Hi all,

My wife and I got a Nespresso machine as a gift. For those who don't know, this is an easy-for-dummies-delicious-espresso-every-time machine. It pumps high-pressure and high temperature water through small disposable aluminum capsules that contain the coffee. I should say this - it really works. I was skeptical, but it is remarkably easy and makes great espresso every time.

But we've heard that ingesting even very small amounts of aluminum can be harmful (e.g., that there's some evidence linking it to Alzheimer's). The recommendation is that one shouldn't cook with aluminum saucepans, for instance.

So I'm concerned about using these aluminum capsules - several every day. Is there any truth to this?

(Mods, if this should go into "Debunking", by all means move it. I thought I'd start here, though.)

Thanks.

I read something similar about aluminium and alzheimer's years ago. Is it true? Dunno, i never found a follow up article on the subject. We use iron pans now.

@ orpheus
I have also a Nespresso machine. Great coffee every time and so many flavours to choose from
I asked when I bought it about this point and was told the little capsules a lined with a special coating in order to avoid this very problem.

The two alleged effects I've heard associated with aluminium in the press are:

Alzheimer's risk increase
http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=99

Breast Cancer Risk (from Al in antiperspirants)
(Haven't had the chance to google around for a reliable source on this)


I suspect it's bollocks. I use the Nespresso from work. I use antiperspirant. I use aluminium foil to wrap food.

I don't have access to the article, so abstract presented with caution. Aluminum salts can be absorbed, metal not I believe, so expresso machines should pose no risk I can think of.


J Alzheimers Dis. 2010 Dec 14. [Epub ahead of print]
Aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease: After a Century of Controversy, Is there a Plausible Link?
Tomljenovic L.

Neural Dynamics Research Group, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Abstract
The brain is a highly compartmentalized organ exceptionally susceptible to accumulation of metabolic errors. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease of the elderly and is characterized by regional specificity of neural aberrations associated with higher cognitive functions. Aluminum (Al) is the most abundant neurotoxic metal on earth, widely bioavailable to humans and repeatedly shown to accumulate in AD-susceptible neuronal foci. In spite of this, the role of Al in AD has been heavily disputed based on the following claims: 1) bioavailable Al cannot enter the brain in sufficient amounts to cause damage, 2) excess Al is efficiently excreted from the body, and 3) Al accumulation in neurons is a consequence rather than a cause of neuronal loss. Research, however, reveals that: 1) very small amounts of Al are needed to produce neurotoxicity and this criterion is satisfied through dietary Al intake, 2) Al sequesters different transport mechanisms to actively traverse brain barriers, 3) incremental acquisition of small amounts of Al over a lifetime favors its selective accumulation in brain tissues, and 4) since 1911, experimental evidence has repeatedly demonstrated that chronic Al intoxication reproduces neuropathological hallmarks of AD. Misconceptions about Al bioavailability may have mislead scientists regarding the significance of Al in the pathogenesis of AD. The hypothesis that Al significantly contributes to AD is built upon very solid experimental evidence and should not be dismissed. Immediate steps should be taken to lessen human exposure to Al, which may be the single most aggravating and avoidable factor related to AD.

Scot Dutchy wrote:@ orpheus
I have also a Nespresso machine. Great coffee every time and so many flavours to choose from
I asked when I bought it about this point and was told the little capsules a lined with a special coating in order to avoid this very problem.

Thank you for all those who answered. The matter is still unsettled for me. Scot, I cut open a used capsule to take a look for myself. There is an obvious coating - plastic of some sort, I think - on the smaller end. But that's all. The side walls and the other end look like bare aluminum. If there is a coating, it's far too thin for me to see with the unaided eye. I looked at the cross section of my cut, too, and couldn't see anything there either.

Also, it occurs to me that when the capsule is "engaged" and ready to go, the needles of the machine make many small punctures at both ends, so bare aluminum is exposed to the flow of coffee into the cup - if from nothing else, then from the rough edges of the punctures. I don't know how much this actually puts into the drink.

And then there's the fact that this is what an employee of the company said. There might be a bias there.

I'm not trashing your post; not at all. It's good to know that's what they said. I'm just continuing to try to get to the bottom of this, since I really love the coffee, and I think it's a great machine. But I want to avoid any possible harmful effects (and we're still not entirely sure about the extent of aluminum's danger, right?)

orpheus wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:@ orpheus
I have also a Nespresso machine. Great coffee every time and so many flavours to choose from
I asked when I bought it about this point and was told the little capsules a lined with a special coating in order to avoid this very problem.

