A wide variety of vermicelli are sold on the market, such as mung bean vermicelli and broad bean vermicelli, but more are made from starch, like sweet potato vermicelli and potato vermicelli. Because vermicelli has a good ability to absorb flavors, it can soak up the rich taste of various delicious broths, making them even more savory. Coupled with its own soft, smooth, and pleasant texture, it is especially popular as a cold dish in the summer.
People who enjoy vermicelli (including jelly) sometimes eat a large bowl at once, and some even rely on it as a staple food to satisfy hunger. This eating habit is actually unscientific. This is because many people are unaware that about 0.5% of alum is added during the processing of vermicelli. The added alum mixes with the slurry, and as the vermicelli forms and dries, the alum content only increases. As is well known, alum is aluminum sulfate, and because it contains a significant amount of aluminum, consuming a large amount of vermicelli means a large intake of aluminum.
According to the latest scientific research, the toxicity of aluminum to the human body is multifaceted. Excessive aluminum can affect the function of brain cells, thereby impacting and interfering with human consciousness and memory, leading to senile dementia. It can cause cholestatic liver disease, lead to bone softening, and also induce conditions such as microcytic hypochromic anemia and ovarian atrophy. Therefore, the intake of aluminum should not be taken lightly.
According to measurements, we ingest about 4 milligrams of aluminum daily from aluminum cookware we use daily, and 12 milligrams from natural foods. From this data, you can roughly calculate the permissible amount of vermicelli to eat. Also, after eating vermicelli, avoid eating deep-fried crispy foods like youtiao (fried dough sticks). This is because these fried foods also contain a very high amount of aluminum, and combining them with vermicelli can cause a person's aluminum intake to far exceed the daily allowable limit. Therefore, for your health, please control your consumption of these aluminum-rich foods.