Effect of dietary aluminum on mineral metabolism of adult males.

During a 40-day balance study, eight adult males were fed two levels of aluminum: 5 mg daily (control diet) and 125 mg daily (test diet). These two levels of dietary aluminum are representative of the upper and lower limits of aluminum that are present in the diets of Americans. Initially subjects excreted significantly more phosphorus in their feces when fed the test diet rather than the control diet. However, subjects excreted similar amounts of phosphorus in their feces when fed the test and control diets for more than 12 days. Subjects excreted significantly less fluoride in their urine and less, but not significantly less, phosphorus and cyclic AMP in their urine when fed the test diet rather than the control diet. The dietary aluminum levels had no overall effect on the retention of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, or copper by these subjects.