There is a strong connection between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease. Research clearly demonstrates abnormally high accumulations of aluminium within the brains of Alzheimer's victims. Independent studies performed in Norway, the United Kingdom, France and Canada, show a direct correlation between the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and aluminium concentrations in the drinking water.1,2,3,4 In fact, one British study reported in the highly respected medical journal; The Lancet, showed the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease to be 50 percent greater where drinking water contained high levels of aluminium.5
The connection between aluminium in the brain and Alzheimer's Disease is so convincing that various studies are under way to explore whether aluminium in the brain can be removed, and if so, to determine if this would be beneficial for Alzheimer's patients. One fascinating study also reported in The Lancet, showed that by administering desferrioxamine, a chemical known to remove aluminium and other metals from the body, the progression of dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease was significantly slowed.6
In a recent article appearing in the Townsend Letter for Doctors (November 1993), Dr. Michael A. Weiner, executive director of the Alzheimer's Research Institute summarized our present understanding of the dangers of Aluminium exposure when he stated "... Aluminium has been known as a neurotoxic substance for nearly a century. The scientific literature on its toxic effects has now grown to a critical mass. It is not necessary to conclude that Aluminium causes Alzheimer's disease to recommend that it be reduced or eliminated as a potential risk. It is the only element noted to accumulate in the tangle-bearing neurons characteristic of the disease and is also found in elevated amounts in four regions of the brain of Alzheimer's patients."
Our exposure to Aluminium is certainly nothing new. It is one of the most common elements in the earth's crust and has long made its way into our foods. Ancient man consumed Aluminium when rocks were used to mill grain into flour. Minimal exposure to Aluminium isn't a problem; our bodies can excrete small amounts very efficiently. Laboratory research has shown that we can handle about twenty milligrams of Aluminium ingestion each day.7 Unfortunately, most of us are exposed to and ingest far more Aluminium than our bodies can handle.
What are the sources of Aluminium that contribute to toxicity? Aluminium is an ingredient in a wide-range of items that many of us use every day. Some of these products include processed foods, medications and even personal hygiene products.
Aluminium is added as an emulsifying agent in many processed cheeses, especially those which are single-sliced. It is found in cake mixes, self-rising flour, prepared doughs, nondairy creamers, pickles and in some brands of baking powder. Aluminium lauryl sulfate is a common ingredient in many shampoos, while several anti dandruff shampoos, including Selsun-Blue, contain magnesium Aluminium silicate. Aluminium is an active ingredient in most antiperspirants (Aluminium chlorhydrate). However, since people have started becoming more aware of the dangers of Aluminium, some "Aluminium free" antiperspirants are now being advertised.
Aluminium is readily absorbed by foods cooked in Aluminium cookware. In a study conducted at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, tomatoes cooked in an Aluminium pot had a two to four milligram increase in Aluminium content per serving.8 Perhaps the most significant source of Aluminium exposure comes from medications. Most antacid preparations, for example, may contain 200 milligrams or more of elemental Aluminium in a single tablet! That's ten times more than the presumably acceptable 20 milligrams per day.
[Note: When purchasing cookware, take a magnet with you to the store to help identify steel cookware. -ed.]
ALUMINIUM
Aluminium is the most abundant metallic element in the earth's crust. It is abundant in the soil, water and air particles. Acidic rain increases the amount that is leached into our water supplies.
Aluminium is an abundant element in dirt. It is found naturally in nearly all foods and herbs. Herb companies, knowing how much Aluminium a pure herb should contain, can use a laboratory measure of Aluminium content to indicate how clean the plant (especially root material) is; extra dirt would add to the aliminum content.
Aluminium is not a "heavy metal." It is used in industry where economy, stength and light weight are needed i.e. aircraft parts and beer cans, etc.
Minute amounts of Aluminium are needed in the brain to activate vital enzyme systems. It may even play a role in protein synthesis.
There is a distinct difference between organic and inorganic forms of Aluminium.
Sources of Aluminium and Aluminium compounds
Aluminium is primarily absorbed into the body through the digestive tract. Dietary intake ranges widely from 5 to 150 mg/day. These levels do not seem to interfere with the absorption or utilization of calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, selenium, iron or magnesium. Adequate calcium intake may decrease the risk of Aluminium toxicity.
It is also absorbed through the lungs and skin.
Treated municipal water - Many municipal water supplies are treated with alum (Aluminium sulfate) to get rid of murkiness. At least seven separate studies have shown that people drinking water high in alum are more likely to develop Alzheimer's than people drinking water low in alum. The worst part is that alum can combine with fluoride in the blood to form Aluminium fluoride. About 300,000,000 pounds of sodium fluoride, an industrial waste from Aluminium refiners, is added to our water supply each year. (see Fluoridated Water)
The EPA Secondary Maximum Contaminant level for Aluminium in water is 50 ppb. City water filtered through a "Multi-pure" system is usually less than 10 ppb. Coca-Cola Classic in an Aluminium can has been measured at 6,160 ppb. (Don't be too shocked. The amounts of Aluminium in baked goods, antacids and antiperspirants leaves your Cola in the dust.)
