Can You Use Aluminum Foil For Cooking?

The use of aluminum foil for cooking has not been questioned until recently, but we must continue to ask questions. There has certainly been talk about which side of it is allowed to come into contact with food: the matte or the glossy side. That’s a start.

In general, aluminum foil serves three purposes:

• To cover surfaces on which food is to be cooked (in the oven, for example).
• Food preservation (packaging).
• To keep it warm after cooking is complete.

This material is definitely convenient, easy to handle and extremely affordable. However, is it safe? How often can you use it? Read on to learn more about it.

Why you shouldn’t use aluminum foil for cooking

Aluminum foil is a very thin sheet that is rolled over a cardboard cylinder, so you can easily tear it off and use it when you need it. The thickness of the sheet can be up to 0.94 mil, so it is quite flexible.

What is aluminum?

The use of aluminum has been quite popular since the 20th century. It is slightly less popular than steel. It is extracted from bauxite, a type of sedimentary rock. It has a long life and is also a good conductor of electricity and heat. Other notable features are:

• durability. This refers to the ability of a metal to absorb energy before breaking or losing its shape.
• flexibility. This is a physical property that allows one to make sheets or plates of a particular metal.
• deformability. This means that the metals are flexible and can be formed by force without breaking them to obtain iron wire and the like.

When is aluminum harmful to health?

Aluminum (alloyed with other elements) is an inexpensive material. You can find it in the form of cutlery, pots, pans and many other common utensils. However, we must say that there is no indication that the use of these utensils is harmful to your health.

However, wrapping food in aluminum foil and heating it at high temperatures can be harmful. This is especially the case with sour or spicy dishes. Let’s discuss some details to understand this point.

How does aluminum work in the human body?

The human body can excrete aluminum, but only in small amounts. In other words, a minimal intake is not a problem. As an indicator you can have a value of 1574.8 mils per every kilogram of body weight per day.

Remember that we are all exposed to this metal much more than we think. For example, you can find it in different foods and things like:

• Tea
• Maize
• Spices
• Drinking water
• Yellow cheeses
• Aromatic spices
• Some medications such as antacids

Among the most common conditions caused by high trace amounts of aluminum in the body, we can say the following:

• Some people think it increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Aluminum is extremely harmful to patients with kidney problems.
• It can worsen the health of patients with bone problems.
• Finally, it would reduce the growth rate of human brain cells.

Do not use aluminum foil to cook at high temperatures

An important factor in reducing the amount of aluminum in your body is not scrubbing utensils made of this metal after use. These aluminum utensils tend to rust and therefore have an inert layer that prevents aluminum from mixing with the food it touches.

But the biggest problem lies in wrapping food in aluminum foil for cooking purposes. This is a disposable product and does not have an inert layer when you use it. So if you use it for cooking, the aluminum can get into the food and exceed the limits that are considered safe for the body.

Basically, you can continue to use aluminum foil in the kitchen for food storage and handling. However, be careful when using it for cooking at high temperatures.