Aluminum plays an important role in the coordinated functioning of the human body - it helps the process of restoration of connective tissue and epithelium, participates in the formation of phosphate complexes and peptides, together with calcium it strengthens the skeleton, and has a regulating effect on digestive enzymes.
Small doses of the substance entering the human body will not cause harm, but high concentrations are dangerous. Therefore, at the first symptoms of poisoning, you must consult a doctor.
Only in this case is there a chance to avoid negative consequences, because Excess aluminum causes a number of serious chronic diseases, including a particular danger to the brain.
Are aluminum spoons more expensive than gold?
Aluminum spoons are like jewels!
It took Wöhler two decades to obtain granulated metal, but the scientist’s efforts were not in vain. The fact is that jewelers will like the “new” material so much for its properties that they actively began to use it in the production of jewelry.
Can you imagine that aluminum, from which forks and spoons were made in large quantities for Soviet canteens, was once valued more than gold?
This was the case until they learned how to mass produce it. And now I will surprise you again: this mineral is in the body of each of us, and not just inside the liquid Terminator invented by the Americans. Therefore, perhaps, it is worth checking whether you carry an acceptable amount of this metal in you or are close in its level to the specified hero?
How much aluminum do you have?
Indeed, this mineral is important not only in science and technology, but also in the human body, so we should definitely find out which foods contain aluminum.
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Products containing aluminum
Oats contain the most natural aluminum.
Valuable sources of aluminum are cereals. There is especially a lot of it in oats, wheat, and rice. Naturally, the best absorption of this substance by the body occurs from sprouts, and not from purified store-bought cereals that have been stripped of their useful shell.
So, 100 g of oats is approximately 1970 mcg of aluminum, the same amount of wheat gives us an average of 1500 mcg of this mineral.
By the way, store-bought bread is also distinguished by its increased content due to thermophilic yeast and baking in aluminum forms. But is it worth replenishing the reserves of this substance in the body in such a dubious way? It is much safer to obtain natural aluminum from high-quality plant foods in its original form.
Potatoes aren't far behind either.
Vegetables are products rich in aluminum, and they are completely different, for every taste: banal potatoes, sweet green peas, eggplant, beloved by many. Or do you prefer exotic things like avocados, artichokes or savoy cabbage? Look for Jerusalem artichoke on the market, it also contains the mineral we are interested in. Of the fruits, kiwi can be especially highlighted, as well as apples and strawberries.
Interestingly, the level of this mineral in plant foods is about a hundred times higher than in foods of animal origin. I would also like to draw your special attention to the fact that aluminum is not only found in the foods listed above. In it, he is in his natural state and brings us benefits.
You may not realize it, but this mineral enters our body every day from completely different sources, which can result in the harmful properties of aluminum being realized.
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What else does aluminum contain?
Aluminum is logically found in aluminum cookware.
This mineral is used by water supply workers as part of potassium alum to purify tap water, and it is they that give it an unpleasant brown tint by binding the organic substances in it. So, I don’t recommend drinking it!
The aluminum utensils that I mentioned earlier in the article are also a source of this metal: spoons, forks, bowls, baking dishes.
This also includes cans. And we are talking not only about food, but also about drinks. Think about what beer and soft drinks are sold in (all those popular Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, gin and tonics). There is nothing useful in them anyway, so they also take metal with them.
Of course, manufacturers will assure us that the protective layer that covers the inner walls of the cans works 100%. However, who can actually give us such a guarantee? In addition, the packaging is often deformed and the integrity of the protection is compromised. Add to the factors listed above also food with preservatives.
Aluminum in products can be found in the form of food additives E520-E523, which are its sulfates.
They are often added to the already mentioned canned goods, as well as to sausages and various confectionery products.
I advise you, just for fun, to just walk around the supermarket and spend time reading the packaging. I am sure you will learn a lot of interesting things about the products that you still buy or bought in the past. The main thing is to remember the numbers.
Do you like to bake food in foil?
Aluminum enters our body along with food foil, in which we bake various dishes or store them in the refrigerator. Our choice, of course, is small - either aluminum foil or plastic bags. If you wish, you can get environmentally friendly wax paper for packaging products, and use ceramic molds for baking.
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Aluminum in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals
A powerful dose of aluminum reaches you through deodorants.
If you use antiperspirants, then know that every day, along with a pleasant-smelling liquid, you apply aluminum to your body. There is quite a lot of it there - almost a quarter of the total volume.
Why? It’s just that this mineral has the property of drying out our skin - aluminum salts clog the pores and, thereby, prevent sweat and all the harmful substances that ask to come out with it from leaving our body. So, the role of aluminum in the fight against sweating is very ambiguous.
By the way, modern decorative cosmetics are also created on the basis of aluminum. We are talking about lipsticks, mascara, creams and powders.
It is also found in medications for digestion, to improve kidney function, in painkillers, enveloping and adsorbing drugs. Moreover, the vaccines that children are vaccinated with today mostly include loading doses of aluminum.
In order not to completely confuse you, I will draw a disappointing conclusion. Yes, aluminum plays an important role in the human body, yes, it must be regularly supplied to it. But! This mineral must be taken from natural sources.
Products containing aluminum will not harm you if it was “put” there by nature itself, and not added by the “caring” hand of a technologist.
Do you see? The effect of aluminum on the human body can be both beneficial and dangerous. Your health may depend on the form and quantity in which this metal enters your body today.
Just think about it: the toxic dose of aluminum for an adult is an amount of 50 mg.
And now - attention! Can you answer the question exactly how much aluminum you get every day from polluted air and tap water, canned and chemically processed foods, deodorants and decorative cosmetics, painkillers and vaccinations? I am not sure…
Being aluminum is stylish and fashionable
