Fact Check: Does the aluminum in the deodorants cause Alzheimer's disease?

Hyderabad: A social media post claiming aluminum-containing deodorants to be a prominent cause of Alzheimer's disease has gone viral on social media.

According to the X post, ‘Ensure your deodorant doesn't have aluminum - direct link to Alzheimer’s.’

Aluminum exposure has been speculated to be the root cause of Alzheimer's disease for a long period of time now.

Does aluminum in the deodorants or aluminum in general through any source linked with Alzheimer's disease? Let's find out.

NewsMeter found the claim to be false.

According to the National Institute for Aging, ‘Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear later in life.’

Cognitive Vitality refutes the myth by stating, ‘Aluminium salts in antiperspirants dissolve into the skin's surface and form a temporary barrier within sweat ducts, which stops the flow of sweat to the skin's surface. No studies have directly examined the link between aluminum-containing antiperspirant use and Alzheimer's risk.’

‘Studies show that aluminum salts in antiperspirants are poorly absorbed by the body, and the little that is absorbed is flushed out by the kidneys’, it adds.

Mayoclinic says, ‘The exact causes of Alzheimer's disease aren't fully understood. But at a basic level, brain proteins fail to function as usual. This disrupts the work of brain cells, also called neurons, and triggers a series of events. The neurons become damaged and lose connections to each other. They eventually die. Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's disease is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.’

Hence, it is evident that there is no direct link between aluminum in deodorants and Alzheimer’s as per scientific data.