Aluminum is for planes not brains

Aluminum is amongst the most plentiful metals on the planet. It’s strong, lightweight and highly resistant to corrosion. It’s done a lot of good, too. For instance, it’s crucial in airplane construction; an ideal material for wings and fuselages.

The lightweight metal has a darkside, though. Ample evidence has accumulated that aluminum may cause problems for your brain. I’ll discuss all that and then tell you what you can do to protect your brain from the toxic effects of Aluminum.

The evidence that impugns aluminum:

In 2023, Polish scientists scoured all the medical literature produced between 1976 and 2002. They were searching for evidence (pro and con) of whether aluminum is harmful to the human brain. Their findings were troubling: Abnormally high concentration of aluminum was found in the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. What’s more, people who were exposed to high levels of aluminum for a long time (regardless of brain accumulation) were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

In 2019, Chinese scientists reported on more than 900 people who worked for a long time in an Aluminum Factory. The researchers discovered that those with a higher concentration of aluminum in their blood were significantly more likely to be Cognitively Impaired (problems thinking and remembering).

A 2019 report by Canadian and American researchers determined that long term aluminum exposure may be associated with Alzheimer's disease, dementia associated with Down’s syndrome and cognitive decline in renal dialysis (kidney failure) patients. The scientists had analyzed the aluminum content of more than 500 brain samples that had been submitted to their laboratory.

In 2021, British and American scientists reported their findings after they studied brain tissue from normal people and compared them to the brains of people affected with neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. The researchers determined that there may be a significantly elevated content of aluminum in certain brains. This association (patients with these maladies have more aluminum in their brains than normal) has been reported in patients with Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis.

There is an unfortunate group of people with familial Alzheimer’s disease. They are genetically disposed towards suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia. Scientists have discovered that they are likely to have a toxic protein in their brain (amyloid beta) and also high concentrations of aluminum in their neurons (brain cells).

Aluminum may be especially dangerous to the developing brain (the brain of a baby or a fetus). Scientists have reported that high concentrations of aluminum may negatively alter stem cells in the brain.

So, what can you do?

Problems don’t occur overnight. It’s likely that long term exposure to aluminum is required for it to become toxic to your brain. Numerous researchers have evaluated work-related exposure (for example, working in a factory with high aluminum concentrations) and environmental exposure (for example, cooking on aluminum foil or aluminum pots and pans) and found associations between aluminum and brain maladies. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Spanish scientists in 2021 reported that drinking beer, in moderation, may help prevent neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer's disease. The researchers hypothesized that the hops and silicon in beer may protect your brain against toxic effects of aluminum. So, raise a glass (and don’t forget to tip the bartender).

In 2023, Polish scientists reported on their review of the medical literature. They provided evidence that the medical use of chelating agents (drugs or chemicals that latch onto the excess aluminum concentrated in diseased neurons and draw the toxic metal out of the brain) resulted in improved thinking and memory of certain patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis. You’d need to see your doctor about this one.

Want to learn more about environmental brain toxins? Check out https://brain2mind.substack.com/p/live-in-a-big-city