Organic Pollutants Linked to Gestational Diabetes

Women who are exposed to organic pollutants are more likely to develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, a new study found.

At the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, researchers reported that a 10-times increased exposure to certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was linked to a 4.4-times increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

POPs are a group of substances that include pesticides and endocrine disruptors, which are used in farming and industrial processes.

While many of these chemicals have been banned for several years, they can remain in the soil and groundwater due to their resistance to decomposition.

Environmental risk factors

The study included 639 women from the pregnancy cohort in Crete, Greece. Researchers wanted to determine how much exposure to POPs during the first trimester of pregnancy would affect GDM risk.


According to the authors, countries around the world are experiencing an increase in the prevalence of gestational diabetes - and the findings of the current study suggests that understanding environmental risk factors could reverse the trend.

Another study presented at the EASD's annual meeting revealed that pesticide exposure is linked to increased risk for all types of diabetes.

"These findings suggest that women with high PCBs levels in early pregnancy had higher risk for gestational diabetes," the authors said. "Further studies are needed to replicate these results and to evaluate potential biological mechanisms underlying the observed associations."

Source: Diabetologia

Image courtesy of domdeen/FreeDigitalPhotos.net


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...