MadSci Network: Neuroscience |
Aluminum chlorohydrate is a chemical with antiperspirant properties. It is found in many consumer products. As an over-the-counter drug, aluminum chlorohydrate has been classified by the FDA in its safest category. That doesn’t mean that there are no side effects, but just that the FDA considers it safe for general use. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no clinical evidence suggesting aluminum chlorohydrate causes memory loss or causes Alzheimer’s disease or increases the risk of this disease. A brief search of the internet turns up some claims of just such a connection. I am unable to determine if there is any scientific basis for these claims. Most of the claims seem to be made in the advertising for antiperspirants that do not contain aluminum chlorohydrate – a clearly biased source. There is some evidence that the element aluminum (which, not surprisingly, is found in aluminum chlorohydrate) is neurotoxic at high exposure levels. But since a typical person’s exposure to aluminum found naturally in food and drinking water is higher than any exposure from the normal use of antiperspirants, the risk from antiperspirants appears unimportant.
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