[Sca-cooks] Was: Odd question.../ NOW-Pots

[Lorenz Wieland]

CorwynWdwd at aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 10/17/2003 11:02:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> Jeff.Gedney at dictaphone.com writes:
>
>> Actually,
>> I think we use Aluminum the most... especially for stock pots
>> how did that fare in your cooking tests?
>
> I tend to avoid using aluminum entirely. First there was the theory
> that  aluminum was causing alzhimers in people (dunno how that turned out,
> if it  actually has been settled).

The jury is still out on that, but chances are you injest more aluminum from
other sources than you ever could from cookware.  See
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/faq/alum.htm for the NIH take.  The
Alzheimer's Association says fairly succinctly not to worry about aluminum
cookware (or soda cans):

Myth: Drinking out of aluminum cans or cooking in aluminum pots and pans can
lead to Alzheimer's disease.
Reality: Based on current research, getting rid of aluminum cans, pots, and
pans will not protect you from Alzheimer's disease. The exact role (if any)
of aluminum in Alzheimer's disease is still being researched and debated.
However, most researchers believe that not enough evidence exists to
consider aluminum a risk factor for Alzheimer's or a cause of dementia.

>THEN we noticed the pitting in the
> aluminium pots when we cooked anything acidic, and the clincher was
> some veggie fritters we made
> that for some reason turned neon green in the aluminum pan... which
> were promptly christened "frog fritters". NOBODY would eat them, I
> tasted one, it was Okay,
> I can only assume it was the color.


Acid and non-anodized aluminum is a Bad Thing.  You really don't want to
know what nasty molecules get added to your food when acid meets aluminum.
Really.


Anodized aluminum, on the other hand, is just fine for most things.

-Lorenz