title: Diabetes--a man made disease.
abstract: 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 beta-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.
authors.affiliation: Living Cell Technologies Limited, 19 Laureston Avenue, Papatoetoe, Auckland 1730, New Zealand. relliott@lctglobal.com
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004777:Environment; D005511:Food Handling; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000009:adverse effects; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid