Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Alzheimer's, cardiovascular, and other chronic diseases; biomarkers, lifestyle, supplements, drugs, and health care.
laurie
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:04 pm
Location: Melrose
Contact:

Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by laurie »

This is a follow up to my post “Aluminum as a causal factor of Alzheimer’s”

I haven't seen a post on this site about sources of aluminum so I thought this might be helpful to people.

It is estimated that 4% of the aluminum you ingest today will still be in your body 50 years later. This is a reason why aging is considered a risk factor for Alzheimer’s - we have had many more years to accumulate aluminum in our brain and bodies.

After I learned about the link between Aluminum and Alzheimer’s I decided to take action to reduce my aluminum intake. I started drinking silica water as it is the most effective way of eliminating aluminum but I wanted to also reduce my aluminum intake. I have been shocked at how many sources of aluminum there are in our daily lives. I have made a list of sources of aluminum and words to look for on product labels. I will put the link to this sheet at the bottom of my post.

Pots and pans, deodorant, and baking powder have been in the media as being sources of aluminum. However there are many other sources of aluminum most people may not be aware of, I wasn’t. The source that shocked me the most was drinking water. If the drinking water source is from surface water Alum which is an aluminum salt is sometimes used to coagulate the solids. Yes there is a “safe level” guideline of aluminum in drinking water however Aluminum is listed as a secondary standard and doesn’t need to be reported on water quality reports. The EPA does not enforce these secondary maximum contaminant levels. I live in Massachusetts and 119 communities use Alum to treat the drinking water. There are safer chemicals such as ferric sulfate which can be used to coagulate out solids. A student in Florida did calculations and found this was less expensive alum. Cement lined pipes or cement storage facilities leach aluminum. My drinking water is not treated with water but it does contain aluminum because of cement.

Over the past few years I have been compiling a list of foods, pharmaceuticals, etc. which contain aluminum and have been trying to find safer alternatives. I am now making my own baking powder with cream of tartar. My husband did an analysis of a few brands of “aluminum free” baking powder and they had aluminum (most likely a result of a contaminant in one of the ingredients).
If you have any other products which should be listed or if you have found a safe alternative I haven’t listed please let me know.

I started slow and looked at my daily sources of aluminum. The first changes I made were filtering my drinking water, making my own baking powder (I love to bake), and replacing a few pots, pans, baking sheets. One of the products I was really upset about was Bisquick. The leaving agent contained aluminum. I grew up eating strawberry shortcake made with Bisquick and couldn’t imagine eating anything else.

Regarding baking powder I have unknowingly been preparing pumpkin muffins with 20 mg of aluminum per muffin. My delicious pumpkin muffin when made with baking powder containing aluminum has 200 times higher aluminum levels than the safe aluminum level in a quart of drinking water. A little bit of aluminum every day can lead to a large amount of accumulated aluminum in the brain.

Reduce your daily intake of Aluminum

List of sources of aluminum

Aluminum Cookware - Pots, baking pans, cookie sheets, dutch ovens, calderos
Safer Alternative – Stainless Steel, cast iron, porcelain, ceramic

Aluminum Foil – Safer Alternatives for cooking, use nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper
For storage - plastic wrap between food and aluminum foil

Drinking Water – Aluminum in drinking water comes from alum which is used to purify
drinking water and cement lined drinking water pipes which leach aluminum.
Use pitcher style Brita Water filter to remove aluminum and keep silica in the water.
BEWARE: Some water filters add aluminum to the water.

Baking Powder – even aluminum free baking powder contains some aluminum
Safer alternative – make you own – recipe: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon corn starch (so it doesn’t cake)

Coffee/Tea Maker –the heating element in which the water is heated is usually made of aluminum
Coffee makers which have a stainless steel tube connected to the heating element
Drip Style : Krups Mocha brew, Jura Copresso MG 900, Bunn Velocity Brew, Keurig
Percolator: Faberware FCP 240-A (small), Faberware FCP 412 (large)

Alum – check your spice cabinet
Food – Products that contain baking powder (some baking powders contain Aluminum):
Pancakes, Frozen pancakes, pancake mixes, waffles, donuts, muffins, cupcakes, cakes, biscuits,
scones, corn bread, brownies, baked fruit and vegetable breads

