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Research Commentary;

How Aluminum Can Effect Your Food

Quantification of the Aluminum Content Leached into Foods Baked Using Aluminum Foil

Fermo P, Soddu G, Miani A, Comite V. Quantification of the Aluminum Content Leached into Foods Baked Using Aluminum Foil. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 12;17(22):8357. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17228357. PMID: 33198078; PMCID: PMC7696975.

By Dr. Bryan Stephens

Summarized Review Conclusions

Aluminum foil has been a go to for either lining a baking sheet or a grill when cooking. I was surprised to learn myself this past week that when we cook with the foil, the food can actually absorb the aluminum which we then eat and absorb. This can add to aluminum toxicity which causes issues with nausea, mouth ulcers, skin ulcers, skin rashes, vomiting, diarrhea and arthritic pain. It also shows adverse effects on the nervous system and can result in loss of memory, problems with balance and loss of co-ordination. The study looked at the differences between beef, chicken, and fish wrapped in foil and baked with either seasoning or no seasoning. Beef was found to absorb more aluminum when it was not seasoned and baked when wrapped in foil while chicken and fish were found to absorb more aluminum when baked with seasoning.

“The neurotoxicity of Al has been proven, and it has also been found that chronic aluminum intake causes Alzheimer’s disease.”

Aluminum concentration detected in beef baked without wrapping in aluminum foil (BNW), beef baked in aluminum foil without seasoning (BNS), and beef baked in aluminum foil with some seasoning (BS). LOD: limit of detection.

Aluminum concentration detected in chicken baked without wrapping in aluminum foil (CNW), chicken baked in aluminum foil without seasoning (CNS), and chicken baked in aluminum foil with some seasoning (CS). LOD: limit of detection.

Aluminum concentration detected in fish baked without wrapping in aluminum foil (FNW), fish baked in aluminum foil without seasoning (FNS), and fish baked in aluminum foil with some seasoning (FS). LOD: limit of detection.

“The aim of this study was to demonstrate that under real cooking conditions, the phenomenon of aluminum leaching from aluminum foil to the food occurs and should arouse attention and concern.”

Introduction to the Research

Aluminum is a very common element and is utilized very often in food preparation and storage. It can also readily be found in cosmetics in and deodorants. This adds to the increasing levels of aluminum found in people as well as contributes to the increasing levels of aluminum toxicity. This is increasingly of concern as food is the main source of exposure to aluminum. As some grains and vegetables already have aluminum, it becomes important to limit our exposure from other sources such as meat that is wrapped in foil and cooked.

Research Methodology

Chicken, beef, and fish samples (about 100 g of product) were baked in a commercial brand oven, such as those commonly found in domestic kitchens, for 1 h at a temperature of 180 °C. These conditions were chosen as they are considered representative of the typical household cooking conditions for this kind of food. For each type of food, three tests were carried out: a sample was cooked in a Pyrex pan, a sample was wrapped in aluminum foil, and a sample was wrapped in aluminum foil in the presence of seasoning (oil, salt, and lemon for chicken and fish, oil and salt for meat). The aluminum foil used was a commercial brand available on the market. The foil used had a thickness of about 20 μm and a chemical composition, tested by SEM-EDS analysis, that corresponded to 100% by weight of Al.

Research Findings

As can be seen in the graphs above, aluminum leached into beef more without the presence of seasoning while chicken and fish carried more aluminum in the presence of seasoning. The amounts of aluminum noted came close to the weekly tolerance levels allowed by the WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.

Research References

As always with these reviews, these are my takeaways from the article and I encourage you to read the article in its entirety. The references used in this article by the authors of this article are listed here.

Our Message

When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our Chiropractors located in Dallas, near the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd., will teach you what the research says about how and why we should eat a better diet, move more and have more positive thoughts. By improving these areas of our lives we can become healthier, stay out of pain and reduce risk of diabetes and other diseases!

Brian Dugger On January 6, 2023 / How We Eat

Chiropractor Shares Research on How Aluminum Can Effect Your Food