Bitter sweet mess
It is well established that exposure to dioxins can lead to reproductive problems and cancer. Now, a recent analysis has found a correlation between the harmful chemical and diabetes. Researchers from Ontario-based University of Guelph have analysed a variety of epidemiological studies and found that high levels of dioxins can increase the risk of suffering from diabetes. The studies involved employees of German and us chemical factories, local Italian population that was exposed to dioxins following explosion in a chemical factory; and us air force veterans who had sprayed defoliants during the Vietnam war.
During the analysis, the researchers found numerous subtle links. For instance, the levels of dioxins in us factory workers were around thirty times more than the unexposed people. Higher incidences of diabetes were also recorded among them. As for the us air force veterans, the researchers found that all of them had higher incidences of glucose abnormalities