Swedes warned snus tobacco raises diabetes risk

Researchers in Sweden have issued a warning over snus -
 the country's favourite nicotine hit - challenging claims it 
is a risk-free alternative to smoking.

Snus is a moist tobacco which is placed under the user's
 lip.

The product, which comes in flavours including mint, 
lemon and coffee, is banned in all EU states except 
Sweden.

A study published in The Journal of Internal Medicine 
said using snus presents a serious diabetes risk.

Researchers found that one or more pots of snus per 
day increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 
70% - the same risk level as smoking a packet of
 cigarettes a day.

Five to six pots a week - a slightly lower consumption
 level -increases the risk by 40%.

Researchers from Umea University, Lund University and 
the Karolinska Institute followed 54,500 snus users 
between 1990 and 2013 to compile the study.

The link between snus and diabetes is nicotine, which 
can hamper the body's sensitivity to insulin.

This hormone helps regulate blood sugar levels, and
 diabetes can develop when the body does not react to 
insulin effectively.

Sweden has the lowest number of smokers in the EU , 
at around 16.7%. But around 19% of Swedish men and 
4% of women use snus - some in a bid to quit cigarettes.

Many believe that snus is still a safer choice, as it contains fewer toxins than tobacco smoke. The link between snus 
and heart disease or cancer is therefore weaker than with smoking.

Dr Sofia Carlsson, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute, 
told The Local : "The current picture in Sweden is that snus
 is not as dangerous as smoking, and there is some 
evidence for that too -but importantly, there haven't been 
that many studies on Swedish snus.

"Our results suggest you should leave both snus and 
smoking alone if you want to reduce your risk of
 diabetes."