Arsenic Exposure Link to Diabetes?

Hi guys,

This is the second installment in the toxicity theme -this time I am reporting the possible link between arsenic and the development of diabetes investigated by researchers from John Hopkins. 
Dr. Ana Navas-Acien at John Hopkins has reported a FOUR FOLD, yes 400 per cent increase in the risk of diabetes in 788 adults involved in the study who had low levels of arsenic - which has been used in rat poison - in their urine. They were compared with people who had even lower urinary levels of arsenic. Now previous  research has linked HIGH levels of arsenic to diabetes, but researchers were wondering if low levels were also linked to diabetes - and how low - hence this newer study. Dissolving of minerals containing arsenic can occur naturally and can then become detectible in our water supply. It can also occur as a pollutant as a result of  industrial contamination from copper smelting and coal burning. Now seafood also contains arsenic, but usually in a non toxic organic form. Anyway, the researchers adjusted their data to account for this fact -but still found that people with diabetes had arsenic levels 26 per cent higher compared to subjects free from diabetes. The article is available in the seventh issue of the JAMA magazine in 2008.