Geology

Aluminum is one of the eight most abundant elements on earth. Those elements are Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum, Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium. Together those 8 elements form 98% of the earth crust.

Table 1: The eight most common elements of the earth crust by weight.

In nature, Aluminum does not exist as a metal (Ex).

In nature Aluminum exists only combined to other elements, forming most frequently silicates (L) . In many silicates (Ex) Si⁴⁺ ions are replaced by Al³⁺ ions within the silicate tetrahedral. This replacement produces aluminosilicates. To maintain charge balance, an extra cation, such as K⁺, must accompany each of those substitutions.

One quarter substitution of the minerals Si⁴⁺ ions by Al³⁺ ions results in Muscovite (Ex) :
KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂.

Up to half substitution of the minerals Si⁴⁺ ions by A³⁺ ions results in feldspar (Ex) with Na⁺, K⁺, or Ca²⁺ ions to compensate the extra negative charges.

Aluminum in Food

Since Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust, it is not surprising that Aluminum is found in all plants and other living organisms. All food contains Aluminum. Table two presenst a list of usual food with the aluminum content of each expressed in micrograms of elemental Aluminum per one hundred grams of edible product.

Table 2: Aluminum content of some food in micrograms per 100 grams of edible product Source: Table of Trace Element Contents in Japanese Foodstuffs

Aluminum in Drinking Water

Aluminum's physical and chemical properties make it ideal for use in water treatment processes.

Alum (aluminum sulfate) is most widely used because it is effective, readily available, and relatively inexpensive. Aluminum sulfate in water produces Aluminum hydroxide (L), a gelatinous insoluble compound that sinks slowly removing waterborne micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, protozoa) and particles that can protect them from disinfecting, causing them to clump together into larger particles.

However, under some circumstances, or if not used properly, Aluminum use in water treatment processes can result in elevated levels of residual aluminum in finished drinking water.

Aluminum in Pharmaceuticals

Aluminum Hydroxide is the active component of antacid and antiflatulent products.

Table 3 lists the brand names of some pharmaceuticals and their aluminum hydroxide content per tablet or per Tsp. The table also indicates (in the last column to the right) the daily exposure to aluminum hydroxide of someone following the recommendations of the pharmaceutical companies.

Table 3: Source: Physicians' Desk Reference, 1998

Aluminum Toxicity

Human and living organisms are constantly exposed to Aluminum oral intake and tolerate it very well for concentrations and quantities between usual range.

The intestine is the most effective organ in preventing tissue aluminum accumulation after oral exposure. Typically gastrointestinal absorption of aluminum from diets is < 1%. Greger JL. (A)



Intoxication can occur from excessive oral exposure and from intravenous exposure particularly in children and in patients on dialysis for renal deficiency.

Aluminum in Nutraceuticals

Since all food contains Aluminum, nutraceuticals (L) and particularly natural plant derived nutraceuticals may also contain Aluminum.

As an example, the label on the product Majestic Earth from the company American Longevity lists Aluminum Hydroxide as an ingredient. The analysis of the product shows that one serving of one fl.oz. of Majestic Earth contains 44 mg of elemental Aluminum, standing for 132 mg of aluminum hydroxide. This quantity of aluminum hydroxide in one serving of one fl.oz. of the product Majestic Earth is less than 30% of the average aluminum hydroxide content of one antacid tablet The recommended daily dose for Majestic Earth -- two fl. oz per day -- contains about 20 times less aluminum hydroxide than the average recommended daily dose of an antacid.

Table 4: Comparison of the average aluminum hydroxide content of antacids and of Majestic Earth

Conclusion

Aluminum is everywhere. In geology, it is part of the molecules forming 90% of the earth crust. All food contains aluminum.

Processed water may contain aluminum. There is aluminum in pharmaceuticals and in nutraceuticals.

From the preceding it is obvious that there is no reason for concern about the aluminum content of nutraceuticals.

Lexicon of the Technical Terms

Silicates
The silicates are the largest, the most interesting and the most complicated class of minerals by far. Approximately 30% of all minerals are silicates and some geologists estimate that 90% of the Earth's crust is made up of silicates. Since silicates contain mainly oxygen and silicon -- the two most abundant elements in the earth's crust -- silicates abundance is no real surprise. [ Back to text ]

Aluminum hydroxide is a compound containing aluminum, oxygen and hydrogen. Aluminum hydroxide comes in various combinations of aluminum with oxygen and hydrogen. The pH of the solution determines the type of the combination of the compound and its solubility. [ Back to text ]