Diabetes – A man made disease

The recent increase in both forms of diabetes must be caused by a modern change in the environment. Candidate agents must satisfy at least three criteria. Firstly, the agent must have increased in the environment recently, secondly that it causes diabetes in appropriate animal models, and thirdly th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical hypotheses 2006, Vol.67 (2), p.388-391
Main Author: Elliott, R.B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antioxidants - metabolism
Ascorbic Acid - metabolism
Diabetes Mellitus - etiology
Diabetes Mellitus - immunology
Environment
Food Handling
Glycation End Products, Advanced - adverse effects
Glycosylation
Humans
Oxidation-Reduction
Thioctic Acid - metabolism
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Summary:The recent increase in both forms of diabetes must be caused by a modern change in the environment. Candidate agents must satisfy at least three criteria. Firstly, the agent must have increased in the environment recently, secondly that it causes diabetes in appropriate animal models, and thirdly that there is a plausible diabetogenic mechanism. Modern food processing can produce glycation end products, oxidised ascorbic acid and lipoic acid, all of which may cause diabetes. Infant formula in particular has high levels of glycation products, and added ascorbic acid. A casomorphin released from A1 β-casein (but not the A2 variant) can become glycated and have adverse immune effects. Food processing and additives can be posited as a man made cause of the increase in both forms of diabetes. This hypothesis does not exclude other environmental agents which meet the above three criteria.
ISSN:0306-9877
1532-2777
DOI:10.1016/j.mehy.2005.11.047