(NaturalHealth365)  Our world operates at an incredibly fast pace, even in food preparation.  The expectation is that we can significantly reduce meal prep time, leading to the rise of modern ultra-processed foods.  These foods often utilize various food additives and chemical compounds, such as meat tenderizers, leavening agents for bread, and pre-mixed food products.

Among these compounds is sodium aluminum phosphate, a white, tasteless powder commonly added to baked goods and mixes.  It serves as an emulsifier, leavening agent, and acidic additive.  While prevalent in many store-bought ultra-processed baking mixes like pizza or pancakes, concerns about its safety have been raised, particularly regarding men’s reproductive health.

Let’s delve into the allegations against sodium aluminum phosphate, identify its presence in grocery store products, and discuss whether avoiding this additive is necessary or not.

Aluminum seeping into your food unnoticed

Aluminum, fundamentally a metal, pervades our food system, from aluminum foil to food wrapping, soda and beer cans, and various aspects of daily life.  While incidental exposure isn’t typically worrisome, ingesting aluminum in the quantities present in prepackaged baked goods raises concerns.

As with most substances, toxicity hinges on the amount consumed.  But, you should know that sodium aluminum phosphate does saturate a significant portion of prebaked and prepackaged items in the typical Western diet.  From hamburger buns to pancake mixes, pizza dough, baking mixes, and more, this compound is found in many foods.

One of the most troubling aspects of sodium aluminum phosphate is its requirement for extensive safety gear during handling.  Factory workers dealing with this substance necessitate respirators and full body coverings due to its potential as a skin, lung, and eye irritant.  This alone should prompt caution when encountering this additive in every boxed item within your pantry.

Dangers of sodium aluminum phosphate

Apart from its irritating effects on the lungs, skin, and eyes, sodium aluminum phosphate has been linked to documented impacts on testosterone and sperm production.

Animal studies have revealed consistent oxidative stress in test subjects, leading to DNA damage, particularly in reproductive organs.  While human trials are lacking, animal studies offer valuable insights into how compounds like sodium aluminum phosphate might affect humans.

Keep in mind, any substance that can increase the risk of DNA damage can also increase the risk of cancer.

Moreover, aluminum toxicity itself poses risks to humans.  Some studies suggest a potential link to learning disorders, mental health disorders, brain fog, and even autism, particularly in higher doses.  This raises questions about the true toxicity of the doses present in the majority of processed baked goods consumed daily.

Given the widespread presence of this compound in our diets, assessing its potential damage to the general population becomes a pressing concern.

Steps to reduce exposure to toxic food additives

As the danger with this compound is in its consumption, the easiest way to avoid damage from sodium aluminum phosphate is to mitigate, minimize, or avoid it altogether.  Sodium aluminum phosphate is not a product that the home cook would probably ever use, and so, even though it may take a little bit of extra effort, making your own bread, dough, pancakes, or other baked goods will ensure that you’re only using whole food ingredients.

Additionally, there are pancake and other baked goods mixes that do not include sodium aluminum phosphate. You may opt for those instead of making your own or buying store-bought products that contain it.

If you make changes in the prepackaged foods you use to avoid sodium aluminum phosphate, and you would like to get rid of the aluminum you are already exposed to, there are ways to detox.  Naturally, one of the best ways to help your body to remove aluminum is to eat lots of antioxidant-rich foods.

Be sure to eat green leafy vegetables like, organic kale, collard greens, arugula, Swiss chard plus broccoli, cucumber and sprouts.  Another important point is to keep the body well hydrated so that your kidneys can perform well to remove this toxin from the body.

Many items in grocery stores’ inner aisles are far from fit for human consumption.  Loaded with food additives, industrial seed oils, sugar, various syrups, and food dyes banned in other countries, along with copious amounts of toxic (factory farmed) fats, these foods pose serious health risks.  Consuming such fare has been linked to a slew of ailments, including various cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity.

If you want good health in general, cook at home and use (organic) whole food ingredients.  Industrial food is barely food, and it cannot hold a candle nutritionally to food prepared at home.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
Sciencedirect.com
Childrenshealthdefense.org
Tandfonline.com