Are Aluminum Cans Bad For You?
Short answer
The aluminum in aluminum cans is unlikely to cause problems in healthy adults. The BPA used to line aluminum cans, however, is a genuine health concern and is more than likely bad for you.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
One concern with aluminum cans is that they might leach aluminum into their contents. Too much aluminum can cause aluminum toxicity, which brings with it a host of unpleasant symptoms. In the short-term, they include flatulence, headaches, and heartburn. In the long-term, aluminum is linked to muscular conditions and problems with the brain.
The aluminum in aluminum cans, however, is one small piece of a much larger picture. Aluminum is everywhere: you can find it in water supplies, different foods, cosmetics like deodorant, and medicines like aspirin and antacid tablets. Normal human exposure to aluminum is between 30 and 50 mg a day. Most of that aluminum passes back out through urine - in healthy individuals, only about 1% of the aluminum that we ingest orally is absorbed.
If you have a problem with your kidneys, your body may not be able to excrete aluminum properly through urine. Individuals with kidney problems should watch their aluminum intake carefully and may want to limit different sources of aluminum in their household and diet, including aluminum cans.
Infants are also at higher risk to absorb aluminum, as their GI systems and kidneys are still immature. If you're breastfeeding, you may want to be careful about the amount of aluminum that you're ingesting.
At one point, it looked like there might have been a connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease. Decades of research have failed to establish a causal relationship between aluminum intake and Alzheimer's. The National Institute of Health, the Alzheimer's Society, and the Alzheimer's Association all maintain that aluminum intake does not appear to cause Alzheimer's.
A more serious concern about aluminum cans is that many are lined with bisphenol A, or BPA. It's an additive that's designed to keep the aluminum from spreading to the food or drink stored in the cans. Unfortunately, it's also been linked to cancer, problems with brain development, disruption of the endocrine system, and reproductive disorders.
The FDA and the European Food Safety Authority have declared BPA to be safe, for now. That decision has drawn criticism and condemnation from a wide range of scientists and researchers, and the French government has instituted a ban on BPA. Whether or not BPA in aluminum cans makes it into the human body in dangerous amounts hasn't been definitively established through research. Still, you may want to choose alternatives where available - bottled beer instead of canned beer, for example.
Possible long-term side effects
- aluminum toxicity
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cancer
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reproductive disorders
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endocrine disruption
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developmental disorders
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other bpa-related effects
Ingredients to be aware of
Healthier alternatives
- bpa-free cans
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bottled instead of canned, where applicable
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