It’s widely accepted that the cause of diabetes is a mix of “nature and nurture,” i.e. both genetic and environmental factors. Genes have been identified that seem to predict the occurrence of diabetes, but genetics alone are not enough to show who will get diabetes and who won’t. Some families can have multiple children with diabetes, while others only have one diagnosis in several generations. It seems something in the environment also triggers diabetes, but the how has never been clearly identified.
Next week, the National Toxicology Program, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is holding a workshop on Jan. 11-13 to discuss the possibility of environmental chemicals contributing to the rising incidences of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes around the world. Participants will discuss current research and where additional attention is needed. Chemicals up for discussion include arsenic and cadmium, PCBs, DDT/DDE, other organohalogens, bisphenol A, phthalates, and organotins. I can’t even pronounce half of them, but they do not sound like something I want around me and my kids!
I was actually notified about the workshop by Sarah Howard, a woman with diabetes who also is mom to a son with diabetes. Sarah became interested in environmental justice and health while in graduate school in the 1990s, and later worked in on projects involving lead poisoning, pollution prevention and environmental health. Sarah’s interest in environmental health got personal when, after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during her pregnancy, her second son was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as well as food allergies. Sarah started combing through articles on toxicology published on PubMed (the NIH’s database of biomedical literature). Over the next two years, she says she read hundreds and hundreds of studies.
“I looked for anything related to type 1 diabetes development, as well as toxicological studies of contaminants and their effects, even if not specific to type 1,” Sarah says. “I tried to get an idea of the general direction of research and so forth.”
Although her research is a one-woman show, review-of-the-literature style, rather than a full clinical study, Sarah has published her own list of “recommendations” for the prevention of type 1 diabetes on her website Diabetes and the Environment, with a heavy disclaimer that nothing has actually been proven to prevent diabetes. Sarah writes, “I think environmental contaminants could contribute to the increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes. But do they? We don’t know yet.”
The fact is that toxic chemicals are now being blamed for everything under the sun — from autism to ADHD to asthma — and now diabetes is being added to the list. Very small amounts of BPA, a chemical found in plastics, was shown to cause an increase in insulin production, leading to insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. What other chemicals could adversely affect the way our body works? Studies have been done on whether other potential environmental factors, such as viruses, diet (like the breastmilk theory) or exposure or underexposure to things like Vitamin D could cause diabetes, but there are have been very few studies done on actual chemical toxins.
After doing her own research, Sarah says, “I don’t think most (medical) researchers are aware of the current research around toxic chemicals, or how to test for them. It’s also expensive to do so, and they may not know what to test for.”
Sarah will be attending the workshop next week, and you can view the material too. Although the event is already closed to new registrations, the slide presentations will be posted on the web soon afterwards. We’ll add the link here asap. Otherwise, you can also ping the organizers directly at this email address: thayer@niehs.nih.gov.
For what it’s worth, I breast fed for a year… and my son has diabetes. So, not sure how great that theory is!
Kinda freaky how many chemicals we live in/with. I spent many, many years working in photo darkrooms in the old days and I think the chemical exposure played a part in my T-1 dx. That’s a pretty obvious smoking gun. The creeper stuff to me is all the plastics. I pack my lunch in plastic…. hmmmmm…. ‘course I have the Big D already, but what else might be happening to my body? Threw in the towel this AM and bought a “PlanetBox” stainless lunch system. Paranoid? Maybe. But still… better safe than sorry, and besides, it looks really cool!
The book Diabetes Rising certainly made me think about possible environmental chemical causes. I can’t think of any other logical reason for statistically significant geographical “clusters” of T1 dx, such as the ones mentioned in that book.
It could be one of several causes/factors, etc. Hasn’t there also been a documented rise in other autoimmune disorders?
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I am following all this info as well. I’m shocked to find just how many articles in all the major journal’s of medicine indicate a possible connection between type 1 diabetes and our modern day environment. I am doing as much as I can for my young children which just so happens to go along with the recommendations Sarah Howards presents on her website. I too agree, this is what some of us think we should do according to some data and the truth is we don’t know if it will do any good or not. I think, chances are, less chemical exposure is probably a good thing for us all. So I’m willing to try it. I hope people don’t lose faith in breastfeeding, just because some type 1 diabetic’s were breastfed. (I was breastfed) We’re talking about a lot possible factors which most likely work in combination here (just like with cancer). So comments regarding type 1 and breastfeeding are narrow. Not to mention, most of us don’t breastfeed for 2 years. I also agree that we shouldn’t play a blame game. It isn’t about blame. It’s about possible prevention or minimization-which has a lot of hope to it. Let’s just stay open to the info coming in.
