Fact Check: Post claiming consuming food cooked in Aluminum foil causes Alzheimer’s Disease is misleading

New Delhi (Vishvas News): A post shared on social media claims that cooking in Aluminum foil is the cause of Alzheimer’s Disease as heat produced while cooking causes the aluminum to leach foil to food. Vishvas News investigated and found the viral post to be misleading. While it is true that some aluminum gets into food when cooked in aluminum foil, and that this is enhanced in acidic foods, it is not true this causes any Alzheimer’s in healthy adults.

Claim

A post shared on Facebook by a user named ‘Nutri Plants’ reads: “Aluminium heat causes aluminum to leach foil to food leading to Alzheimer’s or cancer.”

The archived version of the post can be read here.

Investigation

We started our investigation by searching about Aluminum and Aluminum foil. Aluminum is a lightweight silvery-white metal. Dietary aluminum is ubiquitous but in such small quantities that it is not a significant source of concern in persons with normal elimination capacity.

Aluminum foil is “dual-ovenable” and can be used in both convection and fan-assisted ovens. A popular use of foil is to cover thinner sections of poultry and meat to prevent overcooking. The USDA also provides recommendations on limited uses of aluminum foil in microwave ovens.

According to research, it has been demonstrated that the leaching that occurs when the foods are cooked by wrapping them in Aluminum foil is not negligible and that the consumption of these foods, together with the consumption of other foodstuffs, such as, for example, some vegetables that may naturally contain aluminum, can lead to consuming a weekly dose not far from the TWI (tolerable weekly intake).

Vishvas News spoke to Consultant Neurologist Dr. Abhishek Juneja. He said: “While it is true that some aluminum gets into food when cooked in aluminum foil, and that this is enhanced in acidic foods, it is not true this causes any Alzheimer’s in healthy adults. Aluminum is a potential neurotoxin but this is an extreme situation.”

The Alzheimer’s Association considers the connection between Alzheimer’s and aluminum to be a myth.

The post is shared on Facebook by a user named Nutri Plants. The user has been posting food and nutrition-related posts regularly.

Conclusion: Vishvas News investigated and found the viral post to be misleading. While it is true that some aluminum gets into food when cooked in aluminum foil, and that this is enhanced in acidic foods, it is not true this causes any Alzheimer’s in healthy adults.

Tags

• Fact Check
• fake news