These Harmful Pesticides Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

A couple of weeks ago, I told you the EPA and the FDA gave Bayer Pharmaceuticals the greenlight to keep selling the weed killer Roundup…

They did this even though multiple studies show that chemical herbicides and pesticides are linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.

And now, a recent study has clearly linked these toxins to type 2 diabetes.

In a brand-new study that examined farmers who use organophosphates — the most commonly used pesticides — the results couldn’t be more clear… “The prevalence of diabetes was positively associated with exposure to all types of pesticides and insecticides.”1

Another study proved that chemicals found in common insecticides and pesticides are also key diabetes triggers and may be responsible for hundreds of thousands of diabetes-related deaths every year.

The researchers found that two chemicals, in particular, carbaryl and carbofuran, bind to the receptors on your cells that govern your biological clock. And this can lead directly to diabetes.2

Let me explain…

Although it’s illegal in several countries, carbaryl is the third most widely used insecticide in the U.S. Carbofuran, the most toxic carbamate insecticide has been banned in the U.S. since 2009. But it’s still widely used in places where we import a lot of our produce, like Mexico and Brazil.

Carbaryl and carbofuran are what are known as “POPs” — persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals don’t biodegrade easily, so they stay in the environment for a long time. But here’s where the diabetes connection comes into play…

Researchers found that both carbaryl and carbofuran are structurally similar to melatonin. That’s the hormone that controls your body’s circadian rhythm – or internal clock.

And your circadian rhythm does much more than controlling your sleep cycles.

It also controls the metabolism of some brain-wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration, and other biological activities, including glucose

levels and insulin secretion — key factors in type 2 diabetics.

There’s a very delicate balance between the release of insulin from your pancreas and glucose levels in your blood, at very specific times of the day. Studies show that if the balance gets disrupted for long periods of time, it can trigger the development of diabetes.3

That’s exactly what the insecticides carbaryl and carbofuran do. They mimic melatonin and wreak havoc with your circadian rhythms.

This disruption of your body’s natural circadian rhythm substantially raises your risk of diabetes. Along with a whole host of other diseases including:

  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Respiratory problems
  • Depression
  • Breast, prostate, and colon cancer
  • Obesity

Eat These 3 Superfoods to Flush Pesticides From Your Body

In a recent letter, I shared how to protect yourself from the deadliest pesticide of all time. The next step in protecting yourself is to get rid of the toxic accumulation of chemicals in your body. One great way to do this is by detoxifying superfoods.

Foods rich in vitamin C like fruits, berries, and fresh vegetables will help do the trick, along with fiber-rich nuts and seeds. But some foods are superstars when it comes to flushing the toxins from your system:

    1. Make grapefruit your citrus of choice. Grapefruit contains naringenin, a potent antioxidant that decreases your body’s insulin resistance to help prevent diabetes and reprogram your liver to melt excess fat, instead of storing it. This is extremely important for detoxification because insecticide toxins like carbaryl and carbofuran tend to collect in the fat around your tissues. Eating grapefruit will help you stop this process.
    2. Eat the oldest food on earth. Spirulina is a kind of blue-green algae and the world’s richest source of vitamins, minerals, iron, protein, and a host of other nutrients. But, it’s also a powerful detoxifier.
    3. Go green with barley grass. This superfood is made up of unique amino acid chains. And it’s so well balanced, it has the EXACT blend of amino acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that you need for optimum health. The major contributors behind its detoxification powers are the trace elements zinc, selenium, and copper. High levels of beta-carotene energize the cleansing of waste materials such as mucus and crystallized acids, and it has a powerful detoxifying effect on your liver.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Al Sears, MD, CNS

 

References:

1. Juntarawijit, C, et al. “Association between diabetes and pesticides: a case-control study among Thai farmers.” Environ Health Prev Med. 2018; 23: 3
2. Popovska-Gorevski M, Dubocovich ML, et al. “Carbamate Insecticides Target Human Melatonin Receptors.” Chem Res Toxicol. 2017.
3. Bouatia-Naji N,, Bonnefond A, et al. “A variant near MTNR1B is associated with increased fasting plasma glucose levels and type 2 diabetes risk.” Nat Gen. 41, 89 – 94; 7 Dec 2008.