Aluminum Foil, how toxic is it really? from luis huang's blog

We have all heard of the many things in our lives that can be bad and harm us and I believe that knowledge is the key to good health. Let’s face it; companies are out to make money, as much as they can, so often we don’t hear the whole truth. Here are some facts about aluminum foil you may have not heard about.

Aluminum foil is a neurotoxin

Oxford’s dictionary defines neurotoxin as; neu·ro·tox·in (noun)

· 1.a poison that acts on the nervous system.

Aluminum is a naturally occurring metal in the earth. We are all exposed to small amounts of it from the air, food, water, and soil. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the acceptable dose of aluminum per day should not exceed 1 mg per kg of body weight.2 Many sources show that on average we consume about 9 mg aluminum per day in food.4

Researchers say that, because aluminum has no physiological role in the human body, it has the potential to cause significant detrimental effects when consumed.

Scientists are finding out that increased levels of aluminum can negatively affect brain function. They have said that over-exposure to aluminum can cause memory impairment, learning difficulties, central nervous system disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Sounds like a neurotoxin to me!

The finding from International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease after looking at the aluminum-Alzheimer link found that people with Alzheimer’s disease have elevated levels of aluminum in brain cells. This journal reports that aluminum can enter the bloodstream through the gastrointestinal tract and then that same aluminum can enter the brain through the blood. This can cause severe health problems in people, especially infants, the elderly, and people with kidney disease.5

The journal Neurotoxicology also published a study and found that exposure to aluminum does affect brain function and causes “behavioral, neuropathological, and neurochemical changes.” They recommend that “avoidance of aluminum exposure, when practical, seems prudent.”6

This theory was also proven when a 2014 study showed that a 66-year-old man who died with Alzheimer’s disease had significantly elevated aluminum content in his brain, following eight years of occupational exposure. While the study noted that it was the respiratory system that was exposed to aluminum dust, we now know that there is a direct link between aluminum ingestion and Alzheimer’s disease.

The author of the (2102)study and Head of the Chemistry Division at Ain Shams University, Ghada Bassioni states, cooking with aluminum foil can cause levels of aluminum in food that are unacceptable according to the values outlined by the WHO.2

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry says that aluminum toxicity can affect health. They have linked exposure to aluminum to decreased functions of the central nervous system, Alzheimer’s disease, and bone diseases.4

Aluminum foil is not fully inert meaning it can react. Food cooked or prepared in aluminum foil has been shown to have significantly higher levels of aluminum than if they were prepared in another way.