Aluminium – beyond aluminium cookware and antiperspirants
By now, most people are aware of the dangers of aluminium cookware and antiperspirants. Some people may not realise that a popular deodorant alternative, crystal deodorant, still contains aluminium. It’s a different type of compound known as an alum, the most common being potassium aluminium sulphate. These are natural mineral salts made up of molecules too large to be absorbed by your skin. They inhibit the growth of odour containing bacteria. So, they are not completely aluminium free.Where else is aluminium lurking?
Because aluminium is present in soil, most exposure comes from foods we eat and the water we drink. One of the biggest concerns about aluminium is that aluminium is in our drinking water and with the increase in exposure through so many sources, we don’t know how much aluminium we take in. A study led by JA Varner published in the 1998 issue of Brain Research showed that aluminium and fluoride combine in dangerous ways. The study had to be stopped because 80% of the rats died. The researchers found that fluoride allows aluminium to cross the blood-brain barrier, resulting in twice the accumulation of aluminium in the rat’s brains than those of rats give non-fluoridated water. This accumulation of aluminium resulted in dramatic brain cell degeneration.Foods such as baking powder, self-raising flour, preservatives, fillers, colouring agents, anti-caking agents, emulsifiers, firming agents, leavening agents, neutralising agents, texturisers and soy based infant formula can contain aluminium.Aluminium can also be found in dairy (milk, processed cheese, yogurt), cereals, grains, sweets such as jams, jellies, powdered or crystallin dessert products.Drugs, such as antacids, analgesics, anti-diarrhea medication, nasal sprays, vaginal douches may contain aluminium.Aluminium is used in vaccines, such as Hepatitis A and B, Hib, DTaP, pneumococcal vaccine, Gardasil and others.In cosmetics, aluminium can be found in antiperspirants, lipstick, sunscreens, shampoos and pigments.How does aluminium affect us?
When aluminium enters the body, it is absorbed and can accumulate in the kidneys, brain, lungs, liver and thyroid. Aluminium interferes with most physical and cellular processes. The exact mechanism of absorption of aluminium by the gastrointestinal tract is not understood completely.What are the symptoms?
People with aluminium toxicity display many of the same symptoms as those with dementia, Parkinson’s, ADHD, autism and other neurological disease. Mounting evidence suggests that aluminium may play a significant role in the development of these diseases and others.Dr Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, suggests that aluminium and glyphosate (Round Up) act together as synergistic poisons that promote Autism. She predicts, based on this finding that by 2025, half of all children born will be diagnosed with autism. That I find really scary.Additionally, if you are deficient in essential metals, your body will use toxic metals as “stand-ins” instead. If there is a deficiency in magnesium, then it will be replaced by aluminium.What can you do about it?
- Avoid aluminium cookware and aluminium products, such as cans, foil, antiperspirants, etc.
- Consume filtered water/ drink silicon rich water
- Avoid processed foods
- Consume plenty of fibre
- Sweat
- Don’t get the flu shot or other unnecessary vaccines.
- Avoid antacids or other medications containing aluminium
- Consume chelators
References:
Yokel, Robert A. “Aluminum in food–the nature and contribution of food additives.” (2012): 203
Järup L. Hazards of heavy metal contamination. Br Med Bull. 2003;68:167-82. Review. PubMed PMID: 14757716.
Varner JA, Jensen KF, Horvath W, Isaacson RL. Chronic administration of aluminum-fluoride or sodium-fluoride to rats in drinking water: alterations in neuronal and cerebrovascular integrity. Brain Res. 1998 Feb 16;784(1-2):284-98. PubMed PMID: 9518651.
Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff, “Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases” Entropy 2013, 15(4), 1416-1463; doi:10.3390/e15041416
https://www.keele.ac.uk/pressreleases/2016/evolution-of-life-on-earth.php