In my last article I discussed the Paleo diet, why I am considering it, assessed a few pros and cons (overwhelmingly pros), and I even linked to Paleo cookbooks. Now, just a few minutes ago, I saw an article on my Facebook wall about how aluminum foil might be able to leech into your food if you use it in the oven. The article says low level exposure is not a problem, but exposing it to heat for extended periods of time while wrapping your food might be.
Frankly, this is a bit of a bummer for me. It seems damn near every cooking technique — if not every food — potentially poses some sort of health risk . This is yet another example. At the same time, I’m not exactly shaking in my boots, just like I’m not going to sing high praises about the aforementioned Paleo diet — even if I try it and like it. In fact, I might only dabble in this diet or that.
Still, I wonder how this news might impact outdoor barbecues which, at least from what I’ve seen, very often make use of aluminum foil. I was originally mystified by the apparent anti-bread movement when going gluten free became a big thing, and now I wonder how far this particular ball will roll. I’ve also read that any food that is partly burnt can increase one’s cancer risk. This means not only meats (which vegans would stress) but also vegetables (and potato chips).
There’s also a longstanding theory that boiled food loses some potency of its vitamins. That may not be entirely true, but it sounds good, right? Or should I say it sounds bad? Either way, I do suggest looking into all of these issues, finding out what sounds the most plausible and behaving in whatever way you feel comfortable. It’s your body. You can throw caution to the wind, exercise caution occasionally, or just freak out about every little possible health risk you read about. Me, I’m probably somewhere in the middle, and you’re welcome to join me.
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