Doctors are now telling people who use aluminum foil to stop right away or face deadly consequences.

For years, many of us have cooked and stored food with aluminum foil without giving it a second thought. But a new study has made people worry about how safe this common item really is. As it turns out, aluminum is a neurotoxic heavy metal that can hurt brain function and even cause Alzheimer’s disease. Take this seriously, because experts say that using aluminum foil too often can make you lose your balance, coordination, and memory, and your mental health in general can get worse. You shouldn’t ignore these effects because they will last a long time.

However, aluminum foil has more bad effects than that. It can also hurt our bones when we use it to cook with. When aluminum builds up in the bones, it replaces calcium and damages the bones. Actually, it has been discovered that breathing in aluminum or using it to grill food can hurt the lungs and cause pulmonary fibrosis.

It’s surprising that while a lot of people know that aluminum cans can be bad for your health, not nearly as many think about the risks of putting tin foil directly on their food every day. A lot of people don’t know this, but high temperatures can make the foil break down, letting germs into the food. Chemical leaching can also happen when you use certain spices or acidic foods like lemons. These chemical interactions can cause more health problems.

A chemical engineering researcher at the American University of Sharjah named Dr. Essam Zubaidy did a study to find out more about how aluminum foil affects cooking. What he found was scary. It was found that a dish cooked in aluminum foil can have up to 400 mg of this dangerous metal in it. To put this in perspective, the World Health Organization says that you shouldn’t get more than 60 mg of aluminum a day.

Based on his research, Dr. Zubaidy strongly suggests that you should not use aluminum foil for cooking, especially when it comes to spices, citrus juice, or vegetables like tomatoes. Chemicals leak out more when the temperature is higher, which makes it even more important not to use aluminum foil in these situations.

It’s very important that we pay attention to these warnings, especially if we are 45 to 65 years old. As we get older, our health becomes even more important. Knowing the possible risks of everyday items like aluminum foil can help us make decisions that will lead to a healthier future. Let’s think again about how we use aluminum foil and put our health first.