Aluminum, Fluoride, and Glyphosate—A
Toxic Trifecta Implicated in Autism and Alzheimer's Disease
February 12, 2015
Story at-a-glance
Aluminum-containing products are likely fueling the rise in
Alzheimer's disease and autism
Aluminum and glyphosate appear to act as synergistic poisons
that promote autism
Fluoride in food and drinking water may also exacerbate the
ill effects of aluminum
The best way to protect yourself is to be careful about your
choices in food, drink, and personal products, and minimize
use of vaccines and other drugs that contain aluminum,
mercury, and/or fluoride
By Dr. Mercola
Aluminum is a known neurotoxin, and according to Professor
Christopher Exley of Keele University, aluminum-containing products
are likely fueling the rise in Alzheimer's disease.1
In an article published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology,2
he writes:
“We are all accumulating a known neurotoxin in our brain
from our conception to our death. The presence of aluminium in
the human brain should be a red flag alerting us all to the
potential dangers of the aluminium age.
How do we know that Alzheimer’s disease is not the
manifestation of chronic aluminium toxicity in humans?”
People with aluminum toxicity display many of the same symptoms
as those with dementia, Parkinson’s, ADHD, autism, and other
neurological diseases, and mounting evidence suggests aluminum may
play a significant role in the development of those (and other)
diseases.
By taking steps to protect yourself, you can minimize your
exposure while maximizing your body’s ability to rid itself of this
toxic metal, which will move you toward a long and healthy life well
into your senior years.
Other toxins to beware of include fluoride and
glyphosate. All of these are toxic in their own right, but
research suggests they may be even more hazardous in combination.
You May Be Exposed to More Aluminum Than You Think
Aluminum can be found in a wide range of consumer products,
including:
Foods such as baking powder, self rising flour, salt,
baby formula, coffee creamers, baked goods, and processed
foods, coloring, and caking agents
Drugs, such as antacids, analgesics, anti-diarrheals, and
others; additives such as magnesium stearate
Vaccines—Hepatitis A and B, Hib, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus,
pertussis), pneumococcal vaccine, Gardasil (HPV), and others
Cosmetics and personal care products such as
antiperspirants,
deodorants (including salt crystals, made of alum), lotions,
sunscreens, and shampoos
Aluminum products, including foil, cans, juice pouches,
tins, and water bottles
According to CDC,5 the average adult in the US consumes about
seven to nine mg of aluminum per day in food, and a lesser amount
from air and water.
Approximately one percent of the aluminum you ingest orally gets
absorbed into your body—the rest is moved out by your digestive
tract, providing it’s functioning well. The remaining aluminum can
be deposited not only in brain tissue, but also in your nerves,
bone, liver, heart, spleen, and muscle.
While one percent may sound like a tiny amount, your overall
toxic load will depend on the total amount of toxins you’re exposed
to over time. Your diet and digestive health will also play a role
in how much your body is actually able to eliminate.
Occupational Exposure to Aluminum Raises Your Risk for Alzheimer’s
One recently published case study3
found high levels of aluminum in the brain of a man who was exposed
to aluminum at work for eight years. He later died from Alzheimer’s
disease.
According to the authors, it’s the first case showing a
direct link between Alzheimer's disease and elevated brain
aluminum following occupational exposure.4
An earlier study5
suggested that aluminum from food and drinking water may be
contributing to rising Alzheimer’s rates, noting that:
“In recent years, interest in the potential role of
metals in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has grown
considerably.
In particular, aluminum (Al) neurotoxicity was suggested
after its discovery in the senile plaques and neurofibrillary
tangles that represent the principal neuropathological hallmarks
of AD.
Al is omnipresent in everyday life and can enter the
human body from several sources, most notably from drinking
water and food consumption... [O]ther elements present in
drinking water, such as fluoride, copper, zinc, or iron could
also have an effect on cognitive impairment or modify any Al
neurotoxicity.”
Indeed, dozens of studies have shown that
fluoride causes brain damage and lowers IQ. Fluoride emitted by
aluminum plants has also been implicated in animal disease.6
Farmers in Iceland, for example, claim their animals are being
sickened by environmental fluoride contamination—some to the point
of having to be euthanized. Others report higher rates of tooth
damage and infertility among their livestock.
Another related study7
linked occupational exposure to aluminum to the development of
pulmonary fibrosis, a condition in which scarring on your lungs make
it difficult to breathe. In this case, the exposure occurred during
sanding of Corian material.
All in all, it seems reasonable to conclude that the combination
of aluminum, fluoride, and/or a number of other toxins can promote
Alzheimer’s disease in addition to a number of other health
problems.
Pesticides Can Also Wreak Havoc with Brain Function
Pesticides, for example, have also been shown to have an adverse
effect on neurological function and brain health.8
In one study, farmers exposed to organochlorine insecticides had a
90 percent increased risk of depression compared to those who didn’t
use them.
Exposure to fumigants increased risk of depression by 80 percent.
People exposed to pesticides are also more likely to have
Parkinson’s disease.
Clearly, when it comes to toxins, unless the chemical is
acutely toxic, the real harm occurs when your body becomes
chronically overloaded with them, and most people today are exposed
to thousands and perhaps tens of thousands of different chemicals on
a regular basis.
Farmers are not the only ones at risk for adverse effects from
pesticide exposure. Glyphosate can be found in most processed foods
in the Western diet courtesy of GE sugar beets, corn, and soy, and
research shows glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of other
chemical residues and toxins.
