Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Pesticides linked to diabetes

Yes, we know pesticides are harmful for a variety of reasons. But the National Institutes of Health have released a report which states people who use pesticides on more than 100 days in their lifetime were at greater risk of diabetes.

One alarming section of the report explained how pesticides which are now off the market can still be effecting the risk percentage. "For example, chlordane, which was used to treat homes for termites, has not been used since 1988, but can remain in treated homes for many decades."

Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes. The exact cause of diabetes is unknown which is why research goes into looking at genetic and environmental links overtime.

Among the 50 different pesticides the researchers looked at, they found seven specific pesticides - aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, alachlor and cynazine - that increased the likelihood of diabetes.

I believe this needs to be studied further due to the small group which participated. Only people in Iowa and North Carolina were included with the majority being Caucasian men.

FULL REPORT

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12:51 PM
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