Pesticide and PCB Exposure Linked to Insulin Resistance and Greater Diabetes Risk
In a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers found that individuals exposed to higher levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as organochlorine (OC) pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), had a significantly greater likelihood of having insulin resistance, which, in turn, may be associated with higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The strongest relationship was observed with OC pesticides.
Researchers also noted that the link between OC pesticides and insulin resistance strengthened as waist circumference increased. Not too surprising, as pesticides are thought to be stored in fatty tissue.
Note, though, that the study was a cross-sectional analysis, so it couldn’t prove cause and effect. It may be the case that insulin resistance reduces the body’s ability to excrete pesticides and other pollutants, rather than exposure to the pollutants necessarily causing insulin resistance.
What You Can Do
Nevertheless, it seems prudent to try to reduce exposure to pesticides, PCBs, and other pollutants whenever possible. You can read more about reducing pesticide exposure in produce here:
Which Vegetables & Fruits Are Highest and Lowest in Pesticides?
And you can reduce exposure to PCBs and other pollutants in fish by getting healthy Omega-3 fats from supplements that have undergone molecular distillation processing. There’s a link to a good list of safe products in this post:
Safe Fish or “Just Trying to Make Consumers Feel Good”?
There are other safe, tested fish oil supplements out there, too. Just be sure to check with the manufacturer to confirm the processing method and tested residual contaminant levels.
(Image: EPA)
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June 6th, 2007 at 3:50 am
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