The association between aluminum and cooking immediately
brings to mind disposable trays and kitchen sheets, yet it is a substance found
in nature and in food. How to protect yourself from aluminum ?
First of all, this light metal is naturally present in the
surrounding environment and for this reason it can be absorbed through the
consumption of water and food.
The presence of aluminum for food use and its percentage in
foods has aroused the interest of food safety experts (World Health
Organization), who have established the sustainable weekly quota of 1 milligram
per kilogram of weight from the body.
In reality there are no reliable data on the dangerousness
of aluminum , but only assumptions supporting the need to minimize the intake
of the metal.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, however,
aluminum could cause neurotoxic consequences in cases of predisposition to
neurodegenerative diseases (even if there is no direct correlation between
aluminum and Alzheimer's ), dialysis and more.
L ' aluminum proves to be toxic to the nervous system and
could adversely affect the most vulnerable biological processes of the
organism, the first among all the nervous system, bone and other reproductive
tissue.
It must not be forgotten that the metal is expelled through
the activity of the kidneys and for this reason, even if the risks are usually
contained, people with renal insufficiency would not be able to manage it.
Aluminum present in foods and more
As already mentioned, the Earth is rich in aluminum , which
means that the metal is found in everyday foods and many aluminum items used in
the kitchen such as cookware, packaging and utensils.
But where is aluminum found in nature ? In addition to being
found in beverages (cocoa and tea), cereals and derivatives (biscuits, sweets,
bread and more), vegetables (spinach, lettuce, horseradish and mushrooms) and
baby preparations, it migrates from aluminum objects to food both by contact
and for cooking.
The phenomenon increases when it is intended to handle
acidic foods such as vinegar, hard cheeses or tomatoes, foods with high doses
of salt such as snacks or baked goods and foods preserved in aluminum wrappers
.
The attention remains high when it comes to cooking methods
as they could favor the migration of aluminum from the container to the food.
Bearing in mind these behaviors, therefore, the European
Food Safety Authority has estimated that an adult is exposed on average to
0.2-1.5 mg per body kilo per week while the very young are subject to a range
that goes from 0, 7 to 2.3 mg / per body pound per week.
How to behave in the kitchen?
The behavior observed in the kitchen becomes essential to
prevent an excess of " toxic " aluminum in the body and avoid
possible consequences over time. How to detoxify from aluminum ?
What we must remember is that the trays in alloy of aluminum
to use food , having a coating of paint, do not favor the contact.
The sheets of aluminum for foods can not give rise to
phenomena of migration if they are stored in a plus or minus 5 degrees.
The Italian law outlines the guidelines to know how to deal
with food aluminum : less than 24 hours at any temperature, more than 24 hours
at a cold temperature and more than 24 hours at room temperature for foods with
low absorbency (pasta durum wheat, dried fruit, spices, cereals, legumes and
much more).
How to detox from aluminum becomes a matter of habits. It is
better to prefer stainless steel pots and coffeemakers and ceramic pans, avoid
canned drinks and reduce the consumption of baked goods and fish (tuna, salmon
and swordfish).
