Q: In autopsies of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, deposits of aluminum were found in the brain. Has there been a follow-up study made? Many of our common medications and other products contain various percentages, also cooking utensils, foil, etc. Deodorants (up to 20%), antacids, ibuprofen, allergy medications, and many others.
What does FD&C yellow #6 aluminum lake, D&C red #27 aluminum lake mean? Are these products contributing to the epidemic of Alzheimer’s? Are companies who make and distribute these products discouraging our concern?
A: I do not know the studies and autopsies to which you refer, but offer the following as provided by the Alzheimer’s Association:
Memory loss is not a natural part of the aging process. We all forget things at times – from the name of someone we feel we should definitely remember to forgetting to pick up a bottle of milk from the grocery store when that was what we specifically set out to do. We may end up with a cart full of groceries, but no milk. This is not Alzheimer’s, despite the fact that friends and family may jokingly indicate it is. The disorder doesn’t only target the elderly. It is estimated that there are more than five million individuals living with Alzheimer’s in this country alone, with 200,000 of that number being younger than 65 years of age being so diagnosed. They are known to have ‘younger onset Alzheimer’s’).
During the 1960s and 1970s there was a great deal of publicity of aluminum having a possible connection to those who suffered from the disorder –that is Alzheimer’s from drinking from aluminum cans, cooking in aluminum pots, having silver dental fillings, from using some anti-perspirants, taking over-the-counter antacids, and a whole lot more. As with all studies, this one topic has taken an extended period of time to investigate before conclusions can be made and those studies remain ongoing with different researchers having differing opinions. It appears, however, that in the years that have passed since then, studies (which are difficult to accomplish) have failed to confirm a positive connection.
FD&C yellow #6 is a color additive in numerous products, including foods, cosmetics and drugs that include acetaminophen, as well as numerous prescription meds. D&C red #27 is a synthetic dye found in cosmetics and drugs. The FDA has listed it as a provisional safe additive that must be used only in quantities allowable by the FDA.
In 2011 The International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease stated “the complex characteristics of aluminum bioavailability make it difficult to evaluate its toxicity and therefore, the relationship remains to be established”.
There are also some studies linking Alzheimer’s to air pollution, second hand smoke, and some pesticides.
I must bow to the diversity of the answers and test studies presented. Therefore, I can only recommend that if you are concerned, you refrain from cooking acidic foods in aluminum pots, read labels on deodorant containers, and read over-the-counter labels for medications that include ibuprofen, antacids and others that may contain aluminum. You certainly have your work cut out for you attempting to avoid aluminum exposure but it can be done.
