Posts Tagged ‘environment’

It seems that anything is a risk factor for disease nowadays, and environmental pollution is one of the top culprits. While we know that diet and exercise can play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, a new Ohio State University Medical Center study has found a strong connection between the disease and air pollution. When studying mice with diabetes, every mouse that was exposed to a high fat diet, along with exposure to inhaled particulates, had marked worsening of diabetes. Tests show that air pollution can cause inflammation, increase in body fat, and disruption in insulin processing, which is a hallmark of diabetes.  Although this was a mouse study, it’s interesting to note that the greatest increase in diabetes in humans are occurring in urban areas where people are more frequently exposed to air of poor quality.

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A new report from the Environmental Working Group, a public health watchdog organization, says that in the 10 brands of bottled water they tested contaminant levels in some samples exceeded industry and state standards. The group is concerned that fertilizer residue, disinfection byproducts, and even pain medication is leaching into our sources for bottled water. The group advocates drinking tap water over bottled water because tap water suppliers must provide information to consumers regarding contaminants, filtration techniques, and source water, whereas bottled water companies do not. EWG says, “Consumers should drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water. Americans pay an average of two-tenths of a cent per gallon to drink water from the tap. A carbon filter at the tap or in a pitcher costs a manageable $0.31 per gallon (12 times lower than the typical cost of bottled water), and removes many of the contaminants found in public tap water supplies.” Full story.

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