Most people do not give their cookware a second thought and until recent years, I do not either. Six years ago my wife was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that damages motor skills, cognitive processes, and other functions. PD is the most common cause of chronic progressive syndrome characterized by tremor, rigidity bradykinesia, and postural instability. Among the motor symptoms of autonomic dysfunction cigarette and sensory and sleep difficulties. Cognitive and neurobehavioral problems, including dementia, are common in the advanced stage of the disease.
Diagnosis as it can cause a lot of things change in your life. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease and treatment is one of the symptoms of masking or limiting as much as possible. It is also a progressive disease that moves at a different rate for each person.
Some things are known for sure about Parkinson's but the general feeling is that some people are more genetically prone to get the disease than others and that the environment is the trigger. As they say, "Genetics loads the gun and pull the trigger."
Possible environmental causes or triggers tend to gravitate towards the absorption of metals and pesticides in the body. Is this the cause? No probably not, but it may be a factor worth considering. At this stage of the game, I was looking for a way to slow down the problem, not compound it. So when I heard that aluminum aluminum cookware may leach into the food I take notice and do a little research.
I find that the first cast aluminum cookware branded and produced in 1892 by a company in Pittsburgh that became known as ALCOA. Believe it or not, it was not a big hit. In fact it was not received well at all due to quality concerns. I was surprised to learn that it took over 50 years before aluminum pots and pans really gained acceptance with the general public.
Of course today, the concerns that was raised is not about quality, they are medical problems. The main concern is that toxic levels of aluminum can be absorbed into the body when cooking with metal, and even may cause Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.
That is a concern that is strong enough to have and my research shows that the cookware is not only to aluminum exposure that we have every day. In fact to be fair, it's almost impossible to avoid in the environment. It is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and can be found in air and water. It is also found in medicines, deodorant, and, of course, the aluminum cookware. Scientists who measure such things tell us that the average intake of anywhere from 3 to 50 mg per day of aluminum. For those of us fortunate enough to also use aluminum cookware can expect to ingest an additional 3 to 6 mg each time they cook with pots and pans.
So what do we know about metal and human body? Well obviously aluminum is toxic in excessive amounts. For example, aluminum intake too much can damage the kidneys, which secrete metal. Toxic levels of aluminum have also been linked to anemia, decreased liver function, poor coordination, lack of calcium and memory loss among other health problems.
Although both are a serious neurological disease, Alzheimer's is a disease that is much better than the known Parkinson and therefore one of the biggest concerns of our aging population is that the use of aluminum pots and pans can lead to Alzheimer's. The fact is, that the researchers did autopsies on many, but not all, patients with Alzheimer's find higher levels of aluminum in their brains.
The fact is that there is no definitive evidence that aluminum is a smoking gun or even a contributor to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's and the FDA says it is safe. To complement it, it is lightweight, inexpensive and great heat conductor and aluminum can be found in about half of cookware manufactured today.
So why did I decide to opt out and avoid aluminum cookware? Here are my reasons:
1. Aluminium is very reactive. Cooking acidic foods such as tomatoes or tomato sauce can cause leaching. The food is really absorb aluminum from the pot or pan, which means you will ingest aluminum particles traced back to the cookware. Besides avoiding acidic foods cooked in aluminum cookware, is also recommended to not store it in aluminum products. I even avoid using aluminum foil.
2. Try this experiment. Take a clean aluminum pan and put half a cup of water in the pan and use a scouring cleaner (soap-less) pad to scrub the inside of the pan. Now pour water into a glass and see the residue in the water. Try the same experiment with stainless steel cookware and you will find no residue.
3. I do not believe the FDA. This does not mean that they are lying to me on purpose, but they sometimes do not know what they do not know. How many times have you heard them say something is safe only to discover later it was pulled from the market because they are wrong. Now they do not think adding another 3-6 mg of aluminum to your body every time you cook is bad for you. Really! They also do not think that overtime it can build up and no problems. But here's the problem, they do not know for sure. It's not personal to them, but it's definitely for me. As they say in the south, "They do not have a dog in this hunt but I do".
4. There is an alternative to aluminum cookware out there so why gamble. Should I risk it because it's cheaper or bureaucrat said, "they think it's pretty safe to use". Do I have to use it until someone proves it is associated with the disease? No, easier, smarter, and safer to buy a set of cookware alternatives. This may not be the whole answer, but it is a proactive thing I can do with the knowledge and facts that I have.
I chose to go with the cook without water for a variety of reasons such as, low heat cooking, higher nutrient retention, lifetime warranty, surgical stainless steel construction and many more. There are many companies selling the sets for a variety of prices. I found no real difference in the price is high but the cost of their advertising. If you want a good set of waterless cookware, you can buy directly and get some great deals.
