Does Alum Water Help in Weight Loss ?

A crystal of potassium alum

Photo by Alessandro e Damiano, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Does Alum Water Help in Weight Loss?

Alum, called fitkari in Hindi, is a mineral salt with many household uses, from aftershave to water purification. But does alum help with weight loss? First, let's look at what alum is.

What Is Alum? Alum, popularly called Fitkari, is very commonly used in India. Many people know it as the crystal block used after shaving to soothe small cuts.

There are several types of alum. Potassium alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) is the one most used at home and the one people usually mean by "alum." It contains aluminum.

(Alum) Fitkari Uses in Water

Alum is used in water treatment to make dirt and particles clump together and settle out. Because it contains aluminum, people have long asked whether aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's disease.

According to the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the evidence is mixed: some studies link high aluminum exposure to Alzheimer's and others don't, and it is not known for certain whether aluminum causes it.

Everyday exposure to small amounts of aluminum is generally not considered harmful. But eating substances with a lot of aluminum is a different matter, and people with kidney disease can build up aluminum in their bodies.

That is one more reason not to treat alum as a weight-loss drink, or as a cure for diseases.

What is the use of Alum?

Alum is used as a home remedy mostly on the outside of the body, for example as a deodorant stone, an aftershave or in water purification. Most traditional remedies call for applying alum externally, not swallowing it.

Alum for Weight Loss

In Chinese medicine, alum is used both internally and on the skin. We found no traditional or modern use of alum as a weight-loss method.

Is there really an alum weight loss method?

Does Alum Water Help in Weight Loss?

No. We found no research showing that alum water helps in weight loss, and there is no scientific evidence for it.

Alum Benefits and Precautions

Here are the real uses of alum and the precautions to keep in mind.

Alum is used internally in some traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic remedies, but only in small amounts, because larger doses can be harmful.

NCCIH also warns that some traditional Chinese herbal products have been contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic compounds.

Do not swallow alum as a home remedy; take it only under expert guidance from a doctor.

If you use an alum block as a deodorant and your skin becomes irritated, stop using it.

Alum is sometimes sold for "vaginal tightening." Don't use it this way: it can irritate delicate tissue and raise the risk of infection.

On the skin, use alum sparingly and apply a moisturizer afterward, as it can dry the skin.

Some people claim that rubbing alum on the stomach reduces belly fat. There is no evidence for this. Fat can't be removed from one spot by applying something to the skin.

A small amount of alum appears in some home hair remedies for lice or dandruff. There is little evidence these work, and too much can irritate the scalp.