Aluminium pressure cooker bad for health?

jinny

Hi, dont know if this is on the right board, but I bought an aluminium pressure cooker last month after hearing how great they are for soups ect on this board. However when I mentioned how great it was at work ,most people said I should have bought a stainless steel one as they would'nt use this metal for cooking as it gets into your food and causes all kinds of health problems. I'm real worried about this, I could'nt really afford the cooker but thought it would save me money in the end. Does anyone have any thoughts/advice on this?

Penelope_Penguin

As far as I'm aware, the link between aluminium and health problems is far from proven. Additionally, there appears to be only a miniscule likelyhood of disease/illness caused by cooking utensils - far more likely to occur in people who work in with aluminium in industry.

Take a look at this article from Food Standards Agency - they conclude that levels of aluminium in the UK diet is well within WHO guidelines.

Penny. x

jinny

Thank you penelope penguin, read the article as was reasured.

albertross_2

You will probably get more in your system from under arm antiperspirant
.

champys

Jinny - mine is aluminium too! and who doesn't use foil from time to time, or aluminium pie dishes etc. my grandmother cooked everything in aluminium pans, it was all she had, and she brought up 6 healthy children. i wouldn't worry about it if i were you...... a meal cooked in your (aluminium) pressure cooker is probably still a lot healthier than any processed fast food or ready meals!

ceridwen

Personally - I deliberately bought a stainless steel pressurecooker - as I was never very happy cooking with the aluminium one I had bought in ignorance back before - and I dont use aluminium foil or conventional deodorants either. I minimise my exposure to aluminium all round. I guess its Alzheimers that is what worries people (including me) about it.

I have a (now deceased) relative that had it come the end - but I tell myself that she always was rather "vague" and I am nothing like her or anyone in the media I have heard of with it - but I'd rather not take any chances.

I note the article by the Food Standards Agency - second I checked it though it confirmed that FSA is a Govt department - thats me cynical on the spot then about what they say in that case.

Primrose

Well, I've been using my "Old Faithful" Skyline aluminium pressure cooker for more than 30 years for soups and stocks, and intermittently for vegetables as well and none of us seem to have been poisoned yet. I don't think any of the theories which have been publicised have ever been scientifically proven. If a scientist can come up with some valid information, I will consider abandoning my cooker, but otherwise will continue to use it as I always have done..

[Deleted User]

I bought a new stainless steel pressure cooker after throwing my aluminium one away. My mil used to tell me how shiny the aluminium pan became after cooking rhubarb. This was the acid in the rhubarb dissolving some aluminium.

I didn`t hesitate, its not worth taking the chance

http://www.alzscot.org/pages/info/aluminium.htm

Gingham_Ribbon

The alzheimer's society don't seem to think there is a problem with using aluminium pans. Useful article here.

champys

Well, I've been using my "Old Faithful" Skyline aluminium pressure cooker for more than 30 years for soups and stocks, and intermittently for vegetables as well and none of us seem to have been poisoned yet. I don't think any of the theories which have been publicised have ever been scientifically proven. If a scientist can come up with some valid information, I will consider abandoning my cooker, but otherwise will continue to use it as I always have done..

Thanks Primrose, I feel exactly the same about it. I would also add that not using any aluminium is no guarantee either: my mother sadly has Alzheimer's disease, still she has had nothing but stainless steel pans all her life and preferred soap and water to deodorants.

[Deleted User]

everyone had aluminium saucepans when I was a child. Stainless steel pans only came about in approx the 1980-1990 era.

also aluminium sulphate was/is used in the water supply system.

http://www.dwrcymru.com/English/library/publications/Aluminium/English.pdf

there was more aluminium in water in past years

I don`t care if aluminium is proven to be linked or not. I am not going to ingest aluminium or any other chemicals if I can help it. Hence me using a filter for the past 30 years and eating organic.