4 ms·

Other than antiperspirant, are we exposed to aluminum in a form that our bodies readily absorb? Is it ever used as a food additive?

mywittyname 9y ago
Baked goods is the primary vector (it's very common in baking powder as mentioned). But it also has uses as acidity regulators in cheeses and pickles.
reubenmorais 9y ago
Aluminium from antiperspirants is not readily absorbed. We ingest a lot more aluminium simply from our daily diets. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691500001186 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691500...
- CountSessine 9y ago
  Interesting link - thanks. So where does the aluminum in our diet come from? Is it just a mineral that gets passed up the food chain? Do we touch aluminum metal enough to contaminate our food with it?
- positr0n 9y ago
  Relevent sentences from the abstract: At this rate, about 4 μg of aluminium is absorbed from a single use of ACH on both underarms. This is about 2.5% of the aluminium typically absorbed by the gut from food over the same time period. Therefore, a one-time use of ACH applied to the skin is not a significant contribution to the body burden of aluminium.
ianai 9y ago
I'm concerned about aluminum cookware. Though maybe it doesn't leach out? Google edit- it definitely can leach.
- jxramos 9y ago
  I had an Organic Chemistry professor back in like 2001 who swore by the Al link, or at least was very cautious about it and made the lifestyle changes to eliminate all the aluminum cookware she said could leach with the cooking of acidic foods and all. Seemed a pretty easy enough thing to avoid when we went all cast iron and stainless steel. I'm curious what the history to this Al hypothesis is.
  - robotcookies 9y ago
    For at least 10 years it's been known that alzheimer's victims show deposits of aluminum in their brains. There was no conclusive cause-effect shown though. But I've been avoiding aluminum for ten years now - to be on the safe side. It's also easy enough to avoid aluminum.
- tomahunt 9y ago
  Cookware for hiking etc. commonly uses aluminium.
sevensor 9y ago
Some baking powders (used in quick breads) contain aluminum.
danielhooper 9y ago
I believe there's some in coffee mate (a non-dairy creamer)

mywittyname 9y ago

Baked goods is the primary vector (it's very common in baking powder as mentioned). But it also has uses as acidity regulators in cheeses and pickles.

reubenmorais 9y ago

Aluminium from antiperspirants is not readily absorbed. We ingest a lot more aluminium simply from our daily diets. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691500001186 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691500...

CountSessine 9y ago
Interesting link - thanks. So where does the aluminum in our diet come from? Is it just a mineral that gets passed up the food chain? Do we touch aluminum metal enough to contaminate our food with it?
positr0n 9y ago
Relevent sentences from the abstract: At this rate, about 4 μg of aluminium is absorbed from a single use of ACH on both underarms. This is about 2.5% of the aluminium typically absorbed by the gut from food over the same time period. Therefore, a one-time use of ACH applied to the skin is not a significant contribution to the body burden of aluminium.

ianai 9y ago

I'm concerned about aluminum cookware. Though maybe it doesn't leach out? Google edit- it definitely can leach.

jxramos 9y ago
I had an Organic Chemistry professor back in like 2001 who swore by the Al link, or at least was very cautious about it and made the lifestyle changes to eliminate all the aluminum cookware she said could leach with the cooking of acidic foods and all. Seemed a pretty easy enough thing to avoid when we went all cast iron and stainless steel. I'm curious what the history to this Al hypothesis is.
- robotcookies 9y ago
  For at least 10 years it's been known that alzheimer's victims show deposits of aluminum in their brains. There was no conclusive cause-effect shown though. But I've been avoiding aluminum for ten years now - to be on the safe side. It's also easy enough to avoid aluminum.
tomahunt 9y ago
Cookware for hiking etc. commonly uses aluminium.

sevensor 9y ago

Some baking powders (used in quick breads) contain aluminum.

danielhooper 9y ago

I believe there's some in coffee mate (a non-dairy creamer)