Diabetes negatively affects the wellbeing of millions of people around the world, and it’s a growing problem. We associate risk factors of developing diabetes with a high sugar diet, not getting enough exercise and being obese. Of course these are naturally true, but that can give us a bit of a blind-spot to some of the other potential causes of the condition.
It has now been suggested by a team of researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, that chemicals in common make-ups and cosmetics are linked to the development of diabetes in women. Specifically they refer to phthalates, which are chemical compounds found in plasticisers – the substance added to plastic to make them flexible and transparent.
These phthalates are used in the packaging of everyday cosmetics and make-ups that are used by women across the world. They are also found in pills, gelling agents, lubricants, emulsifying agents and even in fatty foods like milk, butter and some meats. The study suggests that high levels of phthalates in the body lead to an increased risk of developing diabetes.
The research team analysed urine samples from 2,350 participants who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found that women who had higher levels of phthalates in their urine were nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes as women with low levels.
While the results are certainly interesting, the team said that more research was required to fully understand why the phthalates led to an increased diabetes risk. Without fully understanding the reason behind the link it would be impossible to diagnose any sort of potential treatment or work-around for the problem.
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