syrup, and preservatives.

The list is long, and the mystery remains. I like to remind myself that many things can be true at once, and as with so many issues, our general disease is most likely multivariable.

With the 2021 publication of Dr. Stephanie Seneff’s "Toxic Legacy: How the Weedkiller Glyphosate Is Destroying Our Health and the Environment," health skeptics have turned their focus toward glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide patented in 1974 by the Monsanto Company. Glyphosate and its derivatives, the active ingredients in Roundup-brand products, are now the most heavily sprayed herbicides in history.

Health implications of ingesting glyphosate include cancer, especially non-Hodgkins lymphoma, endocrine dysfunction, and, most commonly, disruption of the gut microbiome. Gut microbiota form the foundation of the complicated and delicate autoimmune system; disturbances there can induce eczema, acne, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, infertility, chronic exhaustion, ADHD, and autism.

As hard as it is on the body, glyphosate is hard to escape; even the most conscientious homemaker struggles to find basic flour and sugar untouched by poison. With that conscientious homemaker in mind, here we have curated five glyphosate-free flour options.

Jovial

Jovial Foods Inc. was founded by a husband-and-wife team who have always been passionate about food, farming, and traditions. Carla and Rodolfo Bartolucci were both born into families of talented home cooks, and food was at the center of their childhoods. After having children with wheat allergies, they established the Jovial brand to help address the many issues faced by those with food sensitivities, specializing in einkorn flour from regenerative farming operations.

Schullo

The Schullo company is a multigenerational, Italian-American specialty food store. The company's wheat is grown in Finland. Finland’s pristine wilderness environment gets up to 19 daylight hours in the summer, and the midnight sun and its Arctic weather produce some of the world’s most varied, glyphosate-free wheat.

One Degree Organic Foods

A company whose mission hinges on ingredient transparency, One Degree offers an oat flour for those interested in gluten-free baking.

Agricola Piano

Specializing in Italian foodstuffs, Agricola Piano offers a great variety of flours sourced from Puglia, Italy, using sustainable and non-GMO methods.

Francine

You probably noticed how much of this list is composed of Italian founders, farmers, and flours. Like the Italians, the French place a high premium on the quality of their farming. The country has basically banned glyphosate, and its flours are thus easier to digest, tastier, and less likely to induce inflammation.