Aluminium

Some say that aluminium exposure can damage your health. But scientific evidence does not support this. In some circumstances, aluminium can actually improve our health.

We are exposed to aluminium in many ways:

The Earth's crust, Rock and soils, Vegetation, Water, Dust Particles in the air. Clays

  • The Earth’s crust (7 percent of Earth’s crust is aluminium)
  • Most rocks and soils (where aluminium occurs in various chemical forms)
  • Vegetation
  • Naturally in most water supplies
  • As part of dust particles in the air
  • In all clays (which has made it a part of for instance cooking pots since our first civilizations)

As you can see, our evolution has developed in an aluminium-rich environment.

Eat and drink

Food is the most important source of aluminium for the human body, with medicines that contains aluminium.

Aluminium absored from the soil. Aluminium salts, Aluminium in foils, cans and saucepans

Most of the intake of aluminium from food comes from the natural content of aluminium in fruit and vegetables. This is because plants absorb aluminium from the soil.

Some foods contain added aluminium salts. In Europe, the daily aluminium intake from food is estimated at 3-10 milligrams.

To prepare, preserve and store food and drinks, aluminium in used in foils, menu trays, cans, etc. The amount of aluminium we get in our bodies from cans, foil or saucepans is very small (About 0.1 mg/day).

Water

Aluminium is a natural component in surface and ground water. It is also common to use aluminium sulfate or “alum” for efficient purification of water supplies.

Dirty water - aluminium sulfate added - Cleaning process - Clean water

However, aluminium in water is less than 1 percent of our daily aluminium intake.

Medicines, vaccines and cosmetics

Aluminium in medicine goes back to ancient Greek and Rome, where aluminium compounds were used as an astringent, for example to stop bleedings.

Treat Stomach ulcers. Treat Kidney Failure. Make Vaccines more effective. Make Deodorants more effective

Nowadays, the main aluminium compound in medicine is aluminium hydroxide. This is used to treat stomach ulcers and kidney failure. Some vaccines contain aluminium compounds to make them more efficient.

Aluminium salts are used in cosmetic products like deodorants. The aluminium salts block sweat ducts and reduce the amount of sweat on the surface of the skin.

Breath

Inhalation of aluminium through air is a small source of exposure. According to the World Health Organization, the exposure is up to 0.04 mg/day, which is less than 1 percent of the contribution we get through food.

Intake and uptake

Most of the aluminium we get through food, water, beverages and medicine, passes through the digestive system without being absorbed by the body.

There seems to be no clear evidence of a correlation between the amount of aluminium ingested and uptake in ‘normal’ people. But this does not take into consideration situations where the barriers are being bypassed. Some studies seem to show that a high intake and uptake of aluminium gives toxic effects.

When aluminium is absorbed, it is carried through the blood stream to the kidneys, where it is rapidly discharged.

Patients with kidney failure will not be able to eliminate aluminium, and the aluminium can accumulate and cause a toxic effect. It is important that people with kidney failure only use aluminium-free water when undergoing dialysis.

Negative effects

High levels of aluminium in the body have been shown to have neurotoxic effects, effects on bone and possibly reproduction.

This occurs when the amount of aluminium consumed exceeds the body’s capacity to excrete it, because the aluminium is then deposited in our bodies and can cause problems.

Some studies have indicated abnormal volumes of aluminium in brain tissue of Alzheimer patients. Other studies show no correlation between aluminium intake and Alzheimer. The theories have caused a lot of discussions, and there are many different opinions.

Positive effects

Todays research does not support suggestions to exclude commonly used aluminium products. The exception is patients with kidney failure, who should avoid aluminium entering their bloodstream through dialysis.

Magnesium

The top five health benefits of magnesium are:
1. Magnesium may reverse osteoporosis
Multiple research studies conducted have suggested that calcium supplemented with magnesium improves bone mineral density. Magnesium deficiency alters calcium metabolism and the hormones that regulate calcium, resulting in osteoporosis. Intake of recommended levels of magnesium is important because it averts osteoporosis.
2. Magnesium prevents cardiovascular diseases
One of the most important benefits of magnesium is that it is associated with lowering the risk of coronary heart diseases. Dietary surveys have suggested that sufficient magnesium intake may reduce the chance of having a stroke. Magnesium deficiency increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, which increases the risk of complications after a heart attack. Therefore, consuming recommended amounts of magnesium dietary supplements may be beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
3. Magnesium regulates high blood pressure (Hypertension)
Magnesium plays a key role in regulating blood pressure naturally. Magnesium supplements and a diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of potassium and magnesium, are consistently associated with lowering blood pressure.

