DIABETES


TOXINS
How Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Disrupt
Insulin Signalling Leading To Diabetes

Dr. Brian Mowll

DIABETES TOXINS
Diabetes has been linked to many things, from the standard American diet with
lots of added sugars and fats, to lack of exercise and modern stress.

Is it possible that exposure to environmental toxins should be added to the list

of factors that can lead to diabetes?

According to many scientists today, the answer is YES!

In fact, it’s not just the big guns, like the persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
that have been banned in most industrialized countries. We also have to
consider food additives and preservatives, dyes, metals, plastics, artificial
flavors and sweeteners, and cosmetics.

Together, these substances are known as ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS, or EDCs

(endocrine disrupting chemicals). More specifically, many are referred to as
“Diabetogens” when they contribute to diabetes and “Obesogens” when they
are linked to obesity and weight gain.

Here’s a list of just some of the known EDCs

Diabetogens
The term “diabetogen” is said to be coined by GD Campbell in the British
Medical Journal in 1961 while investigating the use of a special mustard oil used
by a tribe of Indians in South Africa that may have been causing diabetes.

According to Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, there are seven key diabetogens which may
account for 3-22% of diabetes cases.
Dr. Pizzorno relates the sharp rise in diabetes incidence over the past century
to a simultaneous rise in body burden of these chemicals.

These chemicals lead to a

disruption in the normal
production of insulin by the beta
cells of the pancreas, as well as
interference with insulin action at
the cellular levels, leading to insulin
resistance.

For example, arsenic is known to

damage the beta cells in the
pancreas which produce and
release insulin.

The main source of arsenic in the

US is from the water supply (tap
water) and in the diet. The main
dietary sources of arsenic include
seafood, rice, mushrooms, and
poultry.
Most or all of the POPs lead to a reduction of insulin sensitivity (Insulin
Resistance), by blocking insulin receptor sites and disrupting the insulin-
dependant glucose uptake cascade.

This insulin resistance leads to elevated insulin levels triggering inflammation

and weight gain. Eventually this snowballs into type 2 diabetes.

The POPs which lead to insulin resistance, inflammation, and diabetes include
BPA, Dioxins, PCBs, OCPs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phthalates.

Phthalates are particularly troublesome because they are found in so many

foods and everyday household items, including plastic containers and
cosmetics.
Here’s a graph which shows how the use of multiple cosmetics increases blood
levels of phthalates:

Glyphosate
Glyphosate is an herbicide and the active ingredient in Roundup. This chemical
is used extensively throughout the world. Crops are even genetically-
engineered to be “Roundup Ready” to resist harm from glyphosate.

This chemical has found it’s way into many streams and rivers, and is present
on many foods.

Although glyphosate is said to be safe for human consumption, there is some

evidence that it may actually be toxic and harmful to human health. While the
research in this area is sorely lacking, one study showed that rats exposed to
glyphosate showed organ damage and endocrine dysfunction.

Another study, recently published on Thai farmers stated, “it was found that
the prevalence of diabetes was positively associated with exposure to all types
of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and
molluscicides”.
Artificial Sweeteners
The first thing you learn as someone diagnosed with diabetes is to avoid sugar,
but are sugar substitutes like aspartame and sucralose the answer? It's not
hard to imagine why people look at artificial sweeteners like a sweet superhero
whether they have diabetes or are just looking to drop a few pounds. The
concept is simple. You can enjoy something with a sweet taste but without the
pitfalls that come from eating simple carbohydrates or sugars.

Artificial sweeteners like sucralose are not digested in the same way as real
sugar, so they have little to no caloric effect. That makes them an attractive
alternative for people looking to stick to a diabetes diet or even just lose
weight.

These sweetener include aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame k, saccharine, and

neotame.

