Why do people say never to use aluminum ware

[phoenixrain88]

when brewing ayahuasca, cactus tea, etc.?

Many recipes I'm finding say, "Never use aluminum ware." Does the aluminum damage or destroy the alkaloids? I'm not sure if a pot I want to use is aluminum or stainless steel.

 

[phoenixrain88]

Confirmed: It's made of aluminum. Should I transfer it immediately to stainless steel, though there is a risk of overflowing in the stainless steel container? (which is smaller)

 

[ectolysergic]

because acidic substances can leech aluminum and affect taste and quality
people also have superstitions about aluminum causing alzheimer's disease

 

[phoenixrain88]

Ah, okay. I'm aware of the Alzheimer's-aluminum theory, and dismissing it as "superstition" seems unwise. The aluminum industry is gigantic, aluminum is ubiquitous, and just as tobacco companies for years tried to deceive the public about the dangers of cigarettes, I would not put it past any corporation or industry to try to do the same for a cash cow product of their own. Elevated levels of aluminum in the brains of those with Alzheimer's is not by itself proof that one causes the other -- correlation does not equal causation, blah blah blah, elementary logic, yes I understand all that. But it is reason for concern.

 

[Ismene]

Because strong alkali solutions burn through aluminium - when you pour the alkali solution in the pan after about 10 minutes it will start to smoke and then dissolve the pan.

 

[csrpj]

i have alcohol with cacti alkaloids in it.. i was about to put it in a aluminum tray for evaporation - should i abort???

 

[pkt]

I always thought that the aluminum Alzheimer's rumor was exactly that, a rumor. Now you've got me all concerned as i must have smoked through thousands of metres of aluminum foil through the years :s

 

[Solipsis]

i have alcohol with cacti alkaloids in it.. i was about to put it in a aluminum tray for evaporation - should i abort???

Assuming that you neutralized the acidity level there should be no problem. Or, if you just did a fast pull extracting directly into alcohol then you're in the clear anyway...

 

[AfterGlow]

With all due respect, the cookware portion of the aluminum industry is tiny in comparison to all the other uses of aluminum. And the cookware industry utilizes many materials beside aluminum for pots and pans.

I agree that corporations care only about their profit, but the aluminum cookware industry is not powerful enough to conduct a large scale conspiracy. If there was evidence aluminum cookware caused serious health issues, I think it would be common knowledge by now.

The aluminum industry is gigantic, aluminum is ubiquitous, and just as tobacco companies for years tried to deceive the public about the dangers of cigarettes, I would not put it past any corporation or industry to try to do the same for a cash cow product of their own.... But it is reason for concern.