Insecticides Linked to Autoimmune Disorders

In yet another reason why you should ditch toxic household supplies, recent research shows that there may be a link between exposure to household insecticides which include roach and mosquito killers, and the autoimmune disorders rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Epidemiologist Christine Parks, and lead investigator of the study, said that while not all correlations can be accounted for, i.e. it’s possible that the women in the study have something else in common that accounts for their higher risk of developing an autoimmune disorder, the findings still do raise a red flag.

Previous research has already linked agricultural pesticides to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which is one reason why, in spite of arguments that say otherwise, you should eat organic food. The new research points to even smaller doses of insecticides having the same harmful effects as agricultural pesticides.

According to the research, “Women who reported applying insecticides or mixing them – (about half of the women studied) — had a higher risk of developing the two autoimmune disorders than women who reported no insecticide use. This was the case whether or not they had lived on a farm. Those who used or mixed the insecticides the most — judged by frequency or duration — had double the risk.”

The insecticides that the women reported using included insect killers, such as those designed to eradicate ants, wasps, termites, mosquitoes and roaches but did not include insect repellents.

The end result is that the researchers on the study recommend that people read the labels of the products they use and take precautions to minimize their personal exposure to insecticides. It’s also important to note that insecticides have also been shown to cause male sexual and fertility problems.

Luckily you don’t need toxic products. You can use natural bug fighting methods and keep yourself and your kids safe from insecticides.

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