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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?

  1. Avoid aluminium cookware and aluminium products, such as cans, foil, antiperspirants, etc.
  2. Consume filtered water/ drink silicon rich water
Make sure your filter filters fluoride as well as other toxins.Professor Chris Exley from Keele University suggests that silicon rich mineral water helps to remove aluminium from the body. The silicon forms a complex with aluminium called a hydroxy aluminosilicate. This form of aluminium can be easily filtered from the blood by the kidneys. Hence, silicon rich mineral water increases the excretion of aluminium in the urine. As a homeopath, this makes sense to me, as we use Silica (as a tissue salt) to draw toxins or foreign objects out of the body.
  1. Avoid processed foods
Aluminium may be included in breads, biscuits, cakes, jellies or any commercially baked goods and processed foods.
  1. Consume plenty of fibre
Regular bowel movements are the best way to get toxins out of your body.
  1. Sweat
When you sweat your body releases heavy metals. Exercise and saunas are great ways to work up a sweat.
  1. Don’t get the flu shot or other unnecessary vaccines.
  2. Avoid antacids or other medications containing aluminium
  3. Consume chelators
A chelator is any type of molecule that can bind to a metallic element, allowing it to be excreted by the body. Natural chelators are chlorella, garlic and coriander, with the extra bonus of adding great flavour to our food.To test your patients for aluminium you can use the Basic Heavy Metal Test Kit containing Aluminium, Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Silver and Zinc. For a complete set of metals, we offer the Extended Heavy Metal Testing Kit including 44 vials.

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.

 

 http://www.environmentalpollution.in/waste-management/toxic-effects-of-heavy-metals-on-human-health-and-plants-industries/2967″>

http://www.environmentalpollution.in/waste-management/toxic-effects-of-heavy-metals-on-human-health-and-plants-industries/2967

 

 https://www.clearhealthnow.com/the-deadly-truth-about-aluminum/1212″>https://www.clearhealthnow.com/the-deadly-truth-about-aluminum/1212

 

 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