Aluminum is attracted to fat the way metal shavings are to a magnet.
The first time I heard this was in a lecture on Brain Health given at Legacy by Dr. Chris Caffery, Functional Neurologist. I’ve used aluminum foil for years (that explains so much!), but I went cold turkey when Dr. Caffery explained that the heat of an oven or grill triggers the leaching process. As the fat in the food heats up, the heated aluminum in the foil is released and attaches to the fat in the food. Even reheating foods in foil should be avoided.
Why the fuss? While aluminum foil may be a time saver in the kitchen, the effects of aluminum in the body are hazardous to health. Research has found dangerously high levels of aluminum in foods after being cooked, reheated, and even cooled on aluminum foil. The cause for alarm is that when aluminum accumulates in the body, it can lead to osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s. The aluminum destroys calcium, thereby weakening the skeletal system. Even aluminum in anti-perspirants is being linked to breast cancers, the most recent sites of discovery being under the arm where anti-perspirants are applied.
There are many things you can do to eliminate foil in your daily life. Use non-aluminum cookware. SaladMaster is a good brand. Glass or ceramic baking dishes work for roasting meats and vegetables. When baking a sweet potato, use brown parchment paper or stainless steel cookie sheet instead of foil to keep juices off the oven floor. Cheese cloth (organic) soaked in ghee over poultry while basting and baking works great. Russet potatoes can be baked as they are…nothing is needed. Buy glass containers with glass or good plastic tops to store food after cooking. On a grill, get a stainless steel grilling basket for vegetables, fish and even burgers. If camping out and cooking over a campfire, you may need to be creative, but if you are serious about food health you will find a way. One thing I haven’t tried for baking foods is wrapping them in banana leaves! I’m told it works.
Clean up may take a bit longer in some cases, but a word to the wise should be sufficient: “…to avoid damage to your oven, do not use foil to line your oven shelves.” This from the box of aluminum foil itself.
If you google ‘does aluminum leach into food’, you will pull up a host of articles. Here is a good start to your personal research: http://saveourbones.com/stop-doing-this-with-aluminum-foil/