Supplementation of the diet with silicic acid to reduce body burden of aluminum: A miracle cure or useless treatment for Alzheimer's disease?

Abstract

The study reported in this present issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease [4] from the research group headed by Dr. Exley, resurrects a decades-long debate as to a possible role of aluminum in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps the perception that aluminum is not a health hazard stems from the fact that it is only in the fairly recent past that applications of aluminum in society have been introduced. There was no “aluminum age” in antiquity as there was an iron age or bronze age. Since aluminum is the most common metal in the Earth’s crust and the third most common element after silicon and oxygen, it is has not been a trivial matter to assess whether exposure to aluminum is detrimental to health since it is so abundant in the environment. Aluminum is highly prevalent in the earth’s crust but is complexed so that the bioavailability of its toxic species is limited.