Carbonated beverages are acidic. When doctors at John Hunter Hospital checked containers of 52 different beverages, they found soft drinks in cans contained up to 4 1/2 times the recommended amount of Aluminium that drinking water can contain. Medical Journal of Australia 156(9): 604-5, 1992
Aluminium alloy cookware and containers - Cooking utensils and Aluminium beverage cans contribute substantially to our load of Aluminium. Beer has more Aluminium when it is packaged in Aluminium cans. It is best to use stainless steel cooking containers or glass or iron cookware. The older your Aluminium cookware is the more rapidy it corrodes. Acid-forming foods dissolve Aluminium more rapidly. The amount of Aluminium ingested from cookware, however is far exceeded by the amounts ingested from food additives.
Food - Sodium Aluminium phosphate is an additive in most baking powders, cake mixes and self-rising flower.. If this form of Aluminium combines with maltol, a sugar-like flavoring agent, the resulting Aluminium compound is able to get through the blood-brain barrier 90 times as well.
Potassium alum is used to whiten bleached flour.
Aluminium compounds are widely used as additives to prepared foods. They lighten food texture, adjust acidity and keep chunks of processed vegetables and fruits firmer.
Aluminium is even used in infant formulas and beer.
Sodium aluminosilicate or Aluminium calcium silicate are added to table salt to absorb moisture and keep it from caking.
Sodium Aluminium phosphate is used as an emulsifier in processed cheese.
OTC and prescription drugs - Aluminium is found in many over-the-counter painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs and douche preparations. For instance, aspirin is commonly buffered with Aluminium hydroxide or Aluminium glycinate. If you wash down your aspirin with orange juice, the buffering powder becomes Aluminium citrate which is able to get through the blood-brain barrier five times as well.
Aluminium is included in many dental amalgams. It is added to some toothpastes. Read labels carefully for chemicals such as dihydroxyAluminium.
Aluminium chlorhydrate is a prominant component of many antiperspirants. It is DESIGNED to be absorbed. Studies show that regular use of these product can raise the risk of Alzheimer's by as much as three-fold.
Aluminium hydroxide in antacids - Aluminium hydroxide in antacids may be the most common cause of Aluminium toxicity in the United States (where antacids are widely advertised and inappropriately used). Elizabeth Jeffery, a research scientist at the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Illinois says that "A normal dose of Tums will give you 5 grams of Aluminium hydroxide a day." This is several hundred times the amount normally ingested from food sources. Besides creating digestive complications by neutralizing stomach acid, other side effects are described below.
Aluminium smelting plants - People who work in Aluminium smelting plants may experience dizziness, loss of coordination and balance and unusual fatigue. This could be the result of Aluminium accumulating in nervous tissues.
Aluminium and silicon - These are two most abundant elements in dirt. When these two elements are absorbed in the intestines they form _?_ compounds that accumulate in the cerebral cortex, blocking nerve impulses. This is agravated by calcium deficiencies.
Excretion and removal of aluminium (4 lines of defense)
The body is easily able to manage normal, natural levels of aluminium. The body excretes 74-96% of our normal dietary intake of aluminium. Most of the aluminium forms insoluble salts, especially phosphate salts, in the intestine. These are mostly excreted in the feces instead of being absorbed. In excess, however, this can produce a phosphorous deficiency which leads to calcium loss which leads to structural problems.
The aluminium that is absorbed is only poorly excreted by the kidneys and can easily accumulate in body tissues. It tends to concentrate in the brain, liver, thyroid and lungs.
The elderly and those with kidney damage are especially at risk of accumulating aluminium.
Toxicity in soft tissues and organs
Aluminium can be toxic if it is present in tissues in excessive amounts. Usually, the body shows some ability to adapt to increased aluminium intake over time. Individuals with hypophhosophatemia or abnormal bone metabolism adapt less well.
Aluminium is excreted through the kidneys. Excessive amounts damage the kidneys, impair kidney function and can cause nephritis and may produce excessive sweating. Chronic renal insufficiency increases the severity of other aluminium-induced diseases.
Gastointestinal irritation and disturbances produce colic, loss of apetite (anorexia), esophagitis, gastroenteritis
Hepatic dysfunction (decreased liver function) can result in anemia and loss of energy.
Additional symptoms include dyspnea, headaches.
Benefits of organic Aluminium in the brain
Although there is a large amount of Aluminium in dirt, it actually only found in small amounts in plants. Minute amounts of organic Aluminium are needed in the brain to catalyze (activate) important enzyme systems. The herb gotu kola, which has a reputation as a memory booster and brain enhancer is assayed to have amoung the highest levels of Aluminium of all herbs. (see Organic vs. Inorganic.)
Toxicity of inorganic Aluminium in nerve and brain tissues
Suprisingly, Aluminium is needed in very minute amounts to activate enzyme systems in the brain.
