§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is available to him as to which diseases are caused by overconsumption of aluminium.
§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 1 November 1988]: Aluminium and its salts are of low toxicity and have various approved uses in medical practice and in the food and water industries. No disease is known to be caused by aluminium naturally present, or as a result of approved use, in food or drinking water.
An hypothesis that aluminium may have a role in the causation of Alzheimer's disease is amongst those currently being studied. Rare incidents of gross contamination of water with certain salts of aluminium have caused acute outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting. Prolonged overconsumption of aluminium hydroxide, used as an antacid, can cause metabolic disturbances including demineralisation of bone (osteomalacia) particularly in people with kidney disease. Renal dialysis with fluid high in aluminium is liable to cause encephalopathy and osteomalacia because the aluminium readily enters the bloodstream, unlike ingested aluminium; low aluminium dialysis fluid is therefore now used.