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This is you living your best life, you jump out of bed, brush your teeth, take a morning run and then a nice, hot bath.
Afterwards, you wash your hair, apply your makeup then finish off with your nice deodorant. Pick up your breakfast wrapped in a foil, a can of soda and grab your antacids in case you feel a tummy discomfort. Ready for your day.
Perfect yeah? Nothing wrong yeah?
Sorry to burst your bubble, there's a dangerous ingredient which we should be aware of hiding in your toothpaste, makeup, bathing soap, shampoo, food packaging e.t.c and it is ALUMINIUM!
Did you know aluminium was a harmful metal toxic to your health? Well, now you know.
Moderation is key, aluminium is not bad infact it is essential to life however excessive and prolonged exposure or ingestion is bad!
The foil we commonly use to wrap shawarma and moimoi
is aluminium, most kitchen utensils are aluminium based.
This disease is very common in the elderly. The last years of your life should be filled with memories of lived ones, re-living every single moment with the people you love before you pass on. Imagine not being able to remember people, confusion, being moody, disorganisation, wandering about as though you are lost, unable to recall events or do your normal day to day tasks. That's the sad reality of Alzheimer's disease.
People suffering from this exist in a lonely dark space of oblivion with little or no thoughts about the life they have lived. I won't wish this disease on my enemy.
What is Alzheimer's disease?
It is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disease. A disease whereby the brain cells die with time as a result there's a reduction in memory because the part of the brain responsible for memory is affected first thereafter behaviour and social skills are affected. The sufferer becomes unable to perform simple task such as wearing clothes or chores and fails to recognise familiar faces and socialise. It is a terrible disease. In as much as the cause is unknown. Numerous research has linked this disease to aluminium. There's also a link between aluminium and breast cancer. A 2017 study carried out among 209 women with breast cancer showed that they used antiperspirant before age 30 as compared to women without the disease who reported that they used it less
Another publication by the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD) also connects human exposure to aluminum with Alzheimer's disease. Significant amounts of aluminum content was found by the researchers in brain tissue from donors with this disease.
A 2019 metanalysis revealed that Alzheimer's patients had high levels of aluminium in their body.
HOW IS ALUMINIUM LINKED?
This metal when present in high qualities is toxic to the brain. It accumulates in the brain and causes destruction of protein within the brain necessary to maintain structure of the brain cells. When this happens, death of brain cells takes place which results in shrinking of the affected part of the brain and thus decline in brain function manifesting as memory loss and other sequelae of Alzheimer's disease.
A person with this disease tends to keep forgetting recent events as time goes on.
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF ALUMINIUM?
It is a silvery white metal which occurs naturally in air, water, soil even in our bodies. It can be ingested, absorbed into the skin or even inhaled.
To tackle the culprit, you must know the source.
Aluminium is a versatile and ubiquitous metal.
Used to make foils, pots, spoons and other types of cookware.
Aluminium foil for instance In Nigeria, foil is commonly used in wrapping shawarma, roasted plantain(bole), moimoi etc.
As addictives to food during processing
Toothpastes
Cosmetics and beauty products
Vaccines
Medications like antacids, aspirin
Soda cans or food tins
Baby formula
Table salt
Baking soda
Cake mixes
Deodorants and antiperspirants: Aluminium blocks the pores and prevents sweat from coming out. In a condition where the person sweats excessively(hyperhidrosis), aluminium containing deodorants are used.
Some foods contain aluminium however in small amounts.
HOW DO I KNOW ALUMINIUM?
It is a slivery white in colour and non magnetic metal. Just bring a magnet close to it, aluminium would not attract.
HOW DO I AVOID EXCESS EXPOSURE OR CONSUMPTION OF ALUMINIUM?
Aluminium is everywhere, we can't run away from it however we can avoid excess of it getting into our bodies.
Prevention is better then cure" is a common dictum in medical palace so if this has been implicated in Alzheimer's then steps should be taken in avoiding excess of aluminium.
Consume diet rich in fruits and vegetables, try as much as possible to avoid excess consumption of processed foods (junk) as most of them contain food additives rich in aluminium.
Infant formula should be used only when necessary, inculcate exclusive breastfeeding for six months to avoid early aluminium exposure in babies
Regular exercise can help flush toxins
Cook under low heat as high heat causes metal to seep into contents of pot
Avoid preparing and storing food in uncoated aluminium pots or foil.Replace your aluminum cookware with enamel coated steel ones. Store food with Ziploc bag instead, especially acidic food like fruits, vegetables and protein sources.(The acid causes the aluminium in the pots to seep into the food)
Use glass pans to bake or parchment paper. Do not wrap food in foil before placing in the oven.
Read labels before buying processed food and be mindful of the packaging because most are packaged with aluminium. Opt for steel instead
Invest in natural/organic shampoos or creams.
For people that take antacids, natural remedies such as apple cider vinegar, milk, aloe Vera, peppermint tea would help provide relief for heart burn.
If these natural remedies are not effective enough, opt for antacids that don't contain aluminium.
Alpha hydroxyl acids(AHAs) like glycolic acid, lactic acid,mandelic acid can be used as deodorants
I bought The Ordinary's glycolic acid for exfoliation however it was too harsh for my face so I repurposed it as a deodorant and it works wonders.
Homemade DIY(Do it yourself) deodorants can also be an alternative.
Finally, avoid baked goods whenever possible as they are usually made in pans with aluminum additives.
Conclusion
Health is wealth, information is power. Ignorance is one of the greatest killers of man. Use aluminium sparingly!
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