Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the body's system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease.

Nope !!!! I think it is largely genetics (I see it in my family) ...

Certain kind may be related to food intake . I read somewhere that it is an onset of organ functionality failure . Like failure to produce Insulin ...

People are also more likely to type 1 diabetes if they live in a cold climate.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the body's system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease.

A study in 2012 showed that some behavioral and environmental factors such as: sedentary lifestyle, high-fat diets, obesity, chronic exposure to organic land pollutants, air pollution, chemical contaminants in food, ... play roles in type 2 diabetes .

Dear Marianna,

Sheela and Ahmad Alrawashdeh are both right. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the related alleles of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are split off by oxidants including high doses of radiation, pesticides, and biopharmaceuticals including antibiotics. They destroy by attacking the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.

Many environmental factors can be risk for diabetes. Stress hormones, particularly cortisol, raise blood glucose levels and blood pressure. They do this so muscles involved in fight or flight will have enough fuel.

Type 2 diabetes is usually blamed on people’s genes or their behavior, not on the environment. But diabetes rates are soaring worldwide. Genes could not change that fast. Here are five ways environmental changes are causing diabetes.

This information is updated from the book Diabetes: Sugar-Coated Crisis, published in 2007. Since then, things have changed, mostly for the worse. Hopefully, knowing how the environment makes people sick will help you protect yourself against it.

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Unhealthful food. People were not made to eat large quantities of refined carbohydrates — the “white things,” such as sweets, breads, pastas, etc. These foods don’t occur in nature and do not trigger normal digestion and absorption.

Refined carbohydrates. Carbs that have had their bran and germ layers — which contain most of the fiber and nutrients — removed are widely available, cheap, taste good, and may well be addictive. They raise your serotonin and dopamine levels, making you feel good for a short while. Then your blood glucose drops and you feel miserable again, and you need another fix.

Barriers to physical activity. People used to move their bodies in the course of work, food gathering, transportation, and recreation. Most of this is now done by machines, so you have to consciously seek physical activity. This is much harder when you have too many other demands, not enough support, and mixed motivation. (“Life is hard enough already without having to exercise.”)

Stress. Stress is the body’s response to a threat, often called the “fight-or-flight” response. Stress hormones, particularly cortisol, raise blood glucose levels and blood pressure. They do this so muscles involved in fight or flight will have enough fuel.

Under stress, only the cells actually being used to run away or fight will open to insulin. Other cells close off (become “insulin resistant”) to save the glucose fuel for the cells that are working. Stress also causes the liver to release even more glucose into the blood for fight or flight.

Stress is a life-saving response when you’re being chased by a bear. But with modern stresses, we can’t fight or flee. Note that being chased by a bear only lasts a few minutes. Then your system can recover. But modern stresses go on 24/7, so we can’t recover.

Social isolation. People don’t realize how social mobility and moving all the time endangers health. Social isolation is increasing, and it is stressful. Loneliness may be the number one cause of premature death. Humans are primates, and like all the apes, we feel better and stronger when we have other people on our side.

Exposure to chemical pollution. As I have written here before, chemicals in food, water, plastic packaging, and cleaning and beauty care products have all been found to increase insulin resistance and diabetes.

Notice that these risks are not evenly spread through society. People with less money, less education, and less social status usually have less access to healthful food. They also have more barriers to exercise, more stress, and often more exposure to chemicals.

People who have had hard lives, like a history of trauma or a difficult childhood, also have more of these risk factors.

So what can you do?

Healthful eating in difficult circumstances may still be possible. Read some good advice here and here.

Unless you are completely paralyzed, physical activity is always possible. Even if you can’t walk, there are seated exercises. If you have trouble getting moving, here are some strategies that might help.

Reducing stress may be the most important thing. Keys are getting out of stressful situations, finding help, and accepting that you are not perfect and it’s OK to make mistakes. Read more about reducing stress here.

Along with reducing stress, you can manage it with relaxation, prayer, meditation, social support, and other approaches mentioned here.

Chemical pollution may be harder to avoid. And since nobody knows for sure if a particular case of diabetes is caused by pollution, it’s hard to get anyone to take it seriously. Still, you want to avoid heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and chromium. Try to reduce exposure to some of the chemicals mentioned on a website called Diabetes and the Environment.

If you are lonely or lack support, you are in a crowded boat. Reach out to someone in your neighborhood, church, workplace, or online to find some connection. Some of these ideas might be useful too.

The point is: Diabetes isn’t your fault. Your genes and/or behavior may have played a role, but the environment is much more important. Do the best you can with the life you’re in, and don’t be afraid to make some changes. Start with small steps. Any success, no matter how small, reduces stress and makes the next step easier.

The answer to your question is 'yes'. Please take a look at the following RG links and PDF attachment.

Article Environmental Risk Factors for Developing Type 2 Diabetes Me...

Article Environmental risk factors for type 1 diabetes

Article Environmental Pollution and Diabetes Mellitus

Article Air Pollution and Type 2 Diabetes

Article Association between diabetes and pesticides: A case-control ...

Article Effect of environmental air pollution on type 2 diabetes mellitus

Article Epidemiology of air pollution and diabetes

Article Exposures to road traffic, noise, and air pollution as risk ...

Yes, environmental factors could be risk factors for diabetes. In my opinion, science has not yet fully identified the environmental impacts. Environmental factors will gain more importance in the upcoming period. In other words; the impact and importance of environmental factors on health will be better determined.

Few days ago it was revealed that chemical substance in the bread named propionat could predispose to diabetes

Environmental factors such as chemical pollutants as well as stressful life can contribute or make it risk factors