Avoiding Other Everyday Sources of Aluminum

Antiperspirants, of course, are not the only source of aluminum in the world around us. Aluminum pots and pans are another huge source of potentially toxic aluminum. If all your cookware is aluminum, however, you don't have to throw out all your pots and pans.[ 4 ]

1. New aluminum cookware leaches less aluminum than old aluminum cookware. Don't use pots and pans with pits, scratches, and dents.
2. 
   Aluminum leaches into acidic foods. Don't use aluminum to cook tomatoes, rhubarb, or sauerkraut, or any other highly acidic or very salty foods.
3. Don't store food in aluminum cookware. The longer the food stays in the aluminum pot or pan, the more aluminum seeps into the food.
4. Use anodized aluminum cookware, such as Calphalon. The electroplating process used to make this kind of cookware seals the interior lining of the cooking vessel to keep aluminum in the pot or pan, out of your food.

Copper pots and pans conduct heat well, but they have to be lined with another layer of metal to keep the copper from coming in contact with food. If you have nickel allergies, a copper pan lined with stainless steel won't give you Alzheimer's, but may aggravate skin problems or hay fever.

It's better to use porcelain, glass, or cast iron . Cast iron, however, can also be a problem for people who have a hereditary condition of excess iron buildup called hemochromatosis. Cast iron, like aluminum, leaches into acidic food.

And if you are concerned about your past aluminum exposure, there is a nutrient that can help. Silicon keeps the body from absorbing aluminum. You don't have to start eating sand, but you can help reduce aluminum absorption by eating any kind of sea vegetable, such as kelp, dulse, wakame, or spirulina. Just a little is enough.[ 5 ]