The difference between alum and alum

Alum is a crystal formed by processing and refining the mineral alum stone. Its main ingredient is potassium aluminum sulfate dodecahydrate, which is a complex salt of potassium sulfate and aluminum sulfate containing twelve waters of crystallization. It is a colorless cubic crystal that appears as an octahedron or an aggregate of a cube and a rhombic dodecahedron. Alum and white alum are among its many names and are often used in industries such as making paint.

Alum is soluble in water but insoluble in alcohol. In addition to being used as a waterproofing agent, papermaking, paint and other industrial fields, it can also be used as a food additive. In our lives, it is often used to purify water and is also often used as a food leavening agent. For example, alum is contained in the production of fried glutinous rice balls and fried dough sticks. Alum crystals will volatilize to a certain extent if left in the air for a long time, but it will not be harmful to the human body.

However, the aluminum in alum is very harmful to the human body. Long-term drinking of drinking water purified with alum can lead to the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease. This is because the aluminum in alum enters the human body through water and accumulates there. Therefore, our country no longer advocates the use of alum as a water purifier. When alum is used as a food additive, it enters the human body.

Basically, it cannot be excreted from the body, which means it will always accumulate in the human body. The aluminum contained in alum will bring toxic side effects to the human body, specifically killing brain cells, seriously affecting human intelligence, and causing symptoms of brain atrophy and dementia to appear prematurely. More than ten years ago, the World Health Organization listed alum as a harmful food additive. Our country has also banned it long ago.

Although alum is not suitable as a food additive, it is very useful in industry. Alum is absolutely indispensable in fire extinguishers. In addition, alum also has very important medicinal functions and has a strong astringent effect. It can detoxify, kill insects, stop bleeding and diarrhea, and has a good resistance to vaginal trichomoniasis in gynecological diseases. It can also treat hyperlipidemia and tuberculosis.