Aluminum Foil

[omniinow]

does aluminum foil cause brain damage when heated.
i heard rumors about this. i heard that "tin" foil and not "aluminum" is better. don't know if they even sell tin.

another question:

can anyone recomend any good books about hookah smoking and culture?


thanks


Omnii

[Sisonpyh]

I had the same question awhile ago, check my thread I made a while ago, post #5 sums it up:

http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=32249

Short answer is no.

[Matt-641]

Think of it this way, people use aluminum foil for cooking all the time. Putting something in the oven with foil around it will most likely get hotter than putting coals on top of the foil we use for smoking. I highly doubt the manufacturers would make the foil so weak that it would start to melt in an oven and get into the food, causing brain damage to whomever eats it and probably making them sick as well.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. The fact that it's smoking period is more harmful to your body than using foil on a bowl.

[mushrat]

The contaversy was over aluminium oxide I believe. I havent read the above thread but I recall the news pointing out that it's also used in underarm deoderant. I further remember later studies debunking the aluminium oxide/alzheimers/brain damage connection.


Remember when Eggs we being pushed as good for you, then someone figured out about all the cholesterol, then they weren't sure how to treat eggs... I take any medical study with the idea that next year a study will likely come out reversing the earlier study.

If you are really worried, get a metal screen.

[Svaals]

Even if aluminum could possibly harm you, in the way it's used for smoking hookah, it would be impossible for you to ingest it. Either aluminum or aluminum oxide would have to be well over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit for it to vaporize and for you to ingest it. If you were breathing in smoke that hot, brain damage would not be your greatest concern.

[Sisonpyh]

Here is the post by Zinite in my thread about it:

Here's a great post about the aluminum foil issue

Hiya!

1. According to the Merck Index: Aluminum doesn't vaporize until very high temperatures, above its melting point. This is why it has no smell. Metals that have a smell are actually releasing small amounts of metallic vapor.

2. People in some countries are forced to use aluminum sulfate or alum for spot water purification. Their aluminum intake is 30-40 times that of the average American and their incidence of Alzheimer's is roughly the same as Americans.

3. The idea 'aluminum causes Alzheimer's Disease' began when researchers noticed increased levels of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. It is more or less accepted the same thing that causes Alzheimer's allows the transport of Aluminum into the brain, where it accumulates (with other chemicals that might cause Alzheimer's) If you don't have Alzheimer's it isn't a risk. A similar thing happens with people that have a specific genetic trait that makes their liver not filter out saturated fat molecules, hence the saturated fats build up in their arteries causing heart attacks and strokes. If you don't have the genetic trait, its not an issue.

That analogy isn't really too good, because the prevailing theory, as I understand it, is the aluminum is just an odd indicator, its not actually causing the damage/degradation of the brain tissues its an indicator that something else IS there.

4. In fact, if metallic vapors are dangerous, steel screens are more of a risk since iron actually does vaporize and you are inhaling iron vapors (which IS toxic). The metallic dyes in ceramic bowls (especially lead-based slip glazes on heads made outside the U.S.) would also tend to give off metallic fumes including lead(Green/black), chromium (Yellow), barium(Green-blue), cobalt(Royal blue), etc.

It comes from the oddity that aluminum isn't biologically active in humans. That is our body's biology ignores it. Arsenic, lead, iron, copper etc. build up and become toxic because the body thinks its useful or necessary ("Oh, this is Iron! I'll store this away for later!"), Some metals (Arsenic, Lead) the body thinks are things it wants but really doesn't (and are confused by the valence electrons). Something has to have a chemical effect on the body for it to effect the body. Aluminum is highly reactive, but oxidizes rapidly in air to form aluminum oxide which is fairly inert. Gold is also inert, hence it isn't poisonous nor does it react with your body. Copper on the other hand is a nutrient, which is why your skin turns green under a brass piece of jewelry...its the reaction of copper with your skin.

Edit: Seconds on what MattAthayde said.

TL;DR version:

There's no major information either way, but it's considered safe to use foil. Plus, it beats the hell out of using a crappy screen.

[Brandon`]

There's multiple threads about this everywhere, search it somewhere and I'm sure u will find your answer.

[Sonthert]

I would say an iron/steel screen may be more of a risk.

Aluminum is a very reactive metal, but seemingly inert in the human body. Aluminum quickly burns in the air to form a fairly resistant layer of aluminum oxide. Aluminum in the air is non-existent.

[TizaNabi]

forget aluminum foil, coal has to be more dangerous, and besides
Life is dangerous to human consumption!

[Sonthert]

True, true. We all gotta go sometime.

[Arcane]

Remember when Eggs we being pushed as good for you, then someone figured out about all the cholesterol, then they weren't sure how to treat eggs... I take any medical study with the idea that next year a study will likely come out reversing the earlier study.

Eat your eggs!

OP: i seriously doubt the aluminum foil is going to do much damage to you. even if it does, life is short...do what you enjoy!