Thank you for all those who answered. The matter is still unsettled for me. Scot, I cut open a used capsule to take a look for myself. There is an obvious coating - plastic of some sort, I think - on the smaller end. But that's all. The side walls and the other end look like bare aluminum. If there is a coating, it's far too thin for me to see with the unaided eye. I looked at the cross section of my cut, too, and couldn't see anything there either.

Also, it occurs to me that when the capsule is "engaged" and ready to go, the needles of the machine make many small punctures at both ends, so bare aluminum is exposed to the flow of coffee into the cup - if from nothing else, then from the rough edges of the punctures. I don't know how much this actually puts into the drink.

And then there's the fact that this is what an employee of the company said. There might be a bias there.

I'm not trashing your post; not at all. It's good to know that's what they said. I'm just continuing to try to get to the bottom of this, since I really love the coffee, and I think it's a great machine. But I want to avoid any possible harmful effects (and we're still not entirely sure about the extent of aluminum's danger, right?)

I can understand your concern but there is so much aluminum in the whole food processing business my worries about a few very sharp needles piercing very thin sheeting that is coated are minimum.
BTW The first Nespresso machines had pads. They did not keep fresh and disintergrated when used.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

orpheus wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:@ orpheus
I have also a Nespresso machine. Great coffee every time and so many flavours to choose from
I asked when I bought it about this point and was told the little capsules a lined with a special coating in order to avoid this very problem.

Thank you for all those who answered. The matter is still unsettled for me. Scot, I cut open a used capsule to take a look for myself. There is an obvious coating - plastic of some sort, I think - on the smaller end. But that's all. The side walls and the other end look like bare aluminum. If there is a coating, it's far too thin for me to see with the unaided eye. I looked at the cross section of my cut, too, and couldn't see anything there either.

Also, it occurs to me that when the capsule is "engaged" and ready to go, the needles of the machine make many small punctures at both ends, so bare aluminum is exposed to the flow of coffee into the cup - if from nothing else, then from the rough edges of the punctures. I don't know how much this actually puts into the drink.

And then there's the fact that this is what an employee of the company said. There might be a bias there.

I'm not trashing your post; not at all. It's good to know that's what they said. I'm just continuing to try to get to the bottom of this, since I really love the coffee, and I think it's a great machine. But I want to avoid any possible harmful effects (and we're still not entirely sure about the extent of aluminum's danger, right?)

I can understand your concern but there is so much aluminum in the whole food processing business my worries about a few very sharp needles piercing very thin sheeting that is coated are minimum.
BTW The first Nespresso machines had pads. They did not keep fresh and disintergrated when used.

Ah, interesting. I didn't know that (about the pads). Makes sense.

And what you say about the amount of aluminum also makes sense. I guess the two reasons I'm still concerned are 1) we don't yet know the real effects of aluminum, nor their extent, nor how much it might take to cause those effects; and 2) I have a real coffee habit - I'd love it if I could use upwards of 5 capsules a day without worry.

orpheus wrote:Ah, interesting. I didn't know that (about the pads). Makes sense.

And what you say about the amount of aluminum also makes sense. I guess the two reasons I'm still concerned are 1) we don't yet know the real effects of aluminum, nor their extent, nor how much it might take to cause those effects; and 2) I have a real coffee habit - I'd love it if I could use upwards of 5 capsules a day without worry.

Nespresso has been going so long I think would have heard of any reports regarding the capsules.

BTW which is your favourite taste?

Mine is Roma and Valuta. The limited edition Kazaar is also great.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

orpheus wrote:Ah, interesting. I didn't know that (about the pads). Makes sense.

And what you say about the amount of aluminum also makes sense. I guess the two reasons I'm still concerned are 1) we don't yet know the real effects of aluminum, nor their extent, nor how much it might take to cause those effects; and 2) I have a real coffee habit - I'd love it if I could use upwards of 5 capsules a day without worry.

Nespresso has been going so long I think would have heard of any reports regarding the capsules.

BTW which is your favourite taste?

Mine is Roma and Valuta. The limited edition Kazaar is also great.

Except that if the concern is about Alzheimers, we may not know the effects for quite a while (since the controversy about aluminum is, as far as I know, rather recent).

Ah, favorite tastes - my wife and I both love Volutto (or is it Valuta? You might be right. I can't quite remember the name.) Capriccio is also good. And the middle-strength decaf. I haven't tried Kazaar, but it's now on my list!

orpheus wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:

orpheus wrote:Ah, interesting. I didn't know that (about the pads). Makes sense.

