I have recently been learning more about Chris Exley’s research into Aluminum. I wanted to bring to your attention a study he published in 2012 showing that drinking silicon-rich mineral water increased excretion of aluminum in urine. Some participants in the 12 week study with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s showed improvement in their cognitive abilities. For those of you who are unaware of the links between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease I will be reviewing another study by Exley next time where he looked at levels of aluminum in the brains of people who died with Alzheimer’s disease (spoiler alert they had high levels of aluminum). The only silicon-rich mineral water brands that I know are available in the US are Volvic and Fiji. I hate to recommend bottled water due to all the packaging waste, but the fact is many of us do use bottled water on a regular basis and now we may have a way to help our bodies detox aluminum when we do it.
Aluminum, Hidden in food and skin care products, and linked to Alzheimers, fatigue and other health problems
I was shocked last year to learn that children may receive more aluminum from eating american "cheese" than from vaccines. I am not talking about real cheese here, but the pasteurized processed cheese food product (that is what the label says) which comes in individually wrapped slices. I ate TONS of it as a child. Aluminum makes these fake cheeses easier to slice. So even though it is harmful it is allowed in food to make things easier for the fake food manufactures. It turns out aluminum is allowed to be added to many foods including flour, and baking soda. Hopefully you have already thrown out your aluminum cookware to eliminate that source of exposure. Aluminum is also common in skin care products particularly antiperspirant where it acts to block your sweat glands. This is bad for you on many levels. First you absorb a great deal of that aluminum which can damage your immune system, contribute to depression, fatigue, memory loss, confusion, impaired learning, Parkinson's, ALS, Lou Gherig's disease, bon and muscle problems, and possibly even breast cancer. Secondly you need to sweat. It is one of your bodies primary routes of detoxification. We need to give our bodies every opportunity we can to dispose of the toxins we are exposed to every day.
"But wait" you say "I don't want to stink!". I hear you. I have a few suggestions.
First, clean up your diet. If you eat live, organic, fresh, whole foods, you will smell better, no kidding. I can notice the difference when I stray from my healthy whole foods diet in the way my sweat smells.
Second, try switching to a deodorant rather than an antiperspirant. Deodorants help mask the smell, without the pore clogging aluminum. Many people have tried the deodorants at the health food store and hate them. If you are accustomed to a commercial antiperspirant, you can not expect the same results from a natural deodorant. They will not block your pores with harmful ingredients and prevent you from sweating. Visit EWG.org for less harmful deodorant and antiperspirant options. You can even make your own if you are so inclined.
Third, If you just can not imagine the embarrassment of giving up your antiperspirant, try taking one day a week off. Can you spend Saturday at home airing out your armpits? One day a week not exposing your body to the harmful effects of more aluminum will add up, and contribute to your good health.
If you would like to learn more check out this post by Amy Neuzil http://primaldocs.com/members-blog/aluminum-deodorant-safety-and-natural-diy-deodorant/