It’s the latest rage: Aluminum is bad for baking. It’s bad for your brain and your underarms. It’s not only a foil, a soda can, a pan material and an anti-perspirant, it’s also an ingredient in baking powder. Some baking powders, that is. If you shop at a large, chain supermarket, your one or two baking powder options probably contain aluminum. So don’t buy their baking powder. This is something to buy from either Whole Foods or a local co-op. They’ll have aluminum-free baking powder, and your brain’s best interest in mind.
What’s the big deal with aluminum?
If you haven’t already read my Fake Baking post, you might be new to my aluminum bandwagon. Jump on, you’ll appreciate the ride. For starters, aluminum is a heavy metal. Eating a heavy metal? Not such a good idea. Absorbing a heavy metal which travels to your brain? Also not so good. If you’re inclined, check out my deodorant and anti-perspirant rant. I have used my fair share of aluminum-filled baking powder in my kitchen, mostly in homemade pancakes. Regret lately? I just bought what I saw on the shelf at the store. I trusted that it was the innocent baking powder that I grew up with, and that it wasn’t harboring a HEAVY METAL. Health and wellness are continuums, and I just wasn’t where I am now. Now I only use aluminum-free. And I hope you will too.
Why?
Aluminum is a neurotoxin and causes neuron degeneration. While it may not be clear whether it causes Alzheimer’s disease, it is clear that it damages neurons. Neuron degeneration leads to Alzheimer’s. That’s pretty clear to me. Studies conclude a relation between Aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease time and time again. This College of Nursing, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil study concluded “Results showed that Al is associated to several neurophysiologic processes that are responsible for the characteristic degeneration of AD.”
Safe Baking Powder
(The following is taken from my previous post, Fake Baking: It’s not just happening in tanning booths)
You can either make your own rendition of aluminum-free baking powder using 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda, and 1 part corn starch (2 Tbs cream of tartar, 1 Tbs baking soda, and 1 Tbs corn starch)
…or buy one of these Aluminum-free brands:
Rumford (beware of same-owned Clabber Girl)
Aluminum-free stores (most likely):
2) Local Co-ops (these come highly recommended by me, I get my Rumford Baking Powder at the Wedge Co-op in Minneapolis)
3) Trader Joe’s
Buy small quantities of the stuff at a time, it expires and isn’t a good bulk option. Bid bitter, tinny tasting goods farewell. Say hello to safe and better baking.
Great article. I never would have thought Aluminum was in common everyday cooking ingredients.
Great article! As Jeremy said, I would have never thought to look at that. I ran to my kitchen to see what kind I had & prepared myself to pick up some Al-free tonight @ Whole Foods…Lucky me, I already liked an Al-free brand, Argo.
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