# I just ate some aluminum **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000 "2006-03-26T21:49:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrightSmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BrightSmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightSmite)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/1 "2006-03-26T21:49:35Z")
I bought a Crispy Chicken Wrap from KFC. I was eating it on the way home when I realized I had bitten off and swallowed a 1" by 1" piece of the wrapper. The inside was some sort of waxpaper with the KFC logo but the outside is some sort of shiney metallic material (aluminum?). Anyway, should I be worried? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/2 "2006-03-26T21:56:08Z")
No. Aluminum (in a different form) is used as an antacid, so don’t sweat it. Look on the bright side, you probably won’t get an upset stomach. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/3 "2006-03-26T23:46:18Z")
> [@](#): > > No. Aluminum (in a different form) is used as an antacid, so don’t sweat it. Irrelevant. Sodium chloride, in a different form, is an explosive and a poison gas. And it’s very tough to turn aluminum compounds (like those antacids) into elemental aluminum (like in fast -food wrappers), so even if elemental aluminum were dangerous, it would not necesarily follow that aluminum compounds would be, too. That said, while there’s been plenty of speculation, panic, and hype about elemental aluminum in the diet, I don’t think anyone has yet proven any ill effects. So it’s probably safe anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/4 "2006-03-27T03:03:29Z")
> [@HardWorker](#): > > I bought a Crispy Chicken Wrap from KFC. I was eating it on the way home when I realized I had bitten off and swallowed a 1" by 1" piece of the wrapper. The inside was some sort of waxpaper with the KFC logo but the outside is some sort of shiney metallic material (aluminum?). Anyway, should I be worried? Yes, you should. That KFC is really bad for you. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/5 "2006-03-27T03:43:45Z")
This, too, shall pass. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/6 "2006-03-27T09:52:25Z")
Hey, you might actually get a polished turd! ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/7 "2006-03-27T15:36:03Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Hey, you might actually get a polished turd! Or at least nicely wrapped for disposal! ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/8 "2006-03-27T20:04:51Z")
Talk about being “oven-ready.” 😛 I wouldn’t sweat it much. The digestive system is pretty good about handling undigestibles – it’ll just pass through your system and out the other end eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/9 "2006-03-27T20:23:09Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Hey, you might actually get a polished turd! But, but, but … what if it goes through the system _with the poison side up_ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![BrightSmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@BrightSmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightSmite)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/10 "2006-03-27T22:41:47Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Hey, you might actually get a polished turd! If I do, you are all guaranteed pictures:) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-ate-some-aluminum/350000/11 "2006-03-28T01:24:17Z")
If it’s anything like other aluminized fast-food wrappers I’ve seen, I say don’t worry. The coating is much thinner than a standard piece of aluminum foil. There’s no chance of it lacerating your gut, and it should pass without problems.