Sometimes the charm of cosmetic products can turn into obsession and can leave a mark on our health that can never be retrieved. So, the ladies who give into this charm have not avoiding damage due to the presence of phthalates in commonly found in personal care products such as moisturizers, nail polishes, soaps, hair sprays and perfumes.
They are also used in adhesives, electronics, toys and a variety of other products. A new study has found the presence of these phthalates in the body of women who use much of these products in their daily health like nail polishes.
A new study led by Researchers Tamarra James-Todd, PhD, a researcher in the Division of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), has redefined the association between increased concentrations of phthalates in the body and an increased risk of diabetes in women because of them.
When the researchers examined the urinary concentrations of phthalates in 2,350 women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that women with higher levels of phthalates in their urine were more likely to have diabetes.
Basically they gave the following points of research…
- Women who had the highest levels of the chemicals mono-benzyl phthalate and mono-isobutyl phthalate generally had almost twice the risk of diabetes compared to women with the lowest levels of those chemicals. Women with higher than median levels of the chemical mono-(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate had approximately a 60 per cent increased risk of diabetes. Thus, such phthalates can make harmful effects.
- Women with moderately high levels of the chemicals mono-n-butyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate had approximately a 70 percent increased risk of diabetes.
- The study done in America’s population consisted of a representative sample of American women and was controlled for socio-demographic, dietary and behavioral factors. However, the women self-reported their diabetes and researchers caution against reading too much into the study due to the possibility of reverse causation.
Thus, in a different way this study has revealed a connection between phthalates and diabetes and is an important first step said Dr. James-Todd. According to the finding report published in the July 13, 2012 online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, in addition to being present in personal care products, phthalates also exist in certain types of medical devices and medication that is used to treat diabetes and this could also explain the higher level of phthalates in diabetic women. So overall, more research is needed.
