White Pine Needles and the Shikimate Pathway

July 3, 2026

White Pine Needle elixir

The shikimate pathway is crucial for life and is a seven-step pathway used by bacteria, fungi, archaea, algae, some protozoans, and plants for the biosynthesis of vitamins, folates, and the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine. The first two are counted as essential amino acids, meaning human beings require them and cannot synthesize them in the body like we can with many other amino acids. Tyrosine is considered conditionally essential because its synthesis can be limited for some people.

These amino acids are important to humans and help produce our bodies neurotransmitters and compounds like serotonin, melatonin, epinephrine, dopamine, CoQ10, and thyroid hormone—specifically through the help of beneficial gut bacteria.

In other words, for human beings, shikimic acid plays an essential role in a long biochemical process that sustains our health and longevity. Humans and animals lack this pathway, so these amino acids must be obtained from the diet.

Shikimic acid has been shown to support healthy platelet function and support healthy cardiovascular function in humans.

It has also been shown to help support the function of the gut and digestive system, as well as the myelin sheath in animal studies. The myelin sheath is the fatty substance that surrounds neurons and acts as “insulation” for all of the electrical communication that takes place between these neurons.

Shikimic acid is also known to exert anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties, amongst other important properties. One study found it was effective in controlling several pathogenic food bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus.

Shikimic Acid, Pesticides, and Digestive Functioning

...shikimic acid is the end result of the seven-step metabolic process known as the shikimate pathway. This pathway is known to be negatively impacted by some pesticides, including the well-known glyphosate.

Glyphosate, the main constituent of some herbicides, has been one of the most heavily used pesticides in the world. Many studies and lawsuits have detailed its controversial use over recent years, with the World Health Organization classifying it as a class 2A probable human carcinogen. In fact, in late 2023 a Missouri judge ordered Bayer to pay $1.56 billion to four plaintiffs due to their claims that glyphosate caused them injuries.

Glyphosate can create several harmful and noteworthy adverse effects, such as inhibiting the crucial cytochrome p450 enzymes as well as suppressing the function of the p53 gene. This particular gene is known by scientists as the “Guardian of the Genome.”

With respect to the shikimate pathway, glyphosate targets this seven-step process by inhibiting a key enzyme known as EPSPS (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase). When EPSPS is inhibited, the building of the amino acids necessary for the production of proteins is blocked and the plant dies.

Although we humans do not contain the shikimate pathway directly, it is known how and why glyphosate still affects us. In 2021, the first-ever bioinformatics method was used to “assess the potential sensitivity of organisms to glyphosate based on the type of EPSPS enzyme.”

The novel methodology they used was also able to classify sequences from about 90 percent of eukaryotes and more than 80 percent of prokaryotes.

The scientists were not surprised to find that an astonishing 54 percent of the species in the core human gut microbiome are sensitive to glyphosate and also stated that the number presented was conservative.

Since glyphosate harms many of the beneficial bacteria in the gut, it is no surprise that health conditions relating to the brain, blood sugar levels, and the digestive system have risen over the years alongside the widespread use of glyphosate.

Borrowed from the Epoch Times