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- $Unique_ID{BRK01522}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Is Aluminum the Cause of Alzheimer's Disease?}
- $Subject{Alzheimer's aluminum Nervous System Alzheimer Disease foods cookware
- tomatoes cabbage cranberry sauerkraut antiperspirants antacids aspirin
- cosmetics ointments brain cooking utensils confusion memory loss senile
- dementia-alzheimer type sdat diseases food age aging aged old older elderly
- diet cook ware tomato antiperspirant antacid makeup ointment utensil confused
- forget forgetful}
- $Volume{F-1,T-26}
- $Log{
- Brain Atrophy from Atherosclerosis*0002501.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- Is Aluminum the Cause of Alzheimer's Disease?
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-
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-
- QUESTION: I still can't seem to get a firm answer to my question about
- aluminum. I have read that this material is the cause of Alzheimer's disease,
- and at my age it is perhaps a little late to do anything about it, but I am
- determined to find out all I can. Do you think I should throw away all my
- aluminum pots to try to avoid this disease?
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- ANSWER: The reason your search for a "firm" answer may not be fruitful is
- because all the facts may not be in yet, and all the research is not complete.
- It is a difficult problem to resolve because there is so much aluminum around
- us that everyone is exposed to it constantly. Aluminum is the third most
- common element in the earth's crust (after oxygen and silicon). There is no
- known use for aluminum in the workings of the body, and when it is consumed,
- most of it is excreted by the kidney. At most, a normal person has about
- 30-45 milligrams in the body (1 ounce equals about 31,000 milligrams).
- Aluminum gets into the body because it occurs naturally in the air, drinking
- water and some foods (tea leaves, berries, spinach and some herbs and spices),
- and can be absorbed by foods cooked in aluminum cookware. Acidic foods such
- as tomatoes, cabbage, cranberry sauce and sauerkraut are amongst the foods
- that take up the most. Aluminum may also be found in antiperspirants,
- antacids, buffered aspirin, cosmetics and ointments. Because aluminum
- accumulates in certain diseased brain cells in Alzheimer's Disease, some
- researchers formulated a cause-effect relationship. But all scientists do not
- agree, and there is a real controversy in the literature. And there is no
- absolute recommendation for people who ask the same question as you do. It
- therefore becomes a matter of personal conviction. If you believe that you do
- not wish to run even the remotest of risks, then you may choose to change your
- cooking utensils. Some experts doubt that this will prevent you from
- developing Alzheimer's, but you may feel better about the food you prepare for
- yourself.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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-