Know The Health Risk Of Cooking Using Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil is probably one of those staple items in your kitchen pantry and you probably use it for a lot of things. From baking potatoes to cover casseroles, you probably don’t think twice before you pull out a roll of foil and place it over your food. However, there is some cause for concern because aluminum foil can actually be harmful to your health.

Aluminum foil is a staple in everyone’s kitchen, but you may have to discard this for a while.

Baking potatoes in foil helps keep their skin soft and allows you to keep them warm for a while after you take them out of the oven, which is useful if you’re not quite ready to eat them when they finish cooking.

There are some drawbacks to using this method, though, including an increased risk for food poisoning, so you’re better off cooking your potatoes another way.

The Dangers of Aluminum Foil

Say you’re going to barbecue up some corn on the cob or a piece of salmon; you probably use aluminum foil to do so, right? Well, as it turns out, it can actually be pretty detrimental to your health. When the foil heats up, tiny cracks can be created and thus it can be transferred into your food.

For example, it could increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In several clinical studies, it has been found that high levels of aluminum are associated with this illness.

That looks delish, but is it safe to eat?

Additionally, inhaling the smoke that is created from the aluminum can be hazardous to your health. The aluminum foil can break up and be carried in the smoke, thus you can inhale it. When you inhale aluminum dust, you increase your chances of developing a respiratory problem. In some studies, it has even been found that when the dust from alumimun foil is inhaled, it can lead to pulmonary fibrosis.

In other studies, it has been found that high levels of aluminum exposure have been linked to neurological declines in a number of facets, including balance, coordination and memory function.

Aluminum can also collect in the bones. This compound tries to compete with calcium, which in turn weakens the bones. It can also impact bone cell activity.

While the findings of the damaging effects of aluminum are not conclusive, it is still far better to protect yourself and limit your use of aluminum foil. When you do use it, use it wisely.

This includes:

• Not using it to grill with
• Not using it to store tomatoes, spices or citrus fruits
• Not using it to cover items you are heating up in the oven
• Avoid using aluminum pots or cooking utensils
• Replace aluminum foil with wax paper
• Instead of using aluminum foil, use glass pans to store your food in

Source: Health and Healthy Living