Tech Article - Aluminum In Shaklee Products

Shaklee Canada Inc. 952 Century Drive Burlington, ON L7L 5P2 Technical Services Dept. Information Sheet

Tel. 905/681-1422 Fax 905/681-0569 Page 1 of 1

THE SAFETY OF ALUMINUM IN SHAKLEE PRODUCTS In recent years, there has been renewed attention to aluminum in various consumer products because persons with Alzheimer's disease were believed to have elevated levels of this metal in their brain tissues. The concern was mostly about the possibility of ingesting excessive amounts of aluminum from foods, aluminum pots and pans, or aluminum storage wrap or containers, but some people were concerned about antiperspirants containing aluminum chlorhydrate. Subsequent research has shown that the brain tissue of Alzheimer's victims has the same overall content of aluminum as "normal" brain tissue but it is found concentrated in "pockets" rather than being distributed evenly throughout the tissue. The cause of this "pocketing" of aluminum is not yet known, nor has the true cause of Alzheimer's disease been discovered. The most popular theory is that it's a hereditary disease, caused by faulty genes, but other theories suggest it may be caused by an infection or neurotransmitter deficiencies. Ingesting significant amounts of aluminum from the packaging of several Shaklee nutritional products is virtually impossible. Shaklee Vita Bar® and Cinch® Bar wrappers are made of aluminum, which acts as a mechanical and moisture barrier to protect the bars inside from damage and spoilage. Because the aluminum layer is coated in turn with a layer of plastic laminate, the aluminum itself does not contact the bar. Some of the powdered products in Shaklee's nutritional product line are packaged in fibre-wound cans that contain a layer of aluminum as a moisture barrier (e.g., Flavour-Enhanced Soy Protein, Instant Protein Soy Mix, etc.). There's no problem with aluminum being transferred into these products because these drink mixes are dry, and there's no acidic moisture that could leach the aluminum into them. Similarly, the aluminum in Shaklee Roll-On Anti-Perspirant is not readily absorbed. In Canada, anti-perspirants must by law contain aluminum or aluminum-zirconium compounds, as they are the only compounds that, when applied topically, are safe and effective in controlling perspiration. Provided there are no open lesions on the skin, there will be no transfer of aluminum from the product into the bloodstream during application – the product works at the surface of the skin to block the pores that release perspiration. (Aerosol anti-perspirants, on the other hand, can pose a problem of aluminum ingestion if the overspray from the can is inhaled into the lungs. Since Shaklee's product is a cream and not a spray, there's no danger of this happening.) We have no reason to believe that the uses of aluminum in Shaklee products, as explained above, represent a health risk of any kind.

Last Updated: March 22, 2007

Filename: Aluminum