Acidic Drinking Water and Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes
This article is very intriguing to me and raises several issues. The findings of this study show that acidic municipal water led to a fourfold increase in risk of developing Type 1 DM. Zinc was also evaluated, and higher levels were protective. The authors suggest that the acidity may work indirectly by fostering the growth of certain types of bacteria that influence risk. A few comments here. First, this just strengthens the case for filtered/bottled water. Second, zinc is known to help modulate the Th1/Th2 cytokine expression–might this help guide the immune system into proper development and avoid autoimmune disorders? Or might the zinc support healthy immune function and override any infections that may lead to Type 1 DM? Stay tuned…
Dia Care — Abstracts: Stene et al. 25 (9): 1534