Years ago, a leading British researcher urged limiting aluminum exposure. Now, new evidence from the same expert shows how aluminum contributes to Alzheimer's development.
Aluminum occurs naturally in the Earth's crust, making up approximately 8.8% of it. It's present in food and water, and widely used in food processing (as preservatives, colorants, and additives), packaging, cookware, and cosmetics like hair dyes and deodorants.
Christopher Exley, PhD, a chemist and professor at Keele University in the UK, first highlighted this issue in a 2014 study calling for reduced human exposure to aluminum. He linked brain aluminum deposits to Alzheimer's onset. Continuing this vital work, Dr. Exley published new findings on January 13, 2020, in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Dr. Exley’s team found significantly elevated aluminum levels in brain tissue from patients with familial Alzheimer's disease—specifically donors from Colombia carrying a genetic mutation that triggers high beta-amyloid production and early disease onset.
Key insight: Aluminum co-localizes with beta-amyloid protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer's. Among the samples, 42% showed pathologically significant aluminum levels. Fluorescence microscopy revealed concentrations in senile plaques and cerebral blood vessels. Results were benchmarked against a control group without neurological disorders.
Dr. Exley states unequivocally: Without aluminum, Alzheimer's does not occur. While the body can excrete excess aluminum, it persists in the brain, bones, nerves, liver, and muscles—building to a neurotoxic threshold that drives neurodegeneration like Alzheimer's.