4. Magnesium treats diabetes
Studies show that individuals with a magnesium deficiency have a risk of developing type-2 diabetes and severe diabetic retinopathy. Magnesium aids in carbohydrate metabolism and influences the release and activity of insulin, thereby controlling blood glucose levels. It has been proven that for every 100 milligrams of increase in magnesium daily intake, there was a 15 percent decrease in the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
5. Magnesium treats migraines, insomnia, and depression
The numerous magnesium health benefits also include the treatment of migraines, insomnia, and symptoms of depression. Magnesium is also known to cure severe forms of psychiatric dysfunctions including panic attacks, stress, anxiety, and undue agitations. Magnesium supplements considerably reduce the severity of such attacks and may also help in reducing the rate of recurrence.

Sodium

Advantages

Sodium helps muscles and nerves work properly by assisting muscular contraction and transmission of nerve signals. It also helps regulate blood pressure and volume.Proper amount of sodium in the body maintains an appropriate overall balance of bodily fluids. Sodium also helps sustain a regular blood pH level, an important indicator of health.

Disadvantages

Excessive sodium in the diet has many serious, dangerous side effects. When the kidneys — which naturally balance sodium levels — cannot excrete sufficient sodium, it begins to aggregate in the blood. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure as well as fluid build-up in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis or kidney disease. These conditions make it especially hard for the kidneys to balance sodium levels. Extra sodium causes the body to retain water, increasing blood volume and causing the heart to work harder to move blood, placing more pressure on the arteries. Increased blood pressure can ultimately lead to heart disease, heart failure or stroke.

Recommendations

Table salt is 40 percent sodium, and the most common dietary source of it. One teaspoon of table salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium, which is the recommended maximum intake of sodium per healthy adult per day, according to government nutrition experts. Individuals with high blood pressure should limit their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams daily. Keep in mind that many foods, especially processed and prepared foods, contain high levels of sodium. People with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver and kidney disease might require significantly lower amounts of sodium.

Neon

Neon is a rare atmospheric gas and as such is non-toxic and chemically inert. Neon poses no threat to the environment, and can have no impact at all because it’s chemically unreactive and forms no compounds.

Fluorine

Small amounts of fluorine are naturally present in water, air, plants and animals. As a result humans are exposed to fluorine through food and drinking water and by breathing air. Fluorine can be found in any kind of food in relatively small quantities. Large quantities of fluorine can be found in tea and shellfish.
Fluorine is essential for the maintenance of solidity of our bones. Fluorine can also protect us from dental decay, if it is applied through toothpaste twice a day. If fluorine is absorbed too frequently, it can cause teeth decay, osteoporosis and harm to kidneys, bones, nerves and muscles.

Oxygen

Of all the essential nutrients needed by the human, oxygen is the one we must have on a moment to moment basis. We can’t live without it even for a few minutes, yet, this is the one nutrient most people don’t associate with deficiency problems. Nothing could be further from the truth.

One problem is that oxygen concentrations in and around major cities have been measured as much as 30% below normal. That means that each breath brings in less oxygen. As if this weren’t bad enough, most people have developed poor breathing habits, thus further restricting oxygen intake. The resulting oxygen deficiency is having a negative effect on our health and our overall performance. Oxygen deprivation can be associated with all kinds of chronic diseases, including cancer.

Nirogen

Nitrates and nitrites are known to cause several health effects. These are the
most common effects:

– Reactions with haemoglobin in blood, causing the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood to decrease (nitrite)
– Decreased functioning of the thyroid gland (nitrate)
– Vitamin A shortages (nitrate)
– Fashioning of nitro amines, which are known as one of the most common causes of cancer (nitrates and nitrites)

But from a metabolic point of view, nitric oxide (NO) is much more important than nitrogen alone. In 1987, Salvador Moncada discovered that this was a vital body messenger for relaxing muscles, and today we know that it is involved in the cardiovascular system, the immune system, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The enzyme that produces nitric oxide, called nitric oxide synthesis, is abundant in the brain.

Although nitric oxide is relatively short-lived, it can diffuse through membranes to carry out its functions. In 1991, a team headed by K.E. Anderson of Lund University Hospital, Sweden, showed that nitric oxide activates an erection by relaxing the muscle that controls the blood flow into the penis. The drug Viagra works by releasing nitric oxide to produce the same effect.

Carbon

Activated Charcoal Uses list infographic

Boron

Boron seems to affect the way the body handles other minerals such as magnesium and phosphorus. It also seems to increase estrogen levels in older (post-menopausal) women and healthy men. Estrogen is thought to be helpful in maintaining healthy bones and mental function. Boric acid, a common form of boron, can kill yeast that cause vaginal infections.