Aluminum and Alzheimer’s
Did you know that aluminum chlorohydrate has been blamed for causing Alzheimer’s disease? Did you also know you can find aluminum chlorohydrate in antiperspirants? Talk about getting under my skin, and going straight to my brain. Aluminum can also be found in cooking pans. Yikes, that means it’s in the food I’m ingesting. And you know those handy, disposable baking pans at the grocery store? You got it, aluminum. What about aluminum foil? Holy smokes, how do I keep my food hot, and at what cost? (Actually I don’t use aluminum foil much at all.)
Aluminum and food
What’s to be done? Well, I can cook in glass. (Just remember to lower the recommended oven temp by 25 degrees when cooking in glass.) And eat my food while it’s still hot or cover the dinner plate with another plate when hubby gets home late. What else can I do? Hmm… Eat more raw food? Eat at home more and out less? Ask the chef what kind of pans the food is cooked in? Bring my own container to a restaurant instead of bringing home the extras in an aluminum take-out one? Wow, am I getting obsessive here? Sounds like it. I got it, let’s just share one meal then we won’t have any leftovers. Now I’m thinking. Okay, so the aluminum issues around food are solved.
Antiperspirants
Well, how about the issue of putting aluminum into my pores, leading directly to my brain (well, maybe not directly but they’ll get there eventually), where aluminum causes Alzheimer’s? Antiperspirants are made to keep human bodies from sweating. First, they hardly ever worked for me. And second, why would I want to stop my body from doing something it’s supposed to do like sweating? Sweat is how my body cools itself down. And if my body feels like it’s too hot, well, I want my sweat to cool me down. Besides, perspiration is WONDERFUL for the complexion. The problem is those nasty underarm stains and odor. Good point, but is it worth getting Alzheimer’s disease? I don’t think so.
Natural deodorant stone
So what do I do? I sweat, and I layer my clothes so I can cool off by lightening my load. (Hey, we could become a society of nudists, weather permitting, and not have to worry about any of this! It would also inspire us to be in better shape all year, wouldn’t it?) To keep from smelling I use a crystal deodorant stone like the Thai deodorant stone by Deodorant Stones of America International. Deodorant stones are made from Alum, which isn’t absorbed into the body yet inhibits growth of the bacteria that causes body odor.
My experience
I got my first deodorant stone through the mail. That was the only way to get it back in the late 1980s. It lasted forever! Well, it seemed like forever but I recall it lasting at least five years. It would have lasted longer if I hadn’t dropped it so frequently, losing large chunks in the process. I put it on my underarms, and anywhere else I sweat, while I’m still wet from the shower. It was slippery when it was wet so I dropped it a few times until I got used to handling it wet. You might try holding it in a washcloth when it, and your hands, are wet. You can also wet the stone under running water, just the part you aren’t holding, and rub it on your underarms. This gives me two days of odor-free underarms. So, if I have to miss a day of showering, unless I sweat profusely, I won’t have to use it on the second day. It also neutralizes any bacteria that have already formed.
The day I got my first stone I had a hot date. Well, I didn’t have time for a shower and checked my underarms. Yuk… I wasn’t going out smelling like that. I decided to try my new purchase. I wet the stone and ran it on my underarms. Within minutes, and I mean minutes, the smell was gone. Not just diminished, it was GONE. I was pleasantly surprised and have used them ever since. My husband even uses the same stone in a twist-up dispenser.
Options
They come in many varieties, sizes and names. I use the solid Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone. It also comes in a spray, which I haven’t used so I can’t attest to its efficacy. My hubby uses the same stone I use in a twist-up dispenser, like conventional deodorants. Just be aware that the bottom of the stone will dissolve as the water drips down into the dispenser, shortening the life of the stone. To mitigate this, if you choose to run this under water, just wet the end of the stone that projects out of the container and don’t pour water into the container. After you’ve finished using it shake off the last few drops or wipe it dry.
Keep in mind
Water dissolves the stone so make sure your stone is dry, and will remain dry, after use. Wet hands also make it slippery so use caution when your hands are wet.
Learn more about the Thai Crystal Deodorant stone