Adults exposed to certain pesticides face a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A Spanish study found a direct link between the organic pesticides, specifically DDE (derived from the pesticide DDT), and with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in adults of all ages, gender and weight.
The pesticides or Persistent Organic Pollutants (COPs) are known to concentrate in body fat and this ties into the dramatic rise of type 2 diabetes in those who are obese. COPs are found in pesticides, industrial waste and building materials, which penetrate our bodies through food, skin and air.
The team at the University of Granada conducted a study involving almost 400 people in Granada and in Motril in Spain. Their focus was to analyse the concentration of specific COPs in the adipose tissue of the participants. Adipose is a fatty tissue that acts as a repository for energy. While it has an important metabolic function, it can also store the substances such as COPs.
The COPS analysed include DDE and Lindano with the study concluding that those whose adipose tissue had higher concentrations of DDE were four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. It also revealed that exposure to a particular chemical present in Lindano also led to an increased risk of developing the condition.
The Spanish study, published in the journal Environmental Research, did not reveal exactly how the COPs increase the risk of diabetes but there is a school of thought that the presence of the pollutants can cause some kind of immunological response.
Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing chronic conditions worldwide. A metabolic disorder where the body cannot produce enough or any insulin, leading to dangerous levels of glucose in the blood, diabetes has no cure. Type 1 diabetes requires daily insulin injections while type 2 diabetes, which is more likely to develop in older people and the overweight, is controlled by medication.
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