Aluminum, Brain Fog and the Dementia Epidemic

Aluminum is one of the easier heavy metals to remove if you follow a mineral nutritional balancing program. Usually you will see improvements in memory, brain fog, sluggishness and sluggish thinking and certain skin conditions also improve. This can be remedied by following a complete mineral nutritional balancing program.

Aluminum is one of the most important toxic metals today.  Hair mineral testing reveals that almost everyone has too much aluminum.  The reason is that it is all over the environment.

Aluminum is called the soft-in-the-head mineral because it affects the brain more than any other system of the body, impairing memory and cognition.

Dementia epidemic.  The current epidemic of dementia in America and elsewhere is due, in part, to widespread aluminum toxicity.

SOURCES OF ALUMINUM

These are many, and most are quite insidious.

1. Drinking water. Most cities, especially in the United States, add aluminum to the drinking water, supposedly to help dirt settle out of the water.
2. Any food product prepared with water. This is due to #1 above.  Thousands of food products are made with water that contains added aluminum.  They include breads, canned foods, reconstituted juices, baby foods, pickles, all baked goods, sauces, and many, many other prepared food products.
3. Table salt. Aluminum is often added as an anti-caking agent.
4. All food products that contain added salt (see the paragraph above). There are thousands of these products for sale in the markets.
5. Anti-perspirants. Almost all are loaded with aluminum, which is a nerve poison that stops sweating.

Warning:  Weleda lies about the aluminum content of their deodorants by simply omitting putting it on the label.

5. Vaccines and flu shots. Aluminum is often added as an adjuvant or additive.  This is especially harmful for babies and children, who can easily receive a toxic dose of aluminum just from vaccines alone.
6. Hundreds of food products made with aluminum-containing baking powder.These include most baked goods such as cookies, cakes, muffins and others.
7. Aluminum-containing anti-acids.Aluminum can calm an acid stomach.  Drug store products that contain a lot of it include Gaviscon, Riopan, Maalox, Mylanta and others.  Millions of people use these products on a daily basis.
8. Clay-containing products sold mainly in health food stores.These include zeolite, bentonite, azomite, and montmorillonite.  Clay is very high in aluminum.
9. Food cooked in aluminum cookware.Aluminum is a very soft metal and can leach from cookware easily, especially if the food item is acidic, such as tomatoes.
10. Beverages in aluminum cans or cardboard containers, unless the container is coated on the inside.  These beverages include soda pop, beer, juices and others.
11. Other foods such as processed cheese and bleached flour.
12. Cooking with fluoridated water increases the leaching of aluminum from aluminum pots and pans.
13. Cosmetics.Some cosmetics such as rouge, foundations and others contain aluminum that can be absorbed through the skin.  The sparkly appearance is aluminum.
14. Skin remedies.Burrow’s Solution, which is aluminum acetate, is sold as an anti-fungal remedy.
15. All children today in the West are born with elevated aluminum.It is passed from mother to fetus during pregnancy through the placenta.
16. Natural sources of aluminum.These include some herbs, such as peppermint, spearmint and wintergreen.  It also includes all salt, to some degree.

Aluminum is the most plentiful element on earth, found in all clay soils.  As a result, it may find its way into any food product grown on high-aluminum, usually clay soil.

17. Aluminum that rubs off many common products.They include appliances, computers, pipes, tapes, insulation, and other items people touch that are made of aluminum.

DETECTION OF ALUMINUM TOXICITY

• Blood – may have value, however serum levels definitely do not indicate total body load of aluminum.
• Hair - levels appear to correlate well with bone levels of aluminum.  Several hair tests may be needed before aluminum is revealed on the test, as it may be sequestered within body tissues.

HOW ALUMINUM AFFECTS HEALTH

•  Nervous system - In animal studies, aluminum blocks the action potential or electrical discharge of nerve cells, reducing nervous system activity.  Aluminum also inhibits enzymes in the brain (Na-K-ATPase and hexokinase).  It may also inhibit uptake of important chemicals by nerve cells (dopamine, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine).
• Behavioral effects - Dementia resulting from kidney dialysis related to aluminum toxicity causes memory loss, loss of coordination, confusion and disorientation.
• Digestive system - Aluminum reduces intestinal activity.  It is used in many antacids.  An excess may cause colic.
• Skin effects – Aluminum can suppress some skin infections, including tinea or ringworm.

SYMPTOMS OF ALUMINUM TOXICITY

•  Early symptoms: flatulence, headaches, colic, dryness of skin and mucous membranes, tendency for colds, burning pain in the head relieved by food, heartburn and an aversion to meat.
• Later symptoms: paralytic muscular conditions, loss of memory and confusion.  Other symptoms may include:
• Brain fog
• Memory loss
• Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• amyotrophic lateral
• sclerosis
• anemia
• hemolysis
• leukocytosis
• porphyria
• colitis
• dental cavities
• hypoparathyroidism
• kidney dysfunction
• liver dysfunction
• neuromuscular disorders
• osteomalacia
• Parkinson's disease
• ulcers

ALUMINUM ANTAGONISTS

calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C,

ALUMINUM CHELATORS

 Deferoxamine is a synthetic drug that can be used to chelate alumium out of the body.  However, it has many side effects, so it is rarely used.

ALUMINUM AND HAIR ANALYSIS

Poor eliminator pattern.  This is a hidden aluminum toxicity pattern.  This means that the body contains plenty of aluminum, but the body cannot eliminate it properly.  It is an important hair analysis indicator for aluminum toxicity.

Rise in aluminum on a hair retest.  Hair levels may rise on retest hair mineral analyses as more aluminum is mobilized from tissue storage sites.

Hidden aluminum toxicity.  Aluminum poisoning may be hidden on a hair mineral analysis.  Hidden aluminum indicators on a properly performed hair mineral analysis include:

1. A hair manganese level above 0.04 mg%.
2. A hair iron level above 2 mg%.
3. Possibly elevated chromium or selenium.Iron, manganese and aluminum are called the ‘amigos’ or ‘friends’ as they are often found together.
4. As explained above, a poor eliminator pattern with aluminum is also an indicator of hidden aluminum toxicity.

ALUMINUM DETOXIFICATION

Aluminum is not that difficult to remove from the body with a corrective healing program.  As it is eliminated, many clients report improvement in symptoms such as memory loss, brain fog, and sluggish thinking.  Skin conditions may improve, as well.

Chelation and other methods.  Some holistic doctors use chelating agents to remove aluminum.  This is not nearly as effective, and it is somewhat toxic.  I do not recommend it ever, and it is not needed.