According to David Perlmutter, MD, scientists have demonstrated a connection

between the use of artificial sweeteners and diabetes.
He states, “In a series of elegant experiments, Israeli researchers have
demonstrated, in laboratory animals and humans, that the effect of artificial
sweeteners on changing the gut bacteria has a profound role in changing
metabolism, especially the metabolism of sugar. These researchers have been
able to induce diabetes in laboratory animals at will, simply by feeding them
artificially sweetened foods. If that wasn’t compelling enough, they then
showed that similar changes occur in human gut bacteria when humans
consume artificial sweetener, as well as the fact that these changes in the gut
bacteria relate to metabolic changes that pave the way for diabetes.”

Another study he references, shows the increase in diabetes with increased

consumption of diet soda.

In addition to diabetes, artifical sweeteners have been linked to a number of

health problems.

Artificial Sweeteners and Obesity

A 2008 study published in Obesity found that artificially sweetened beverages

lead to long-term weight gain. Researchers looked at the relationship between
chemically sweetened sodas and weight gain as part of the San Antonio Heart
Study. They found a connection between artificial sweeteners and the rising
BMI rates. Individuals who drink diet soda, for example, can have a 47-percent
increase in BMI.
Artificial Sweeteners and Gut Health

The human gut plays host to a diverse ecosystem of bacteria that help
breakdown and metabolize food. The makeup of this gut microbiota is a critical
part of staying healthy. A group of researchers at the Weizmann Institute of
Science found evidence that drinking artificially sweetened sodas can alter the
microbial population in the gut, leading to obesity and other health problems,
including increasing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Artificial Sweeteners and the Brain

Another concern with artificial sweeteners is their effect on the brain and,
specifically, its ability to manage food intake. Studies indicate the brain
responds to the artificial products by signaling you to eat more, especially
more sweets. Drinking a diet soda can actually trigger a craving for sugar.

More and more, society is reaching for that diet soda to get through the day
thinking it's a positive step towards better eating and maybe even a diabetes
cure. The truth is, experts are encouraging a more healthy approach like the
low carb diet for diabetes because artificial sweeteners are just bad for you.
They interfere with the body's natural ability to manage glucose levels and
work against an efficient and healthy metabolism.

“Whatever you do, stay away from artificial sweeteners. I recommend giving up
aspartame, sucralose, sugar alcohols such as xylitol and maltitol, and all of the
other heavily used and marketed sweeteners unless you want to slow down
your metabolism, gain weight, and become an addict.”

– Mark Hyman, MD

Avoiding and Eliminating Diabetes Toxins

Avoiding or minimizing exposure to toxins is the best first-line defense. The

most important place to protect is your home. Here are several strategies to
limit toxin exposure at home.

1. Opt for Non-Toxic Household Cleaning Products

Take some of your household cleaning products and detergents and turn the
bottles around. You most likely see a list of chemicals you can’t pronounce.
Many of these chemicals may actually be petrochemicals – particularly bad for
you.
Step one – throw them all out. Step two – buy and use only non-toxic cleaning
and washing products. This means not only choosing products without weird
unpronounceable chemicals but also without chlorine and fragrance-free.

2. Watch Those Paint and Finishes

You have probably heard that many paints and finishes release something
called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air – and they can do so for
years after. Don’t let that word “organic” fool you – these chemicals are not
your friend, hence the word volatile.

For your next home renovation project, choose low- or zero-VOC paints and
finishes. Also be sure to use non-chlorinated solvents such as turpentine,
ethanol and acetone, if solvents are needed.

3. Watch That Furniture

Unfortunately, most furniture is constructed from either plywood, pressed

wood, particle board and medium density fiberboard that have all been treated
with formaldehyde, which is a suspected carcinogen. Oh, and like VOCs,
formaldehyde can emit toxic fumes for up to five years.

You most likely don’t have the budget to throw out all of your furniture and get
new non-toxic furniture made from whole wood, glass, metal or chrome. But
you can switch out pieces here and there when your budget allows. Also, since
furniture that is over five years old and has NOT been refinished or
reupholstered usually does not continue to off gas toxins, you could get
affordable second-hand, thrift, or antique furniture for perhaps less.

