Learn about the dangers and how to use tin foil in cooking
Using foil to cook food may be a concern for some people. That is why, in this article, we will fully explain the advantages and disadvantages of using chips while cooking, as well as how to use chips.
Aluminum foil is one of the important tools for cooking, especially for cooking some special and delicious foods like grilled chicken. In general, it is common to use foil to cook food, but the question is, is it dangerous to health or not? Stay with us to check this issue.
What is tin foil?
Aluminum foil or foil is a thin, shiny metallic sheet of various thicknesses, but it can be as thin as paper and is usually less than 2 mm thick. These chips are used industrially for various purposes such as packaging, insulation and transportation. It is also widely available in grocery stores for home cooking.
Aluminum foil is commonly used in the home to store food, cover cooking surfaces, and wrap foods such as meat to prevent moisture loss during cooking. Also, sometimes during some cooking methods such as grilling, foil is used to protect more delicate foods such as vegetables and prevent them from burning. Aluminum foil is also used for some other household tasks, which you can read in the article 13 Clever Home Tricks Using Aluminum Foil.
Is it harmful to use tin foil for cooking?
In general, a small amount of aluminum is found in many foods; Because aluminum is one of the most abundant metals on earth. In its natural state, this substance binds to other elements such as phosphates and sulfates in soil, rocks, and clay. However, it is also found in small amounts in air, water, and food. For this reason, it is found in most foods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, grains, and dairy products.
Also, some foods such as tea leaves, mushrooms, spinach and radishes absorb more aluminum than other foods. In addition, some of the aluminum you eat gets into your body from processed food additives, such as preservatives, colors, anti-caking agents, and thickeners. Aluminum also enters the body through medications that are high in aluminum, such as antacids.
The aluminum content in food and medicine is not a problem because the body absorbs only a small amount of the aluminum you consume and excretes the rest in the stool. In addition, in healthy people, the absorbed aluminum is excreted through the urine after some time. This amount, which can enter the food through the foil and then enter your body, is considered safe, provided the aluminum foil is not used excessively and is only used occasionally to cook food.
What factors depend on the amount of tin that enters the body through the foil?
Cooking with aluminum foil can increase the aluminum content in your diet. The amount of aluminum that enters your food and then your body when cooking in aluminum foil is affected by several factors, such as:
Temperature: Cooking at a higher temperature leads to more aluminum getting into the food.
Type of foods: Cooking with acidic foods such as tomatoes, cabbage, and rhubarb increases aluminum absorption.
Some ingredients: Using ingredients such as salt and some spices in cooking
Possible health risks from excessive consumption of tin
As mentioned in the previous sections, using foil to cook food is safe when used only occasionally. Excessive use can increase the amount of aluminum in the body and cause risks. Healthy people can effectively eliminate small amounts of aluminum that are absorbed by the body.
However, dietary aluminum is recognized as a potential factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disease that results from the loss of brain cells. People with this disease suffer from memory loss and decreased brain function. Currently, high levels of aluminum have been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. However, more studies are still needed to prove this issue scientifically.
In addition to aluminum's potential role in brain disease, some studies have shown that dietary aluminum can also be an environmental risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
How to reduce exposure to tin while cooking?
It is impossible to completely eliminate aluminum from the diet, but you can try to reduce it; Because the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have stated that levels of less than 2 milligrams of this substance per 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of body weight per week are unlikely to cause health problems.
There are some steps you can take to reduce the aluminum in your food when cooking, including:
Avoid cooking at high heat. If possible, cook your food at a lower temperature.
Limit the use of aluminum foil in your cooking, especially if you're cooking acidic foods like tomatoes or lemons.
Use non-aluminum containers such as glass or porcelain for cooking.
In addition, because commercially processed foods may be packaged in aluminum or have food additives containing it, they can introduce higher levels of aluminum than home-cooked foods; Therefore, eating homemade foods and reducing the consumption of commercially processed foods can help reduce aluminum in the body.
Should you stop using foil in your cooking?
The rate of release of aluminum in food is low, especially if we consider the points mentioned in the previous section. However, it can generally increase the amount of aluminum that enters the body. On the other hand, sometimes it is possible to cook some foods only in tin foil, and with tin get the desired taste; Therefore, the best solution is to use this method only occasionally and use medium to low heat when using aluminum foil to cook.
The conclusion
As you can see, the use of aluminum foil in cooking does not pose many health risks, and the amount of aluminum that enters the body in this way is negligible. You just have to keep in mind some of the points mentioned in this article so that there is no problem with your health.
