Good News for Beer Drinkers?
There is 40 years of research linking aluminum to Alzheimer's disease (AD), but so far scientists have not figured out what the causative mechanism might be. Nonetheless, the association is strong enough that some are focusing on ways to decrease aluminum levels in the body, theorizing this might possibly lower risk for AD. Recently, researchers from the University of Alcalá in Madrid conducted a study on aluminum and beer consumption -- beer contains silicon because of its manufacturing process, and the study authors wanted to determine if its silicon content would decrease neural toxicity associated with aluminum. Since the study did indeed show this, it leaves one to wonder if drinking beer could possibly reduce AD risk -- what a party might celebrate that finding if it turned out to be true!
The study separated mice into four groups. Each week, group one received aluminum nitrate in its drinking water as well as 2.5 ml of commercial beer... group two received aluminum nitrate in drinking water plus silicon in the form of silicic acid... group three received aluminum nitrate in drinking water but no silicon (positive control)... and group four received distilled water with no aluminum, beer or silicon (negative control). Finding: Silicon from the beer reduced aluminum uptake from the digestive tract and slowed the accumulation of aluminum in brain tissue and the body. It also helped to excrete it from the body.
WHAT REALLY MADE THE DIFFERENCE
It turns out that the real story is not about beer at all, but rather silicon and the question of whether sufficient intake reduces aluminum in the body. For more understanding on the relationship between aluminum, silicon and AD, I got in touch with an expert in the field, Christopher Exley, PhD, bioinorganic chemist at Keele University, Straffordshire, United Kingdom. Dr. Exley has studied the role of aluminum and the interaction of aluminum and silicic acid for more than 20 years. He confirmed that a scientific body of research points to a link between aluminum and the incidence and/or progression of AD… and yes, silicon (actually the biologically available form known as silicic acid) does indeed protect against aluminum build-up in the body. Dr. Exley began to explore this almost 20 years ago in a study published in Nature. And he published a new study in 2006 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease that shows that silicon-rich mineral water can be used to remove aluminum from AD patients. This, he says, might at long last open the door for studies that would determine the truth about aluminum and AD.
Dr. Exley says that it is known that there is a lower incidence of AD in geographical regions where the silicon content of drinking water is high. But as to the silicon in beer, sorry... Dr. Exley says, beer isn't the best choice. By the time they are done with the manufacturing process, some beers have none while others have only a small amount. For removal of aluminum from the body, silicon does need to be present as silicic acid to be readily absorbed into the body. As such, the best and most convenient source is mineral waters with a high silicon content, for example, Spritzer and Fiji mineral waters. Some brands list its silicon content on their label. For maximum effectiveness, drink at least one liter per day of silicon-enriched water.
Source(s):
Christopher Exley, PhD, researcher of bioinorganic chemistry, Keele University, Straffordshire, United Kingdom.
