THEORIES FOR POSSIBLE PREVENTION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: ALUMINIUM
A breakthrough came with the ability to use electron microscopes and other sophisticated techniques to study the brains of people who had died of Alzheimer's disease. At the centre of the damaged brain tissue and tangled brain cells there appeared to be something - a minute piece of aluminium (alumino-silicate).
This discovery was extremely exciting. However, did the aluminium cause the neurological changes or did the changes come first and the aluminium get there merely as a waste product? The question is still not answered. We know that aluminium is the commonest metal in the earth's crust. It is thus part of our water supply and is taken up by the plants that we eat. It has always been thought that our bodies only take up a limited amount of aluminium and that we excrete the majority of it (we do not need it to any great extent). Some years ago, however, when renal dialysis was starting, it was noted that some people during their treatment were getting progressively confused and looked like they were developing a dementia. This was thoroughly investigated and it was found that the dialysis fluid used to treat the patients contained a high level of aluminium and it was this that was causing the people to appear demented. As soon as this was realized the aluminium in the dialysis fluid was removed and the problem disappeared. Thus we do know that aluminium can be harmful in certain circumstances.
There are some parts of the world where the concentrations of aluminium in the soil and water are extremely high. Studies in these areas have revealed some fascinating facts. Most studies have been done in small communities and islands in the western Pacific, where not only is the concentration of aluminium very high but there are high rates of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Are the two facts causally related? At the moment no one is certain, but very recently it was reported in the press that some areas in Britain have water supplies that contain high levels of aluminium, and these same areas have high rates of Alzheimer's disease. The response of the water boards was predictable - there was absolutely no danger from these levels of aluminium. However all agreed to ensure that the levels would be reduced in the near future. Questions are now being asked about the safety of using aluminium cooking pots and pans. At a recent conference I attended an 'expert' was asked this question. He replied that there was no proof whatsoever that aluminium pans were in any way harmful - but he'd thrown his out.
The role of aluminium remains unanswered. It seems unlikely that it will prove to be the cause in its own right. More likely is that it may be one of the triggers that set the neurological abnormalities off in a genetically predisposed individual.
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