rates of diabetes are as follows: phthalates - 22% increase, arsenic - 18% increase, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - 16% increase, and bisphenol A - 14% increase.
Could Toxic Burden Be Causing Type 2 Diabetes? By Ashley Burkman, ND
lifestyle choices. While lifestyle does play a role in the development and management of this disease, there is a very overlooked piece to this puzzle, toxic burden. Toxins are all around us from pesticides sprayed on foods, plastics, cleaning agents and beauty products. Our environment is be- coming exceedingly toxic and our bodies are being forced to take on this load. With the rise of severe food and environmental allergies, eczema, autoimmune conditions and chronic illnesses like type II diabetes, taking a closer look at the role these toxins play in our health milieu is necessary.
W Increase in Diagnosis Rates
Diabetes diagnosis rates have seen an 8-fold increase from the 1950’s to the mid 2010’s. While sugar consumption rates have increased over years, of note,
e have been trained to think of type II diabetes as the type that you “earn” through diet and
“Toxin management appears to be just as important as diet therapy when it comes to treating type II Diabetes” Joseph Pizzorno, ND
diabetes rates sharply increase 40+ years after increased sugar consumption rates began to rise, raising the question if sugar is the primary push into diabetes. What is seen, however, is a correlation between the increase of diabetes rates and the release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Although this does not indicate a direct cause, there is a clear correlation. Additionally, while obesity is an acknowl- edged risk factor for the development of diabetes, when examined, obese individu- als with lower levels of POPs did not have an increased risk of diabetes.
Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, Editor in Chief
of “Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal”, has applied a formula used to determine the risk of lung cancer due to smoking to the risk of developing diabetes in a population by looking at specifi c toxins called “dia- betogens”, or agents thought to contribute to diabetes develop- ment. While this is a useful tool, it is nearly impossible to fi nd individuals who have not been exposed to the toxin being studied to use as controls due to such extraordinary exposure rates. The top toxins (diabeto- gens) and increased
20 Natural Nutmeg - September 2019
Blood sugar imbalances in individu- als with type II diabetes are largely due to reduced insulin production or reduced insulin receptor sensitivity. Reduced insulin production has been seen to be directly correlated to the arsenic load in an individual’s body, with suspected reduction due to damage to pancreatic beta cells which create insulin. Reduced insulin receptor sensitivity was seen with increased Bisphenol A (BPA) levels due to it blocking receptor sites.
Top Diabetogens
1. Phthalates: these are a group of chemi- cals used to create durability and clarity in plastic products and used as a stabi- lizer in beauty products.
2. Arsenic: exposure is largely through food and water. Public water systems have a permissible amount of arsenic allowed in drinking water. Addition- ally, seafood, rice and poultry are also known for higher arsenic levels.
3. Bisphenol A: BPA is used in plastic prod- ucts we become exposed to through drinking bottles, food packages, canned foods, medical implants and in dentistry.
4. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): these are carcinogens that come from cigarette smoke, foods that are charred and air pollution where fossil fuels are burned. PAHs are extremely common in the environment.
Determining Your Toxic Load There are tests available to assess your
body burden of various toxins, however, this is not always a necessary fi rst step. Knowing where these toxins come from and avoidance should be a priority for ev- eryone, not just those at risk of diabetes.
Another assessment of signifi cance is
the GGT (γ-glutamyl transferase) test, an assessment of the body’s ability to recycle glutathione, the most important detoxifying antioxidant. Higher levels of GGT correlate with reduced ability for the body to keep up with the demand to generate glutathi- one for detoxifi cation. Additionally, in- creased GGT levels are seen in those with increased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. HbA1c is an assessment of blood sugar stability over an 8-12 week period and is used to monitor diabetic patients. This link indicates a connection between body toxic burden and blood sugar stability.
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