In our case there is a family history, though only one known instance (Mom’s first cousin was dx’d with Type 1 at 17). I am quite sure there was a viral trigger (best friend’s sister had coxsackie virus the week before she was dx’d. Next door neighbor; she was over their house all the time. The endo explained you do not have to have coxsackie yourself; just being exposed to the virus is enough to cause the T cells to defend against the virus when exposed, then attack the beta cells.
Wow, an ambitious, super smart, passionate, informed, articulate, and sensitive person – thank you, Sarah, for all your work for the world of T1′s!
Great information and I have always been suspicous of cause and effect…as far as our society and products to make our lives “easier” are in fact poisoning us in a sense.
I’m a medical doctor. In the early 1980s, I came to realize that persons in Houston, Texas were suffering ill effects from inhalation of airborne cyanide. Cyanide is produced by the burning of fossil fuels and cigarettes, and has an estimated half-life in the atmosphere of one to three years. Most airborne cyanide remains in the lower atmosphere. It is a beta-cell toxin (beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin). Airborne cyanide may slowly destroy beta cells over time. Cyanide may also bind to beta cells and function as a hapten (an entity too small to cause an immune response, but one that may bind to protein and cause immunity against the resultant molecule); thus, cyanide may trigger autoimmunity against beta cells. In short, I believe that cyanide may cause both type II and type I diabetes.
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There is a strong association between diabetes and air pollution (see the following Internet sites— http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/diabetes-air-pollution/1 ; http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/63971/title/Air_pollution_appears_to_foster_diabetes ; http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20020628213420data_trunc_sys.shtml ). And as would be expected if cyanide is the causative agent for diabetes, there is also a strong association between diabetes and smoking (see — http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/smoking/hic_diabetes_and_smoking_-_another_reason_to_quit.aspx ; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11063954 ). In regards to natural defenses against cyanide, sulfur-containing amino acids (such as found in nuts and peanut butter) help the body convert cyanide to thiocyanate (thiocyanate is 50 times less toxic than cyanide, though it may contribute to hypothyroidism); and the consumption of nuts notably decreases chances of developing diabetes (see http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_4_33/ai_100732328/ ). These are a few of the factors that indicate cyanide as the causative factor in diabetes, and The Poisoned Planet presents more data in that regard—available in paperback through Amazon books on the Internet, and per Kindle Press. I have had great results treating diabetic patients with safe antidotes for cyanide poisoning, such as with combinations of hydroxocobalamin, methylcobalamin, sodium thiosulfate, and alphaketoglutaric acid (see below). These agents should be used in addition to the patient’s usual diabetic medications, unless directed otherwise by a treating physician. The compounding pharmacies mentioned below will ship to locations nationwide (if not worldwide); and a local compounding pharmacy near you should be able to provide the same treatments. Diabetics who suffer fatigue and other symptoms of cyanide intoxication generally feel better the day they begin treatment for cyanide intoxication; and such treatment may prevent the usual progression and ill effects of diabetes. Cyanide is a neurotoxin (diabetics often suffer neuropathies); and may lower serotonin levels in the brain (depression is associated with diabetes). Other than the “Vital B12” described below, the treatments for cyanide intoxication are available without a doctor’s prescription.
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A prescription may be written as per the sample below, and may be mailed or faxed to any of the compounding pharmacies listed. (Note — a compounding pharmacy near you may be able to provide the same treatments.)
Patient: __________________________________
DOB: ________________________
Rx: 25mg/cc Vitamin B12 as—12.5mg hydroxocobalamin/12.5mg methylcobalamin.
Quantity: 10cc
Sig: 0.3cc SC (subcutaneously) or IM (intramuscularly) every 3 days (or up to 1cc every 3 days) (Note — if needed, the dose may be increased up to 0.4cc daily; and also note that compounding pharmacies can make a transdermal gel that delivers the Vital B12 via application to hairless skin, such as the inner thigh. The gel should be kept refrigerated, and has a storage life of 6 months.)
Signature of Provider: _______________________________________________
Refills: ____________________
(Note: May also have 30 to 90 of the B12 syringes and needles if requested.)
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Note to Patient: (You may cut along the dotted line and keep the bottom of this sheet.)
The above B12 (Vital B12) may be acquired through Jefferson Compounding Pharmacy in Oak Ridge, TN—phone number (865) 483-3007—fax number (865) 483-3071—address 22 N Jefferson Circle. When using this product, also take Vitamin B6, 50mg four times daily; Folic Acid, 400mcg am and pm.; Vitamin D 1,000 IU daily.
