[TheForge] Aluminum pans and Alzheimers (was: Iron in the Fire)

[Bruce Freeman]

Rumor from a reliable source (a PhD chemist friend who worked among other things with scanning electron microscopy = "SEC", a technique that can find chemical elements on a sample surface) says that the "aluminum causes Alzheirmers" is an urban legend originating from a stupidly done piece of research.

It seems (so the rumor goes) that some researchers were scanning brain slices from Alzheimers victims, and noticed aluminum concentrations in brain regions associated with the ailment.  Aha!, they said.  Except, they didn't bother checking with the scientists who prepared the brain slices.  It seems that those folks had used an aluminum-containing dye in the prep work.  Oops!

Bottom line:  Aluminum in food is harmless.  By the time it gets into food, it's thoroughly oxidized and as inert as clay (of which it is a principal component).

Yes, this sort of thing really happens.  In Nature magazine, back in the 70's, was published an article refuting a study in which some sort of learning behavior in cats, along the lines oflike rats hitting bars to get food or brain stimulas rewards.  The doofus who set up the study used verticle bars that the cats would rub up against.  He didn't take into account that cats will rub up against ANYTHING for social reasons.  His study results were garbage.  Anytime a researcher walked into the room, the cats would rub against the bars!

Bruce
NJ

>>> rick at smokyforge.com 3/8/2007 6:49 PM >>>
With all the information about Alzheimer's (sp?) I wouldn't like to eat 
anything off aluminum.  My dad has that damned disease.

Rick Crawford at Smoky Forge
Home of Lem the Wonder Mule and
Mol ASS es the slow Donkey
in the middle of Northern Illinois


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Frost" <frosty at customcpu.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 2:53 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Iron in the Fire


>
> From: "Woolley" <wjec at verizon.net>
>
>
>> Terry,
>>
>> Mild steel plate won't eventually warp and crumble with everyday use? 
>> 3/8 is going to be too heavy. Maybe I'm being clue less here given the 
>> prevalence of  metal cookware made of AL, stainless etc., but I'm 
>> thinking of what happened to mild steel when I used it to repair 
>> andirons, it burned up. This is something that will be used alot in a 
>> commercial kitchen.
>>
>> Bill
>>
>>
>
>
> No, mild steel will work fine, it seasons like cast iron and unless you 
> leave it outside it'll last generations.
>
> If you want to make it lighter than say 1/4"(?) I don't know how thin is 
> too thin for a griddle, you'll want to put a rim around it to help prevent 
> warpage. Putting most of the rim under the cooking face will help trap 
> heat from the burners and is probably a good idea no matter how thick you 
> make it.
>
> The best argument for using thicker steel, cast iron, aluminum, etc. is 
> it's cooking properties. The thicker the griddle the more even the heat 
> and the less it'll chill when cold food hits it. The griddle on my Viking 
> range top is around 1 1/8" cast aluminum and produces pro results.
>
> Frosty
> -------------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
>
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
>
> http://www.artmetalradio.com/ 
>

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