It’s not all about calories when it comes to the causes of type 2 diabetes. Of course, America’s increasingly high caloric diet of processed foods, full of sugar and fat, is the underlying factor of the epidemic, but new studies suggest there’s much more contributing to the cause than we could ever image.
In a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers show a link between diabetes in adults and a common chemical class – phthalates – used in synthetic fragrances, candles, and even plastic containers. Phthalates have also been linked to autism, weight gain, infertility, and even some cancers.
Scientists looked at about 1,000 adults and tested their blood for the presence of four types of phthalates. According to Rodale, people with the highest blood levels of phthalates also had the highest blood sugar levels after fasting. Diabetes is a hormonal disease, and the hormone-disrupting phthalates appeared to disrupt hormone production in the participants.
These chemicals are everywhere when it comes to personal care products; they’re put in everything from perfumes, soaps and deodorants to shampoo, makeup and hairsprays. Those are things you’re putting directly on your body! And you won’t even find the term listed on on the label because it calls under “fragrance” or “parfum.” Start buying organic products if you can, and check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to see the safety of your products. Look for products in the low-risk range, instead, ranked 0-2.
You’ll also find them in a lot of household products, like air fresheners, scented cleaners, laundry products, and scented candles. Just think about what you must be inhaling when you spray air fresheners in your home. It’s just straight chemicals coming out of that can. Always choose unscented products over scented, and start using beeswax candles instead of synthetic ones – when burned, beeswax produces negative ions that actually clean the air.
Vinyl plastic products, like vinyl shower curtains, also contain phthalates. Stick to ones made of natural materials, instead.
And finally, eat organic produce. Experts believe the phthalates in produce are taken up from human sewage sludge, which is infested with phthalates in shampoo and soap washed down the drain. That sludge can be used as fertilizer on nonorganic crops and passed right along. Always choose organic when you can.
Bottom line: There’s still a lot to be discovered about the causes of type 2 diabetes, but this is one advance you don’t want to ignore. Start paying attention to your personal care products, perfumes, candles and other scented products, and you just may slash your risk of developing diabetes.
