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A new study explores the connection between exposure to \u201cforever chemicals\u201d and type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The man-made chemicals are already scientifically tied to cancer, thyroid disease, brain cell death, and more.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Experts explain the findings and how to limit your exposure.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Forever chemicals<\/a>\u2014also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAs, that don\u2019t break down, but linger in the environment and our bodies\u2014have been linked to brain cell death<\/a>, cancer<\/a>, obesity<\/a>, infertility<\/a>, thyroid disease<\/a>, and more. A new study adds type 2 diabetes to that condition list.<\/p>\n Meet the Experts: Don Thushara Galbadage, Ph.D., M.P.H.<\/a>, an associate professor of public health at Texas Christian University; and Grant Fowler, M.D.<\/a>, chair of family medicine at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University.<\/p>\n Researchers (some of whom were compensated by pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilli and Novo Nordisk), collected health data from a small, ethnically diverse population of patients at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. In participants\u2019 data, researchers identified PFAS exposure, metabolic disruption, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n Below, experts explain what the findings could illuminate on a large scale.<\/p>\n What did the study find?<\/p>\n Put simply, the study found that people with higher levels of PFAS<\/a> in their blood, which are man-made chemicals typically found in water, food packaging, and household products, showed as high as a 31% increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes, likely due to disruptions in metabolism and amino acid pathways, which are the pathways cells use to produce amino acids, \u201cthe building blocks of proteins and regulators in metabolism,\u201d explains Don Thushara Galbadage, Ph.D., M.P.H.<\/a>, an associate professor of public health at Texas Christian University. \u201cWhen PFAS disrupt these pathways, the body\u2019s ability to manage blood sugar, inflammation, and energy balance may not work properly,\u201d he adds. \u201cFor example, alterations in glutamate metabolism have been linked to obesity and insulin resistance, two precursors to diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n How \u201cforever chemicals\u201d could raise type 2 diabetes risk<\/p>\n \u201cPFAS could interfere with the body\u2019s metabolism by disrupting pathways that control insulin sensitivity, amino acid balance, and fat storage,\u201d explains Galbadage. \u201cOver time, these subtle shifts can increase the risk of insulin resistance<\/a>, setting the stage for type 2 diabetes, even in people without traditional risk factors for diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n He adds: \u201cType 2 diabetes is not solely an inherited disease, but one driven by lifestyle and external factors, including environmental exposures, as this study showed. This also means that if we are able to identify these external factors and address them, it could lead to a reduced incidence of disease.\u201d<\/p>\n How to lower exposure to \u201cforever chemicals\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy and large, we have lowered our levels of these chemicals in our blood nationally for the last few decades,\u201d says Grant Fowler, M.D.<\/a>, chair of family medicine at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, \u201cthrough government regulation resulting in decreased use of these chemicals.\u201d To lower ongoing exposure, Galbadage recommends the following habits:<\/p>\n Replace non-stick cookware with cast iron or stainless steel<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Choose PFAS-free cosmetics, clothing, and cleaning products<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reduce takeout food in grease-resistant packaging<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \u201cThink of it like minimizing secondhand smoke exposure. Limiting PFAS in your environment lowers your long-term risk,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n Other ways to lower type 2 diabetes risk<\/p>\n There are studies showing that maintenance of body weight and exercising regularly, 150 minutes per week, can be effective for preventing certain types of diabetes<\/a>, says Dr. Fowler. \u201cAny exercise is helpful,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt immediately lowers insulin resistance in your muscles, which helps you use less insulin and preserves your ability to produce insulin. If you are prediabetic<\/a>, which can be determined by seeing your primary care provider and certain blood tests, medications can be added to your regimen of exercise and diet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n