What are the dangers of aluminum cookware, and which is the healthiest alternative?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “cast aluminum cookware health hazards“
About Eloise
Written by: Eloise
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What are the dangers of aluminum cookware, and which is the healthiest alternative?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “cast aluminum cookware health hazards“
About Eloise
Aluminum can be reactive to acidic meals. Cooking tomatoes and other acidic foods in a different type of pan is a good idea. Aluminum cookware should not be used on high heat. Aluminum cookware has also been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Cast iron cookware is one of the most durable types of cookware available. It distributes heat evenly and eliminates hot spots. It’s an almost non-stick cookware when properly cared for. The small quantity of iron that leaches into food is really beneficial because we need iron in our diets.
Calphalon 10-Piece Pots and Pans Set, Nonstick Kitchen Cookware
Since 1980, aluminum has become known as a neurotoxin . Aluminum accumulates in the body’s brain, bones and liver and can cause various disorders like dialysis encephalopathy and bone disorder. Some studies have also associated aluminum with Alzheimer’s disease. Other ill effects pertain to the central nervous system. The old Provisional Tolerance Weekly Intake (PTWI) of aluminum from WHO/FDA in 1989 was 7 mg/Kg body weight. In 2007, the PTWI was changed to 1 mg/Kg body weight which reflected its neurotoxic potential.
Besides leaching from cookware, aluminum is already entering the human body from other sources. These include water, food, beverages, medicines, and food additives. Some studies have shown that the extent of aluminum leaching is strongly related to several factors such as pH, cooking medium and composition of food. These regard aluminum cookware as hazardous.
There are some who defend aluminum cookware with arguments based on “safe levels” of aluminum that the kidneys can easily filter out. But is it wise to let a known toxin enter our body even in small quantities when we are aware of its potential health hazards ? Obviously not! Avoiding this risk is the prudent thing to do.
So what would be the healthier alternative – another metal? Absolutely NOT! You may wonder why – because metals are innately reactive, metal cookware leaches into whatever is cooked in it . Food is a biochemical entity, so it reacts to toxic ions leaching from the cookware material and forms toxic compounds. These toxins assimilate in the body with food and accumulate in the blood, cells and organs causing detrimental changes. And this is how they form the foundation for life threatening diseases.
The healthiest alternative would be cookware that is 100% inert. The only such known cookware is MEC’s pure clay cookware. It is made from lab tested primary clay without using additives, glazes, or enamels. Food cooks uncontaminated and all the nutrients are preserved in MEC. Learn more about healthy features of MEC here:
And about MEC (Miriams Earthen Cookware) – the US based company that makes the healthy pure clay cookware here:
You may order MEC pots and pans from here:
Non-Stick Cookware Set, Pots and Pans – 8-Piece Set
Aluminum cookware has come a long way since my salad days. Back then, it was uncoated except for the very thin natural oxidation and was very inexpensive … cheap, actually. It also wasn’t safe compared to other cookware options. Today, the hard-anodized cookware that is available is much, much safer to use. There are downsides, but safety is not one of them. The safest alternative would be stainless steel in my opinion, but not by a wide margin. Hard anodized aluminum cookware is safe.
The metal, aluminum is reactive, more-so than other common cookware metals. Aluminum reacts with acids (citrus, tomatoes) and bases (not normally a problem with foods). Baking soda does have a higher pH (around 9). The issue is leaching, which just means the food pulls out or reacts with the aluminum.
Anodizing is a process that develops an aluminum oxide (alumina) coating on and into the aluminum metal. Alumina is notably nonreactive but it’s porous enough to stain if not sealed well. Stained or not, it is safe against most all comers.
The issue that does in a lot of cookware is sticking. Hard anodized cookware has a non-coating, and non-stick coatings aren’t the longest lasting materials. In 5 years, sticking may be an issue. Stainless cookware is very tough and can stick to foods until cooking techniques are developed to limit that. Cast iron can be reactive with acidic foods, but happens to be my favorite cookware for skillets.
Check out this excellent discussion of anodized cookware and its pros and cons:
10 Pcs Non Stick Cooking Set w/ Frying Pans & Saucepans