Candy – Jelly beans, M&M’s, skittles – the dyes contain Aluminum Lake

Shredded Cheese and Salt – Alum (aluminum sulfate) or aluminum silicate are used as anticaking agents

Pickles – Alum (aluminum sulfate)

Antiperspirant - Most contain Aluminum, sometimes listed as Alum
Safer alternatives Arm and Hammer Essentials, Schimdts (there is a stick for sensitive skin which has no baking soda - baking soda causes skin irritation in some people)

Antacids most contain Aluminum Hydroxide
Safer alternative those that contain sodium carbonate

Pharmaceuticals -Prescription /over the counter
aluminum is used as a colorant, anticaking agent and astringent

Canker sore powder -Alum (aluminum sulfate)
Levothyroxine (Thyroid medication) – aluminum lake – Safer alternative 50 mcg is the only dosage that doesn’t contain aluminum lake
Domeboro – astringent– aluminum sulfate tetradecahydrate -Safer alternative – Epsom salts
Mutivitamins – colorant
Musinex 12 Hour – yellow # 10 aluminum lake
Citrucel caplets - FD&C Yellow 6 Aluminum Lake
Bayer Low dose aspirin safety coated - D&C Yellow #10 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Yellow #6 Aluminum Lake Safer atlternative Walgreens Low Dose Dye-free Asprin 81 mg
Centrum Multivitamins – sodium aluminum silicate (SAS) is present in some of the Centrum multivitamins

Cosmetics
Suntan lotion – aluminum oxide
Styptic Pencil – Alum (aluminum sulfate)
Lipstick – aluminum lake as a colorant

Look for and avoid these ingredients on food labels
Alum (aluminum sulfate), aluminum ammonium sulfate, aluminum calcium silicate, aluminum nicotinate, aluminum potassium sulfate, aluminum sodium sulfate, aluminum stearate, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium aluminum silicate, aluminum lake (aluminum hydroxide or aluminum oxide (alumina))
Artificial Food Colorants – containing Aluminum Lake
Safer Alternative – Natural Food Colorants – Color Kitchen makes good colorants for frosting
Apoe 3/4

"True prevention is only possible by first discovering the cause of a disease such as Alzheimer's."
Dennis N Crouse
circular
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 5565
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by circular »

Antacids most contain Aluminum Hydroxide
Safer alternative those that contain sodium carbonate
Hi laurie! I'm curious what product has 'sodium carbonate', or do you just buy a bag of it and use it somehow? I occasionally use the aluminum-free version of Gaviscon when I go to bed if I suspect nighttime reflux, which is only available to me in the US through online Canadian pharmacies, but it's quite expensive. My husband uses sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) if his stomach is upset. What's the difference between using sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, if you know?
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
circular
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 5565
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by circular »

Also, I've just noticed that the VOC (gas and odor) filter in my new, expensive IQAir HealthPro Plus home air filter has 'Media: MultiGasTM granulated activated carbon & impregnated activated alumina (AC/4 + IA/4)' [emphasis added]. I've come to learn that different forms of 'things' at the chemical level can have quite different impacts, good or bad. Do you or your husband have an opinion whether 'impregnated activated alumina' could be an issue if it becomes airborne? After all, usually pregnant things have babies! I'll have to ask the filter maker if they think it becomes airborne or not, and then decide whether to trust them :roll: But if it's not worrisome I can let it go.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
circular
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 5565
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by circular »

It just dawned on me that the VOC filter is between the pre-filter and the main particulate filter, so the main filter should trap any aluminum, if alumina is the same or as bad as aluminum.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
circular
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 5565
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by circular »

It seems alumina is the same as the toxic products referenced above and included in the VOC filter as an adsorbant. I guess I think that the main filter is preventing exposure, but I may have to pay a hazardous waste team to change that filter! ;)

Here’s the EWG page on alumina and aliases. In general they seem underwhelmed, but some of their notes suggest they should be more concerned.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
laurie
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:04 pm
Location: Melrose
Contact:

