The safety of aluminum containers remains widely contested. Many people believe that using aluminum foil in cooking can cause aluminum to seep into your food, putting you at risk of developing diseases. However, others say it’s entirely safe to use. Which is actually true? Read on to know more.
By Editorial Team
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At a glance, experts say that cooking with aluminum foil isn’t considered dangerous, because it can only increase the aluminum content of your diet by a likely insignificant amount
However, there’s still no denying that consuming high amounts of aluminum has been linked to a popular disease.
Aluminum containers come in different shapes and sizes — don’t even get us started on the sheets and foils! They are widespread and justifiably so too.
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How to use aluminum in the kitchen: the rules for storing food safely
For instance, aluminum foils and baking trays help make sure that your baked goods remain intact after cooking. But with reports that cooking with such aluminum containers can cause it to seep into your meals, people continue to ask: is it really worth risking your health for?
SOME FACTORS INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF ALUMINUM SEEPING INTO YOUR FOOD
For better understanding, it’s important to mention that the amount of aluminum that is transferred into your food from containers highly depends on various factors. Some of them are:
Temperature: Cooking at higher temperatures
Foods: Cooking acidic foods, such as tomatoes, cabbage and rhubarb
Certain ingredients: Using salts and spices in your cooking
However, the amount that permeates your food when cooking can vary. For example, a study reports that cooking red meat in aluminum foil could increase its aluminum content by between 89% and 378%.
Such studies have contributed to concern that the regular use of aluminum foil in cooking could be harmful to your health. However, there is still no strong evidence linking the use of aluminum foil with an increased risk of disease.
According to expert studies, aluminum is ingested through food, water and even medication. However, these are not considered harmful because regardless of the aluminum content of your food and medication, only a tiny amount of the aluminum is actually absorbed.
The rest is excreted in your feces and urine, as long as your health isn’t compromised in any way.
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