I stopped by a local Chinese grocer today, and in the middle of the soup aisle was "white alum" chunks in plastic packaging. I grabbed a 227g bag of 3 large chunks for 89 cents! (take that AoS's $18 alum block). My curiosity hit me though as to why it was with the soup. I know people use it for deodorant and aftershave care, but what else? Are people using this stuff in their food?
What else is alum used for?
- Thread starter LinuxMintyFresh
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I think it's used in pickling, but I could be wrong.
Alum powder, found amongst spices at most grocery stores, is used in pickling recipes as a preservative, to maintain crispness.
It's a powerful deodorant.
It's also good for insect bites/stings.
We keep alum around on the spice rack. An occasional recipe calls for it, but I use it on canker sores. It helps dry them up and heal them quick.
Curing animal pelts. We use it on sheep pelts.
It lowers the pH of soil.
In water treatment as a flocculant before a sand filter to help in removing suspended solids. (Not one of the kind of uses you were inquiring about, I know.)
It's used in flame retardants, and in ceramic manufacturing.
- Pickling.
- Insect bites.
- Deodorant.
- Snack (Mostly by Chuck Norris)
What are the health issues associated with the use of alum?
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Interesting responses. Thanks!
None AFAIK.
Since it's been used for hundreds of years both on the skin & for consumption I think it's safe to assume that it is ok to use.
Always wondered if food grade alum was somehow easier on the skin. Anyone know first-hand?
It is also an antiperspirant (one of the reasons it works as a deodorant).
There are some links to Alzheimer's and certain cancers because of aluminum absorbtion, but I think the jury is still out on these, as they have not been conclusively proved.
There are some links to Alzheimer's and certain cancers because of aluminum absorbtion, but I think the jury is still out on these, as they have not been conclusively proved.
It seems like everything can give you cancer nowadays. I'll continue to strip naked and rub myself head to toe with alum every day and take my chances. I won't smell bad, I'll be preserved, bugs will stay away from me, I won't catch on fire, and if there are any bad singers around me, their heads will shrink.
Be careful. I heard stripping naked causes cancer.
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