COMMON household items can increase women’s risk of developing diabetes, experts warn.
A study discovered women exposed to a chemicals found in certain plastics have up to 63 per cent higher chance of developing the silent killer.
GettyPersonal care products and children’s toys contain the dangerous chemicals[/caption]
Personal care products, children’s toys, and food and drink packaging all contain the dangerous chemicals – known as phthalates.
Previous studies have already associated the chemicals with reduced fertility in women.
Lead author of the study, Sung Kyun Park of University of Michigan said: “People are exposed to phthalates daily increasing their risk of several metabolic diseases.
“It’s important that we address [the chemicals] now as they are harmful to human health.”
The researchers studied 1,308 women for over six years to see if phthalates contributed to incident diabetes.
They found white women exposed to high levels of some phthalates had a 30-63 per cent higher chance of developing diabetes.
However, the harmful chemicals were not linked to diabetes in Black or Asian women.
Some 4.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have diabetes, of which 90 per cent have type 2.
The main difference between the type 1 and type 2 diabetes is that type 1 diabetes is a genetic condition that often shows up early in life, and type 2 is mainly lifestyle-related and develops over time.
Both conditions are serious, but type 2 is currently on the rise thanks to soaring obesity levels.
The condition raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes among other complications.
What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is when the insulin the pancreas makes can’t work properly, or the pancreas can’t make enough insulin. This means blood glucose (sugar) levels become too high.
According to the NHS, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes to watch out for include:
Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
Feeling thirsty all the time
Feeling very tired
Losing weight without trying to
Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
Getting cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
Having blurred vision
A separate study, found certain kitchen utensils could quadruple their risk of cancer.
Researchers found that so-called ‘forever chemicals’, known as perfluooctane sulfate, are lurking on pots, pans, spoons and other household items.