Fluoride---NOT what we want in our water or toothpaste!

I've had some questions lately about fluoride in water so I thought I would share what I've found in my recent studies (& what I've been aware of for many years).

The controversy over fluoride began around 1945. Prior to then, fluoride was properly regarded as an environmental pollutant mostly from the aluminum & fertilizer industry. Fluoride was somehow transformed from an environmental pollutant to an essential nutrient necessary for producing healthy teeth (with very poor scientific support).

Over time, most developed countries have banned fluoride in their water, including Japan (the healthiest country in the world). Europe is 98% fluoridation-free...and it is opposed in England, Australia among other countries. In the US, it is in almost all commercial toothpastes and regularly added to ~75% of public drinking water. For years the FDA has required warning labels to keep toothpaste out of the reach of children under age 6 and, if swallowed, to get medical help or contact a poison control center right away. In 2005, more than 22,000 people did. Hmmmm....Why is fluoride in our water & toothpastes in the US?

In 1997, the union representing toxicologists, chemists, biologist & other professionals at the EPA in Washington DC went on record against adding fluoride to public drinking water, stating that the health & welfare of the public is not served by the addition of fluoride to the public water supply. This was after an 11 year review of evidence showing that fluoride was linked to cancer, nerve impairment, bone changes & low IQ scores in kids. The November 2008 Journal of the American Dental Association reported that, "There is weak and inconsistent evidence that the use of fluoride supplements prevents dental caries in primary teeth" after conducting a systematic review of fluoride supplement research.

Many pediatricians who have taken the time to learn about the health effects of fluoride stress avoiding the use of fluoridated toothpastes under the age of 3 and avoiding drinking fluoridated water (or making baby formula with it). Maybe this is why: Fluoride is more poisonous than lead and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. It is a cumulative poison that accumulates in bone over the years (Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products).

Why is our water being fluoridated when the most recent studies do not even show that water fluoridation is effective in reducing tooth decay? In the largest US study of fluoridation and tooth decay, the US Public Health Service dental records of over 39,000 school children, ages 5-17, from 84 areas around the country showed that the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth per child was virtually the same in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. A similar study in New Zealand of 60,000 school children showed the same.

Fluoridation effects don't pertain to just children. Back in 1993, the US Dept. of Health & Human Services reported that "postmenopausal women and elderly men in fluoridated communities may be at increased risk of bone fractures." Fluoride has also been found to reduce thyroid and metabolic activity.

It usually takes me a day or two to get one of these blog entries written---and over the past 2 days I've had 2 additional articles re: fluoridation of water supplies in the US cross my path---Yes, I'm thinking this IS a BIG DEAL!

One was a bulletin that listed 7 new research studies focused on assessing the effects of consumption of fluoridated water in humans. Some of the effects found include impaired glucose tolerance, DNA damage, memory impairment, decreased capacity for learning & memory and preterm births. The website with this info: www.fluoridealert.org

The other article included this statement: This chemical (fluoride) in the US water supply has been linked to lower fertility rates, hormone disruption and low sperm counts. Wow---as you can see, this issue really does affect all age groups.

What To Do?
Get informed, stay informed & share this information with others. Solid carbon filters do not remove fluoride. Reverse osmosis & distillation both do, at the cost of making the water quite acidic and very poorly absorbed by our bodies. You can learn more about this in some of my posts from June related to pH and water.

Our family uses a simple water filtration unit that filters the majority of fluoride out, with the end result of purified water with minerals intact (making it slightly alkaline) that is well absorbed by the cells in our bodies.

I look forward to your questions and comments!

Thanks for taking the time to be a well-informed 'Owner of your Health'!
Sana