Is using aluminum foil bad for your health?

Paul Saladino, MD, tweeted today about the dangers of aluminum foil. In 48 seconds, he claims that using it to cook or store your food is bad for your health. The key quote for me is, “People who cook with aluminum foil have up to two times higher levels of aluminum in their blood than those who don’t.” He shares this while showing images of a study suggesting that people with chronic levels of aluminum in their blood have higher rates of Alzheimer’s. Scary stuff. But is it really that dangerous?

First, here’s Dr. Saladino:

I did some light research using Microsoft’s Co-Pilot. Here’s my Q&A:

1. What is a normal level of aluminum in a human’s blood?
   • In healthy individuals, the normal level of aluminum in the blood typically ranges from 1 to 3 µg/L¹². Levels above this range may indicate aluminum exposure or toxicity³⁴.
2. What would be a chronic level of aluminum in a person’s blood?
   • Chronic aluminum exposure can lead to elevated levels in the blood. Generally, a serum aluminum level above 20 µg/L may indicate chronic exposure and potential toxicity¹. Levels above 50-60 µg/L are considered indicative of aluminum overload and may correlate with toxicity¹.
3. If a person cooks with aluminum foil once per week, how much aluminum could that add to their bloodstream?
   • Cooking with aluminum foil can cause small amounts of aluminum to leach into food, especially with acidic or high-salt foods¹. However, the body absorbs less than 1% of the aluminum from food or drinking water². Most of the aluminum ingested is excreted through urine and feces¹.
   • Given this, cooking with aluminum foil once per week is unlikely to significantly increase aluminum levels in the bloodstream for healthy individuals²¹.

Is aluminum toxicity dangerous? Absolutely. Does aluminum leach into your food when you use it to cook or store food? Studies suggest the answer is yes. However, the amount that leaches into food is minuscule, and apparently, less than 1% of that gets absorbed by your body.

Let’s say 10 µg/L transfers to the meal you just cooked on the grill. I think that’s probably overstating how much transfers, but it’s hard to quickly find numbers that aren’t percentages. According to studies, less than 1% of that may get absorbed into your body. If normal levels are between 1 to 3 µg/L and elevated levels are above 20 µg/L, that one or two times you’re cooking or storing food per week won’t add up to diddly squat.

So the Moderate Method take is to be aware that aluminum toxicity is an issue but I wouldn’t lose sleep over cooking a couple times a week using aluminum foil.