The Invisible Diabetes Threat From Cosmetics, Cookware, And Clothing

We all face an invisible diabetes threat from everyday cosmetics, non-stick cookware for cooking, and toxic clothing.

Let us examine the facts behind these concerns.

Cosmetics

Phthalates (which is pronounced as thal-ates) are common chemicals that are found in cosmetics, plastics, and scented candles, which might increase the risk of you developing type 2 diabetes.

These chemicals are known to function as endocrine disrupters in your body, which eventually means they could have an impact on hormones.

A study was conducted to look at the potential health effects among individuals aged over 65 years.

The study shows an association between Phthalates and diabetes but not a cause-and-effect relationship.

Researchers successfully measured fasting blood glucose levels and several other factors that are associated with the hormone insulin in more than one thousand 70-year-old men and women from Uppsala, Sweden. Their blood was also subsequently analysed for the evidence of environmental toxins, including numerous substances that are formed when the body successfully breaks down phthalates.

Results from the study showed that diabetes was much more common among those who were overweight along with high cholesterol levels. That being said, risk factors were also elevated among those who had higher levels of phthalates in their blood.

According to the findings of a newer study, those with higher phthalate levels had around twice the risk of developing diabetes in comparison with those with lower levels.

Thus, it was concluded that there is a specific connection between phthalates that are found in cosmetics as well as plastics and the overall risks of developing diabetes among senior individuals. Researchers have also gone on to say that even at relatively lower levels of phthalate metabolites present in the blood, the risk of developing diabetes begins to increase.

Exactly how do phthalates increase the risk of diabetes is not known. Further studies are required to show the precise association. 

Non-Stick Cookware

Scientists have found a definite link between high levels of perfluorinated compounds (which are used widely in non-stick cookware) and diabetes. 

In a recent study, researchers have said that perfluorinated compounds are essentially environmental toxins, and there is a clear link between their high levels found in the blood and the occurrence of diabetes.

Perfluorinated compounds are used in a wide range of commercial as well as industrial products, such as non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, grease, and several other water-repellent materials.

In a study group exceeding a thousand 70-year-old men and women, levels of 7 different perfluorinated compounds were measured in the blood and related to whether these individuals had diabetes (114 individuals) or not. These 7 perfluorinated compounds were detected in nearly all individuals participating in the study.

Researchers noted that higher levels of just one perfluorinated compound (PFNA or perfluorononanoic acid) had a link with diabetes. In addition, Perfluorooctanoic acid (or PFOA) was also associated with diabetes in this study group. Moreover, the researchers witnessed that PFOA had a link with the disrupted secretion of the hormone insulin from the pancreas. 

The study raises the essential question of whether high levels of specific perfluorinated compounds (which were found in each individual in the study) are eventually linked to the development of diabetes.

Clothing

Thousands of chemicals are being used in the manufacture of clothes. Researchers at Stockholm University are examining to check if chemicals are present in the clothes we buy as well. Numerous substances with imminent health risks were successfully identified. It was seen that not even organic cotton was a guarantee for toxic-free textiles.

In a new thesis, sixty garments from Swedish as well as international clothing chains were tested. Initial analyses found thousands of chemicals present in the clothing and around 100 chemicals were identified in the preliminary research. Quite a few of these substances were not on the lists of the producers and were suspected to be by-products, chemicals, or residues added during the transportation phase.

The precise way by which toxins in clothing can cause diabetes is still being studied.

To Sum It All Up

Diabetes is a lifestyle disorder. With the passage of time, we are seeing an increase in the incidence of diabetes due to toxic chemicals that are present in cosmetics, non-stick cookware, and clothing. Some of these chemicals include phthalates in cosmetics, perfluorinated compounds in non-stick cookware, and hundreds of chemicals in non-organic clothing. Much more research is needed as to ascertain the precise way by which these chemicals lead to diabetes.

References:

• https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20120412/phthalates-may-double-diabetes-risk#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20new%20study,seniors%2C%22%20says%20researcher%20P
• https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/compounds-in-non-stick-cookware-could-lead-to-diabetes-694419
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151023084508.htm