And what you say about the amount of aluminum also makes sense. I guess the two reasons I'm still concerned are 1) we don't yet know the real effects of aluminum, nor their extent, nor how much it might take to cause those effects; and 2) I have a real coffee habit - I'd love it if I could use upwards of 5 capsules a day without worry.

Nespresso has been going so long I think would have heard of any reports regarding the capsules.

BTW which is your favourite taste?

Mine is Roma and Valuta. The limited edition Kazaar is also great.

Except that if the concern is about Alzheimers, we may not know the effects for quite a while (since the controversy about aluminum is, as far as I know, rather recent).

Ah, favorite tastes - my wife and I both love Volutto (or is it Valuta? You might be right. I can't quite remember the name.) Capriccio is also good. And the middle-strength decaf. I haven't tried Kazaar, but it's now on my list!

I wonder if the tastes are the same the world over? Different continents different tastes? Coke does it strangely enough.

Just what are, in comparison, the amounts of stomach-acid soluble aluminium that a hunter-gatherer likely ingests with dust and soil residues adhering to his/her vegetables? I'm aware that these people rarely reached old age (for miscellaneous reasons).

I was wondering if there's any update on this??? Aluminum & all heavy metals are toxic & can cause all kinds of health problems. I've had the same concerns as mentioned in these posts as I've recently purchased a Nespresso machine. For sure the company will not give you the truth about this & I'm sure they've never tested the coffee for Aluminum content nor done studies about it.

The Camelford water pollution incident suggests that ingestion of large amounts of aluminium can have deleterious effects on the central nervous system. It should be borne in mind, though, that in the case of the abovementioned incident....
(a) the quantities were huge
(b) the aluminium was in a metal-salt form (aluminium sulphate)
(c) lead (stripped from the water pipes) may also have played a role.

I stand to be corrected, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that aluminium cookware is safe.... provided that one does not use it in the preparation of very acidic foods (e.g. tomato soup, citrus preserves, vinegar-containing sauces, etc.). Neutral and alkaline foods do not render the aluminium soluble in appreciable amounts. Not 100% sure, though.

another thing to consider is that aluminum corrosion is also linked to pH

Extensive tests carried out in support of DOE test reactors have revealed that minimum aluminum corrosion results with a pH of 5.0 at normal operating temperatures.

Additionally, studies have shown that the aluminum corrosion products also exhibit a minimum solubility at a pH near 5.5 at 25°C.

...

It should be noted that the values at which minimum corrosion and solubility are found shift to a lower pH as the temperature is increased. For example, at 300°C, the value for minimum aluminum corrosion is near pH 3.0.

http://www.corrosionist.com/corrosion_of_aluminum.htm

aluminum corrosion products also exhibit a minimum solubility at a pH near 5.5 at 25?C

http://www.tpub.com/content/doe/h1015v1/css/h1015v1_120.htm

and the pH for coffee

Its pH averages around 5.0 - 5.1

http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/7health.html#coffeeacidic
or between 4.6 and 5.6 in the data here (based on brew temps)

though there are lots of variables on the coffee pH side (brew temp, grind size, type of bean, what darkness it was roasted too.... etc)

my espresso maker has an aluminum housing for the filter, though I believe the filter is stainless steel (apart from the rubber/plastic bits)

Mike_L wrote:The Camelford water pollution incident suggests that ingestion of large amounts of aluminium can have deleterious effects on the central nervous system. It should be borne in mind, though, that in the case of the abovementioned incident....
(a) the quantities were huge
(b) the aluminium was in a metal-salt form (aluminium sulphate)
(c) lead (stripped from the water pipes) may also have played a role.

I stand to be corrected, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that aluminium cookware is safe.... provided that one does not use it in the preparation of very acidic foods (e.g. tomato soup, citrus preserves, vinegar-containing sauces, etc.). Neutral and alkaline foods do not render the aluminium soluble in appreciable amounts. Not 100% sure, though.

This is very disturbing. But thanks a lot for sharing this wonderful information...

[layman's reading waiver - pebble's post looks pretty authoritive to me]

I must admit that, while aluminium is not recommended for use with acidic foods, I thought this was simply due to the reaction causing an unpleasant visual (blackening) effect on the food, but with no supposed mechanism for any health effects proposed.

The only reason that it was considered aluminium might be harmful is simply that it appears stored in the brain for conditions like Alzheimer's but, with no causal mechanism shown, nor any statistical evidence of such a relationship, this is usually considered to be a correlation only. I use stainless steel pans with an aluminium core (Stellar brand) but not because of health concerns, just because they are easier to keep clean and I don't have to worry about the discoloration issue.

I would never use aluminium for cooking utensils. Only stainless steel or stone. Easier to clean.