A large amount of scientific data has been showing that aluminum has neurotoxic effect and chronic exposure to it has been linked to neurological problems like autism, dementia, and Parkinson’s. Sadly, due to insufficient longitudinal studies, there is no scientific proof that would make industries pull out aluminum from their products. However, little room is left to doubt of the toxicity of aluminum.
The Connection between Aluminum & Alzheimer’s
According to a recent case study done by the Keele University in the UK, there were high amounts of aluminum found in the brain of a person who has been exposed to aluminum at work and later died as a result of Alzheimer’s. At the age of 66, this Caucasian man developed an aggressive type of early onset Alzheimer’s after 8 years of being exposed to aluminum dust.
However, this is not the first time that high levels of aluminum have been found in tissues of people dead from Alzheimer’s. Namely, back in 2004, they were discovered in the tissues of a woman from Britain who also from early-onset Alzheimer’s. This happened sixteen years after an industrial dumping of 20 metric tons of aluminum sulphate into the local drinking water. Other studies also found increased aluminum levels in living people with wide range of neurological signs.
Aluminum Is an Occupational Hazard
For people who work in industries like welding, agriculture, mining, and factory work, aluminum exposure is an occupational hazard. Also, it is important to note that one is ingesting vapors of aluminum whenever we catch cigarette smoke. The inhaled dust or vapor creates aluminum residues going into the lungs in an absorbable form and further into the bloodstream and are then transported throughout the whole body, including the brain and bones. The aluminum powder has been linked to pulmonary fibrosis.
Aluminum Is Literally Everywhere!
Though it is naturally found in water, air, and soil, we are adding to the amount with the mining and processing of aluminum ores, the production of aluminum products, and the operation with coal-fired power plants and incinerators. Did you know that aluminum cannot be destroyed in the environment, but it merely shifts its form through the attachment or separation with other particles?
And, rain washes its particles from the air into the waters where it piles up, rather than disintegrate. Those who reside next to an industrial area have a higher than average exposure. The CDC notes that an average adult in the U.S. consumes around 7 to 9 mg of aluminum on the daily from food and from the air and water and one percent of the ingested aluminum is absorbed in the body. The remaining amount goes out through the digestive tract (if it functions properly).
Lab tests have shown the presence of aluminum in different types of products on the market, from drinks and foods to medications. Here is a list of foods that contain it:
- Self-rising flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baby formula
- Coffee creamers
- Processed foods
- Baked goods
- Coloring and caking agents
Here are other products that were found to contain aluminum residues:
- Drugs like analgesics and antacids
- Vaccines
- Cosmetics and products for personal care like deodorants, shampoos, lotions
- Foil, cans, tins, and water bottles
Aluminum Goes Right into the Brain
Aluminum does to your central nervous system what a cigarette smoke does to the lungs. Namely, toxic metals are known to injure the brain tissues and trigger degenerative illness through the production of oxidative stress and aluminum is a major culprit. Once aluminum enters our tissues, the body finds it difficult to release it. When it has entered the body, it goes through biological barriers that normally keep toxins at bay, like the brain-blood barrier. As the time goes by, the aluminum may pile up in the brain and harm your neurological well-being, regardless of whether this is a child or a senior.
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