Drinks in aluminum cans are convenient, no matter what anyone says. They will not break and survive even with fairly strong blows.
But what can be said about the banks themselves, is such packaging really safe from a health point of view?
Carbonated drinks are considered not the most useful. They are usually high in calories, the sugar and acid contained in them destroy teeth, and in addition, drinkers often have problems with the stomach and digestive system in general. Scientists urge to abandon sweet soda, even the one that contains a substitute instead of sugar, switching to clean water, tea, and other less harmful drinks
But it turns out that the aluminum can in which this soda is sold is not so simple. Scientists say that drinking soda straight from an aluminum can is not the best idea. We collected their arguments and explain why it is worth switching to another package or at least not drinking directly from the can, but pouring the drink into a glass before drinking.
Bacteria
During one of the experiments conducted in 2017, it turned out that on the surface of the soda cans that we buy in the store, there are a lot of bacteria, including potentially dangerous ones for health. Here, for example, E. coli on the top of the cans, just where the drinking hole is, was found in excess. This microorganism can cause diarrhea and respiratory diseases.
In addition, in the course of another experiment, it turned out that on the surface of cans – both standing on the shelves and sold in vending machines – in addition to E. coli, they found Enterobacter cloacae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas luteola, which also belong to opportunistic pathogens and can become the cause of serious illness.
One of the popular horror stories is connected with the story of a US resident who drank soda from a can, contracted leptospirosis, and died soon after. It was reported that the infection was due to the fact that the jar contained traces of rat urine, and the rodent itself was a carrier of leptospirosis. Despite the fact that it is really possible to get infected by rodents, a lethal case has not been confirmed.
In general, the idea of wiping the top of the cans before drinking, or using a straw, is not such a bad idea.
Bisphenol-A.
This chemical compound is found in many plastic items, including clear water bottles. However, it is often used in the manufacture of aluminum cans – it is part of the epoxy gaskets, which are also part of the packaging and are used to protect products from contamination.
Scientists have found that bisphenol A can “leak” from the composition of the pad and get into the drink. The use of such drinks provokes an increase in pressure. In one of the studies conducted by Korean scientists, participants in the experiment drank the same drink from glass bottles and from aluminum cans for several days.
Two things soon became clear. First, the urine levels of bisphenol A in those who drank from the cans increased by 1600%. Secondly, systolic pressure increased by 4.5 points. If such an increase has practically no effect on healthy people, then for people with problematic hearts and blood vessels, such a jump can be a serious test that will lead to a deterioration in their condition.
Manufacturers are interested in making safer cans, ones that don’t contain BPA, so safer packaging is on the rise.
Aluminum
But the allegations that aluminum itself can be hazardous to health, it seems, have not received scientific evidence. The information that aluminum from cans can get into the drink contained in them, and then cause cancer and neurological disorders, still turned out to be a horror story, not the truth.
However, scientists have no reason to believe that aluminum in significant quantities can penetrate soda, and then into the body. It is assumed that in this way no more than 1% of the aluminum can enter the body, and 99.9% of it will be removed by the kidneys. That meager amount of aluminum obviously will not cause any noticeable harm to the body. Remember the well-known food foil, which is actively used for cooking – it is also made of aluminum and its use for culinary purposes is considered safe.
In general, to sum up, drinking from aluminum cans is really not worth it. Especially careful you need to be those who have a weakened immune system and those who suffer from heart problems.
The general recommendation for everyone is to pour the drink into a glass, and if this is not possible, then use a straw or carefully wipe the top of the can, which is literally teeming with microorganisms, among which there may be dangerous ones. By the way, we are ready to argue that you have not even thought about what item in your house is the dirtiest. We wrote a whole article about it and we are sure that it will surprise you. Another useful tip is to stop going to the toilet with your phone. This promises a whole mountain of problems, among which infectious diseases are far from the last.
Editorial Team
