We all use aluminum foil in the kitchen, for cooking, and wrapping, and we often use it to treat some common ailments. Yet, a recent study has found that there are some important things we do not know about this kitchen staple.
First of all, aluminum is a neurotoxic metal that has severe side-effects on the function of the brain and has even been associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
According to medical experts, the exposure to this toxic metal might cause long- lasting adverse effects, including mental decline, and loss of balance, memory, coordination, and bodily control.
This study has found that cooking with aluminum foil affects the bones, as aluminum builds up inside the bones and takes the space of calcium, reducing its levels.
Moreover, researchers have related cooking with aluminum foil with pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory issues as a result of the inhalation of aluminum particles. The same effects are achieved in the case of grilling with aluminum.
Numerous people are still unaware of the fact that when aluminum foil is exposed to high temperatures, it emits parts of the metal into the food, and the heavy metal might leech in it.
Dr. Essam Zubaidy, a chemical engineering researcher at the American University of Sharjah, has evaluated the effects of aluminum on cooking and found that a meal cooked in aluminum foil can include up to 400mg of aluminum.
This means that “The higher the temperature, the more the leaching. Foil is not suitable for cooking and is not suitable for using with vegetables like tomatoes, citrus juice or spices.”
The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for aluminum, according to the World Health Organization, is limited to 60mg daily.
*Article originally appeared at Healthy Food House.
