Can ingesting or being exposed to aluminum pose health risks?
Ask the doctor
Q. Aluminum is an ingredient in deodorants, baking sodas, coffee creamers, and other products. Are there health risks associated with absorbing and consuming aluminum? Also, I've heard that putting foods into aluminum pans can increase health risks. Is this true?
A. There is no agreed-upon safe level of ingesting aluminum or being exposed to it.
With the possible exception of people with advanced kidney disease, no adverse health effects have been proven from the following:
- cooking with aluminum pots and pans
- using deodorants with aluminum
- ingesting the tiny amounts of aluminum in foods and beverages.
The kidneys excrete the aluminum we absorb from our intestines. This process is usually very efficient. It prevents us from building up toxic levels of aluminum.
People with impaired kidneys, especially those on dialysis, tend to have much higher blood levels of aluminum compared to people with normal kidneys. However, they don't have any signs of aluminum poisoning.
That doesn't mean that aluminum is totally safe. Aluminum poisoning can cause serious health problems. These can include:
- anemia
- confusion and difficulty concentrating
- bone disease.
However, even in people with higher than expected blood aluminum levels and one of these problems, the cause is usually something other than extra aluminum in the body.
Image: © Catherine McQueen/Getty Images
About the Author
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