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by laurie »

circular wrote:
Antacids most contain Aluminum Hydroxide
Safer alternative those that contain sodium carbonate
Hi laurie! I'm curious what product has 'sodium carbonate', or do you just buy a bag of it and use it somehow? I occasionally use the aluminum-free version of Gaviscon when I go to bed if I suspect nighttime reflux, which is only available to me in the US through online Canadian pharmacies, but it's quite expensive. My husband uses sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) if his stomach is upset. What's the difference between using sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, if you know?
My father in law uses a CVS brand antacid that has calcium carbonate as the active ingredient. Sodium carbonate is more caustic than sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate therefore sodium carbonate is not used in many food products with the exception of pretzels.
Apoe 3/4

"True prevention is only possible by first discovering the cause of a disease such as Alzheimer's."
Dennis N Crouse
laurie
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:04 pm
Location: Melrose
Contact:

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by laurie »

circular wrote:Also, I've just noticed that the VOC (gas and odor) filter in my new, expensive IQAir HealthPro Plus home air filter has 'Media: MultiGasTM granulated activated carbon & impregnated activated alumina (AC/4 + IA/4)' [emphasis added]. I've come to learn that different forms of 'things' at the chemical level can have quite different impacts, good or bad. Do you or your husband have an opinion whether 'impregnated activated alumina' could be an issue if it becomes airborne? After all, usually pregnant things have babies! I'll have to ask the filter maker if they think it becomes airborne or not, and then decide whether to trust them :roll: But if it's not worrisome I can let it go.
You have identified a source we weren't aware of. Regarding it becoming airborne my husband (the chemist) says there is a possibility alumina particles could become airborne. The problem with nano particles of alumina is they have been tested with human cells and found to be cytotoxic (kills cells).
Apoe 3/4

"True prevention is only possible by first discovering the cause of a disease such as Alzheimer's."
Dennis N Crouse
circular
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 5565
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by circular »

Thanks laurie! I'm not going to worry until I see a reading of the air coming out the purifier as having either aluminum nanoparticles or a higher level of nanoparticles than what's going into the filter. If the main filter does what it says it does, I'm confident the overall decrease in exposure to harmful particulates will offset a trace amount of aluminum nanoparticles that could theoretically get through.

From the product's tech sheet: Total system efficiency ≥ 99.97% for particles ≥ 0.3 microns (individually tested), ≥ 99.5% at ≥ 0.003 microns. Whether other filters that use alumina to filter VOCs do less to prevent filtering the alumina from the ambient air would be worth looking into. And, I hasten to add, I can't say I have fully vetted the claims behind IQAir.
IQAir HealthPro Plus.pdf
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
circular
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 5565
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by circular »

Hello laurie, a new source of alumina question for the good chemist ...

I was looking into some pottery plates and mugs etc by HF Coors, a company that prides itself in not having cadmium and lead in their pottery. They indicate that cheaper, commodity pottery ware on the market does and that it will leach into the food. However, this company lists alumina as one of the minerals that goes into their pottery. I'm not really in the market for pottery, but it did make me wonder if some of my cheaper stuff could be leaching cadmium, lead, aluminum or other metals into my food, or maybe only it the pottery itself is heated? If so, maybe I am in the market for better pottery. I'm thinking the metal would need to be in the glaze to get in the food, but I wonder if the quality/hardness of the glaze affects the extent to which this happens? Now if I would just blow another wad on urine testing for metals I may have nothing to worry about, except running out of money.

Now I note that HF Coors states their pottery complies with the CA Prop 65, but alumina/aluminum are not on the large list of chemicals governed by that. The list covers chemicals 'known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity'. This looks like an important activism opportunity to get Prop 65 to also include chemicals found to be dementogens!
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
User avatar
Brian4
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 215
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 4:21 pm
Location: Boston, Stockholm, Florida, Cabo

Re: Sources of Aluminum in our daily lives, safer alternatives, words to look for on labels

Post by Brian4 »

Laurie, great info – thanks!

One thing:
laurie wrote:Use pitcher style Brita Water filter to remove aluminum and keep silica in the water.
BEWARE: Some water filters add aluminum to the water.
According one review I read (I think it was in Consumer Reports), Brita was one of the filters that added aluminum.

I looked into pitcher filters closely, and determined that ZeroWater is by far the best. I have a large one at home, and I have a small one I travel with.

Brian
ε4/ε4 (for now).
Post Reply