If desired, Jefferson Compounding Pharmacy sells ‘cyanide treatment kits’ that contain the Vital B12, B12 needles and syringes, sodium thiosulfate salt (see the last paragraph below), vitamin B6, and folic acid.
Note: You may get a receipt from Jefferson Compounding Pharmacy to use in filing for insurance coverage in the event that your insurance will cover the cost of Vital B12. There may be the possibility that some insurance companies will cover the cyanide treatment kits. However, Jefferson Compounding Pharmacy does not file insurance. (The last pharmacy listed below, Hopewell Pharmacy, files insurance.)
*Note: Keep the Vital B12 refrigerated. Storage life is 3 months. A usual dose is anywhere from 0.3cc to 1cc either IM (intramuscular) or SC (subcutaneous) every 3 days. When taking 0.3cc every three days, 10cc should last 3 months. A 10cc vial generally costs around $100.
** I also recommend taking another antidote for cyanide intoxication, namely Sodium Thiosulfate. Take 1/64th to 1/32nd tsp (a pinch) every 2 to 3 hours. Either dissolve the salt in water & drink, or just let it dissolve in your mouth and swallow it. It is sold at Jefferson Compounding Pharmacy mentioned above for around $4.00 per ounce, or may be purchased via the Internet from such sites as http://www.mubychem.com/Buy-Sodiumthiosulfate-Sodiumthiosulphate.htm . If the salt causes any gas or diarrhea, then lower the quantity taken with each dose, but do not decrease the frequency of dosing, since the half-life of sodium thiosulfate in the bloodstream may be as little as 20 minutes. It is handy to carry some of the salt in a ziplock bag in your pocket. One may also eat some nuts and/or drink a protein drink (should contain sulfur-containing amino acids) before bed.
***One additional antidote for cyanide that I recommend taking is alpha-ketoglutaric acid. Jo Mar Labs sells the alpha ketoglutaric acid for $24.30 for 150 grams, and this product may be found per the following Internet site — http://www.jomarlabs.com/alpha-keto-glutaric-acid-6.html . The phone number for Jo Mar Labs is 1-800-538-4545. Jefferson Compounding Pharmacy in Oak Ridge, TN sells this powder for $10.95 an ounce or so. Alpha Keto Glutaric Acid is an antidote for cyanide intoxication, and works synergistically with sodium thiosulfate.
Note: I recommend drinking 1/8th teaspoon (about 563 mg) of alpha ketoglutaric acid in 8 ounces of water 3 times daily, in the middle of each meal. It dissolves easily in cool water. Smaller doses may be used, but take at least 1/16th teaspoon. If your stomach tolerates the acid drink well, you may also take doses between meals, for up to 6 doses daily; but heartburn may occur if taking doses on an empty stomach. Take doses at least 2 hours apart. When taking alpha ketoglutaric acid apart from a meal, swish and swallow a mouthful of water after each dose.
Following is data regarding two other compounding pharmacies that provide Vital B12:
P3 Compounding, with address, phone, and fax as follows: 8848 Cedar Springs Lane, Suite 100 Knoxville, TN 37923.
Phone: (865) 769-5180 Fax: (865) 769-5179
(P3 Compounding will give a receipt, but does not file insurance.)
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Reportedly, the pharmacy listed below will file insurance for you in the event that your insurance covers costs for Vital B12:
Vital B12 may be acquired per Hopewell Pharmacy. Contact information for Hopewell Pharmacy is as follows: Phone: 1-800-792-6670 Fax: 1-800-417-3864 Contact Person: Debra Halton, pharmacist
Address:
Hopewell Pharmacy & Compounding Center
1 West Broad Street
Hopewell, NJ 08525
E-mail: info@hopewellrx.com
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For those with a phobia of needles, Vital B12 may be applied topically as follows:
Patient: __________________________________
DOB: ________________________
Rx: Lipoderm gel with 15mg/cc Vitamin B12 as—7.5mg hydroxocobalamin/7.5mg
methylcobalamin.
Quantity: 20cc or 10cc
Sig: Rub 1/2cc into hairless skin, such as the inner thigh, once every 3 days. May be increased up to 1/2cc daily.
Signature of Provider: _______________________________________________
Refills: ____________________
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A note in closing — I’m cyanide sensitive myself, and I am taking all of the treatments listed above, using the Vital B12 injections rather than the topical gel. E-mail me at Oesch@bellsouth.net if you have any questions. (Tim “underline” Oesch at teamhealth.com)
Sincerely,
Tim Oesch, MD.