Aluminum in Food and the Environment: The Proceedings of a Symposium

There is currently considerable interest in the possible health risks arising from human exposure to aluminium, which is largely due to the suggestion that aluminium may be a major factor in Alzheimer's disease (senile dementia). This volume provides a detailed review of the adverse health effects associated with aluminium. The authors review the clinical evidence which links aluminium to both Alzheimer's disease and dialysis dementia, and the biochemical mechanisms by which aluminium may exert its detrimental effects on brain tissue. The book then describes dietary sources of exposure to aluminium, which include water, toothpaste, antacid tablets, infant formula, food and aluminium cookware. The study concludes by stating that further information is needed on the extent to which aluminium is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract before the possible health risks can be fully assessed.