Excessive Aluminium evidently accumulates in long-lived cells such as nerve cells where it gradually poisons and kills the cells.
Brain functions are disturbed by the deposit of (even relatively small) excessive levels of Aluminium. When Aluminium salts accumulate in the brain, they reduce mental faculties. Aluminium toxicity in the brain produces symptoms similar to Alzheimer's disease. Symptoms include forgetfulness, speech disturbances, memory loss, dementia, psychosis, extreme neverousness, encephalopathy, ataxia and seizures.
Alzheimer's disease is probably directly related to accumulation of inorganic Aluminium in the brain. Aluminium-injected rats learn at a slower rate and have Aluminium concentrations in their brains parallel to thos found in the brains of Alzeheimer's patients. There has been some controversy over the concept that Aluminium deposits may be result of Alzheimer's rather than the cause of it. Some believe that Aluminium becomes deposited on the debris of dead cells.
The level of Aluminium in ground water around the world does not seem to be related to the incidence of Alzheimer's.
Aluminium toxicity can also produce motor nerve paralysis and localized numbness.
The Aluminium - Magnesium Link
Research have suggested that Aluminium may be more likely to accumulate in the brains of persons whose diets are magnesium-deficient -- which, unfortunately, includes 90% of Americans! Several studies have shown that animals fed diets low in magnesium accumulate high concentrations of Aluminium in the Central Nervous System. One of magnesium's many functions is to activate the enzyme tubulin involved in the maintenance of nerve tissue cells. It has been suggested that when there is not enough Magnesium in the body to plug into the appropriate receptor site on the tubulin enzyme, Aluminium takes its place instead. This leads to the inactivation of tubulin and, consequently, inadequate nerve function. Malic acid can pull Aluminium away from this enzyme, making a place for magnesium. This may be a protection against Alzheimer's disease. Malic Acid is found abundantly in fruits such as apples. Malic Acid is also produced in the human body. It is a metabolite of the Krebs cycle the set of biochemical reactions used to produce 90% of all energy in the cells of the body. Malic Acid readily crosses the Blood-Brain-Barrier and has been shown to bind to Aluminium. It functions in the body by drawing Aluminium away from the tubulin enzyme, so that Magnesium can plug into the receptor sites instead. Malic Acid's unique ability to bind with Aluminium means it can be flushed out of the body, preventing unwanted build-up.
Because a Magnesium-deficient diet may increase the amount of Aluminium taken up and stored by the body, it is vitally important that we take in sufficient amounts.
Getting rid of Aluminium and remediating the damage
"The evidence is strong enough that the prudent person will eliminate all food and cosmetic sources of Aluminium, and will use Aluminium cooking utensils only if they are coated." Gary Price Todd, M.D., Nutrition, Health and Disease, 1985
High fiber diet - Fiber in the diet will bind with Aluminium salts and carry them out with your next bowel movement. Apple pectin, for instance is an effective binding agent.
Algin has the reputation of removing heavy metals. Typically, 5 capsules of algin are consumed in the morning and again at noon for 10 days. After another 10 days of rest, repeat the process. Continue for 3 months.
Calcium and Magnesium supplements - They bind with Aluminium and will carry it out of the body.
Intravenous chelation? - Several dozen sessions of intravenous EDTA chelation will remove a significant load of metals from the body including obstructive calcum plaques from the arteries. Aluminium is not a "heavy metal." There is some controversy about the ability of intravenous EDTA chelation to remove Aluminium.
"Oral chelation" - A serious program of specific nutrients can have a similar effect as intravenous chelation when continued for some months. It is generally believed that oral chelating agents can displace Aluminium from tissues.
Lecithin - Bathes and protects the nerves including the brain.
B complex vitamins, especially B6 - are important for removing excess metals from the body.
TOXIC HEAVY METALS: SOURCES AND SPECIFIC EFFECT - Recent studies suggest that Aluminium may be involved in the progression of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's disease, Guam ALS-PD complex, "Dialysis dementia", Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), senile and presenile dementia, neurofibrillary tangles, clumsiness of movements, staggering when walking and an inability to pronounce words properly (Berkum 1986; Goyer 1991; Shore and Wyatt, 1983). To date, however, we do not completely understand the role that Aluminium plays in the progression of such human degenerative syndromes.
Chronic Aluminium exposure has contributed directly to hepatic failure, renal failure, and dementia (Arieff et al., 1979). Other symptoms that have been observed in individuals with high internal concentrations of Aluminium are colic, convulsions, esophagitis, gastroenteritis, kidney damage, liver dysfunction, loss of appetite, loss of balance, muscle pain, psychosis, shortness of breath, weakness, and fatigue (ATSDR 1990). Behavioral difficulties among schoolchildren have also been correlated with elevated levels of Aluminium and other neuro-toxic heavy metals (Goyer 1991). And, Aluminium toxicity may also cause birth defects in newborns (ATSDR 1990).