4. Go with Filtered Water, Not Bottled

Tap water in and of itself may not be great in your town or city. But before you
go spending money on bottled water from the grocery store, understand that
water sitting in plastic bottles for God-knows-how-long, especially in the heat
(who knows what those bottles went through on their way from a factory
somewhere to the store) can become contaminated with dangerous chemicals
emitted from the plastic. These chemicals have been shown to be hormonal
and endocrine disruptors.

It’s a much better and healthier idea to buy a quality water filtration system for
your home. Just be sure to store that water in glass or stainless steel
containers.

5. Leave Your Shoes Outside

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give much thought to what your
shoes step on or in on a daily basis. Well think about it for a second right now.
Do you really want car grease, pesticides, lead, oil, or bacteria to be tracked
throughout your home? Probably not. So leave those shoes outside or in your
garage and have a nice cozy pair of slippers or flip-flops ready to be slipped
into once you get home and only wear these inside your home.

6. Use a HEPA Filter

No matter how hard you try to remove the majority of toxins from your home,
there will be some that linger. Your shower curtain, your mattress, something
coming in from outside can pollute the air inside your home. To clean up as
much as possible, use a HEPA filter in your HVAC system. One study found that
installing high-efficiency filters in the HAVC system cut expose to pollutants by
up to 27% – which is pretty great.
There are various ways of eliminating toxins from the body. The most potent is
conjugation through the liver and excretion through the bowels.

In addition to avoidance, Dr. Pizzorno describes four other methods for

eliminating Diabetes Toxins.

1. Increasing glutathione production (facilitates phase 2 conjugation and helps

protect from the oxidation and inflammation which facilitate the damage to
blood sugar regulation).

2. Increasing dietary fiber (helps bind toxins in the gut to facilitate excretion
from the body).

3. Toxin-specific interventions to increase detoxification/elimination.

4. Toxin-specific interventions to prevent the damage they cause.

There are several different pathways for the body to ellimate diabetes toxins.

Methylation - Methylation helps to clear Arsenic, The most effective nutrients

to support methylation include vitamins B6, B9, B12, Methionine, Magnesium,
and Betaine.

Gut Microbiota - Several bacterial species in the gut have been shown to bind
BPA, increasing elimination.

Glutathione - Known as the Master Antioxidant, glutathione can detoxify many

toxins, including BPA, PCBs, and OCPs. Supplementing with N-acetylcysteine
can help boost glutathione levels.

Antioxidants - Powerful antioxidants such as alpha lipoic acid and tocopherols

have been shown to to decrease BPA toxicity. Quercetin and Vitamin C
demonstrate the ability to protect against cell damage induced by dioxins.
Quercetin, as well as green tea catechins have also been shown to protect
against cytotoxicity from PCBs. Other studies have shown that alpha lipoic
acid, curcumin, and resveratrol can protect cells from phthalate damage.
 Final Thoughts

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals should be avoided whenever possible.

Additionally, eliminating these toxins from the body through detoxification
protocols is and important component to preventing or reversing high blood
sugar and type 2 diabetes.

According to The Endocrine Society:

“There is growing interest in the possible health threat posed by endocrine

disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are substances in our environment, food, and
consumer products that interfere with hormone biosynthesis, metabolism, or action
resulting in a deviation from normal homeostatic control or reproduction. In this first
Scientific Statement of The Endocrine Society,
we present the evidence that endocrine disruptors have effects on male and female
reproduction, breast development and cancer, prostate cancer, neuroendocrinology,
thyroid, metabolism and obesity, and cardiovascular endocrinology. Results from
animal models, human clinical observations, and epidemiological studies converge to
implicate EDCs as a significant concern to public health.”

To learn more about the most effective detoxification programs and how to fix
high blood sugar and prevent or reverse type 2 diabetes, visit:
https://drmowll.com