DNA damage is assessed in users of aluminum cookware.
“The toxicity of aluminum to the human body has been much debated over the past few decades, but is still not fully understood.” People who are occupationally exposed to aluminum, such as in smelters, suffer from oxidative stress and free radicals that can damage DNA. So what about just using aluminum cookware? Articles such as “Exposure to the metal from aluminum cookware: an unrecognized public health risk in the developing world” suggest an “unrecognized public health risk,” but only in developing countries, where “cookware is made in informal shops by casting liquid aluminum melted from collections of scrap metal, including car radiators, lead batteries, computer parts, etc.”, which could leach large amounts of lead into people’s food.
A subsequent study, “Relationships between Plasma Aluminum Content, Lymphocyte DNA Damage, and Oxidative Status in People with Daily Use of Aluminum Containers and Cookware,” suggested that aluminum itself may be harmful. Most exposure to aluminum comes from processed junk foods that contain aluminum additives, “such as processed cheeses, baking powder, cake mixes, frozen bread dough, and pancake mixes.” However, about 20 percent of daily aluminum intake may come from aluminum cookware, such as “frying pans, pots, kettles, and trays.”
Could this cause a problem? Researchers took blood from consumers who used aluminum cookware and those who did not, and found that not only did the aluminum users have twice the aluminum levels in their blood (which you can see below and at 1:33 in my video, “Are Aluminum Pans, Bottles and Foil Safe?”), but they also experienced more free radical damage to their body fat and proteins. Additionally, aluminum cookware users had a reduced total antioxidant capacity in their bloodstream, which led to a significant increase in DNA damage.
In fact, as you can see in the video below and at 1:52 in my video, people with the highest levels of aluminum in their blood tended to have significantly greater damage to their DNA, which isn’t surprising since “aluminum is considered a pro-oxidant.”
However, these people were not simply using aluminum pots on a regular basis. Specifically, they used aluminum pots every day to cook and store acidic foods, such as yogurt and tomato sauce, which have a high aluminum leaching rate. However, even using “camping dishes,” which are often made of aluminum because they are light, for just one week, especially for children, can significantly exceed the acceptable weekly intake guidelines when mixing with acidic foods, such as fresh fish in lemon juice. While occasional use does not make much difference, these findings suggest that it is better to avoid cooking with aluminum pots every day.
What about aluminium drinking bottles? They’re light and convenient, but if a child drinks two glasses of tea or juice a day, they could exceed the tolerable aluminium intake. That’s why safety authorities, such as the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, go out of the way of caution and recommend that “consumers avoid using aluminium pots and dishes for acidic or salty foods, such as apple sauce, rhubarb, tomato puree or salted herring. In this way they can proactively avoid ‘unnecessary intake’ of aluminium.”
What about aluminum foil? Wrapping and baking food in aluminum foil is a common practice in cooking. The concern is that this could be a “potentially hazardous source of aluminum in the human diet.” When tested, aluminum foil did leak some aluminum into food, but the amount was so small that it would be a problem for small children or people with compromised kidney function.
So what about wrapping food in aluminum foil and storing it in the refrigerator? The increase in aluminum is negligible unless the aluminum foil and the food are in contact at the same time with certain other types of metals, such as stainless steel, which consists mainly of iron. This forms a battery and can “result in significantly higher aluminum concentrations in food.” For example, as you can see below and at 4:34 in my video, the aluminum levels in a ham wrapped in aluminum foil before and after one day are negligible, with almost no change in the ham wrapped in aluminum foil. But if you leave the same aluminum-wrapped ham on a steel tray or serving plate for a day, the aluminum levels in the ham will skyrocket.
Finally, did you know that aluminum foil is often shiny on one side and matte on the other? Which is worse? We seared and grilled fish fillets wrapped both shiny side out and matte side out and found no significant difference.
This is the first in a three-part video series on cookware. Stay tuned for Stainless Steel vs. Cast Iron: Which Cookware is Best? Is Teflon Safe? and Are Melamine vs. Polyamide Plastic Tableware Safe?
We’ve covered aluminum in antiperspirants, food, medicines and tea. Check out our related articles.