While nearly one billion pounds of glyphosate is doused on both
conventional and GE crops worldwide each year, genetically
engineered (GE) crops receive the heaviest amounts. Meats from
animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) may
also contain higher amounts of glyphosate residues, as GE soy is a
staple of conventional livestock feed.
It’s quite crucial to understand that glyphosate contamination is
systemic, meaning it is integrated into every cell of the
plant, from root to tip. It’s not just an issue of topical
contamination, as with many other agricultural chemicals sprayed on
crops.
Normally, you need to thoroughly wash your produce to remove topical
pesticide residues, but you simply cannot remove glyphosate from
your produce. And neither can food and animal feed manufacturers who
use GE ingredients in their products. This is part and parcel of
what makes GE foods so harmful to your health.
Synergistic Poisoning from Aluminum and Glyphosate Implicated in
Autism
Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been instrumental
in educating people about the hazards of glyphosate. In the video
below, she explains how aluminum and glyphosate act together as
synergistic poisons that promote autism. Based on the current trend,
Dr. Seneff predicts that by 2025, half of all children born
will be diagnosed with autism. Clearly, we must identify
leading environmental factors contributing to this frightening
trend. Lack of vitamin D caused by inadequate sun exposure is one
factor. Nutritional deficiencies caused by poor diet are another.
Environmental toxins must not be overlooked however, and some
toxins—glyphosate and aluminum included—are far more hazardous and
ubiquitous than others, and are therefore likely to contribute to a
greater degree. As Dr. Seneff explains, glyphosate’s mechanism of
harm renders it particularly problematic. Indeed, according to Dr.
Seneff, glyphosate is possibly "the most important factor in the
development of multiple chronic diseases and conditions that have
become prevalent in Westernized societies,” including but not
limited to:
Autism
Gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel
disease, chronic diarrhea, colitis, and Crohn's disease
Obesity
Allergies
Cardiovascular disease
Depression
Cancer
Infertility
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
ALS and more
Tips for Avoiding These Pernicious Toxins
It seems quite clear that aluminum exposure plays a role in
neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Other neurotoxins such
as fluoride and glyphosate add to the toxic burden. The best way to
protect yourself is to be careful about your choices in food and
personal products, and minimize your use of vaccines and other drugs
that are often contaminated with aluminum. Optimizing your dietary
sulfur is also essential, as your body needs sulfur to manufacture
its number one weapon against aluminum overload: glutathione.
The following list offers a number of suggestions for items to
avoid, to reduce your exposure to aluminum, fluoride, glyphosate,
and other brain-harming components:
Processed foods and sodas. This will
help you avoid both GE ingredients (which tend to be
contaminated with glyphosate) and aluminum. In addition,
replacing processed foods with whole organic foods will
drastically reduce your sugar/fructose intake, which will
help normalize your insulin and leptin sensitivity. This is
in fact one of the best strategies for protecting and
preserving your brain function and overall health. Fructose
and gluten are other dietary factors that promote
Alzheimer’s, and are best avoided as much as possible.
Mechanically deboned chicken, which
tends to be high in fluoride as a result of the processing.
Dental amalgams. Dental amalgam
fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by weight, are one of
the major sources of heavy metal toxicity. However, you
should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you
have adjusted to following the diet described in my
optimized
nutrition plan, you can follow the
mercury detox protocol and then find a biological
dentist to have your amalgams removed.
Cosmetics and personal care productscontaining aluminum, such as
antiperspirants (including
salt crystals, made of alum), lotions, sunscreens, and
shampoos.
Vaccines containing either mercury(thimerosal) and/or aluminum.
Aluminum-containing drugs, such as
antacids, analgesics, anti-diarrheals, and others
Anticholinergics and statin drugs.
Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system
neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of
dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain
relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain
antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and
certain narcotic pain relievers.
Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they
suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of
coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent
adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble
antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting the production of
the indispensable carrier biomolecule known as low-density
lipoprotein.
Fluorinated medications, including
Cipro.
Fluoridated water
Fluoridated toothpaste andfluoride gel treatments.
Non-stick cookware will outgas
fluoride, but also avoidother
aluminum-containing products, such as cans, foil, juice
pouches, tins, and water bottles.
Help Support GMO Labeling
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)—Monsanto’s Evil
Twin—is pulling out all the stops to keep you in the dark about
what’s in your food. For nearly two decades, Monsanto and corporate
agribusiness have exercised near-dictatorial control over American
agriculture.
Finally public opinion around the biotech industry's
contamination of our food supply and destruction of our environment
has reached the tipping point. We're fighting back.
The insanity has gone far enough, which is why I encourage you to
boycott every single product owned by members of the GMA, including
natural and organic brands. More than 80 percent of our support
comes from individual consumers like you, who understand that real
change comes from the grassroots.
Thankfully, we have organizations like the Organic Consumers
Association (OCA) to fight back against these corporate giants. So
please, fight for your right to know what’s in your food and help
support the GMO labeling movement by making a donation today.
Together, Let's Help OCA Get The Funding They Deserve
Let’s Help OCA get the funding it deserves. I have found very few
organizations who are as effective and efficient as OCA. It’s a
public interest organization dedicated to promoting health justice
and sustainability. A central focus of the OCA is building a
healthy, equitable, and sustainable system of food production and
consumption.
Please make a donation to help OCA fight for GMO labeling.
Copyright 1997- 2015 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.