Fluoride

The Truth About Fluoride

Many people need to avoid fluoride altogether to preserve their health. We know this because scientists in government agencies have documented it extensively. So why do they continue to add it to over 75% of public water supplies in the US? And how can they claim that it is safe and “optimal” when one person may drink 1 cup of water a day and another may drink 1 gallon of water a day?

The U.S. Public Health Service reported in 1991 that people living in cities with “optimal” water fluoridation can easily receive a total daily fluoride exposure exceeding 6.5 mg … more than 600% higher than the “optimal” amount. And water is the first item on the list. Fluoride is also found in:

• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Dental Treatments
• Soft Drinks and Juice
• Commercially raised fruits & vegetables
• Processed and canned food, wine, beer, coffee and tea

And that’s just to name a few—not to mention increasing fluorine pollution in the environment.

Pros and Cons of Fluoride

Fluoride is more toxic than lead and nearly as toxic as arsenic according to the Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products 5th Edition, 1984). It is NOT an essential nutrient. The fluoride added to your drinking water is in fact a chemical waste product that was classified as a toxic waste in this country for years. In fact, not too long ago its only approved uses were as an insecticide and a RAT POISON!

The biological effect of fluoride on living tissue is the disruption of enzyme activity, including the enzymes that maintain life in the cells of the human body. Fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that was used for decades in Europe as a drug to treat overactive thyroid by depressing thyroid function. Alarmingly, the dosage once prescribed to reduce thyroid activity is about the same amount ingested by people in many communities today.

Healthy kidneys are able to clear less than 50% of the fluoride taken into the body, and kidneys are prone to damage in the fluoride-filtering process. Fluoride is bone-seeking, and fluoride that is not excreted by the kidneys accumulates primarily in the bones, never to leave. Does it make any sense to surround the bone marrow, the blood factories of the body, with a toxic element more deadly than lead?
So why is fluoride hyped up to be this life-saving nutrient that we all should get? Dentists have been recommending fluoride treatments, fluoridated toothpastes and mouthwash for years to prevent cavities. Interestingly enough, there are no scientifically-valid tests to prove this theory for safety and effectiveness. Fluoride was never the answer to tooth decay and new testing is proving that the areas of the world without fluoride are showing the same rates of tooth decay as fluoridated areas.

However, all over the world the rate of dental cavities has fallen dramatically in developed countries, even though most have never added fluoride components to their water. The common factor seems to be better nutrition and higher health standards.

Government Alert:
Several Groups at High Risk for Fluoride Toxicity

BABIES: In November 2006, the American Dental Association (ADA) announced that babies up to 1 year of age should avoid fluoridated water because they are at high risk of developing dental fluorosis—a defect of tooth development that can result in staining, pitting, and corrosion of the enamel. In fact, both the ADA and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that infants not receive fluoride due to its toxic nature. The recommendation goes as far as using non-fluoridated water to make formula.

CHILDREN: That same month The Lancet reported that fluoride may damage a child’s development brain. The article described fluoride as an “emerging neurotoxic substance” because of evidence linking fluoride exposure to lower IQs in children and brain damage in animals.

In 1993, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) listed several groups of people at high risk for fluoride toxicity. Below are excerpts from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, April 1993:
“Existing data indicate that subsets of the population may be unusually susceptible to the toxic effects of fluoride and its compounds. These populations include the elderly, people with deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, and/or vitamin C, and people with cardiovascular and kidney problems. Because fluoride is excreted through the kidney, people with renal insufficiency would have impaired renal clearance of fluoride (renal clearance means how well the kidneys are able to do their job and filter the body’s blood).

“Impaired renal clearance of fluoride has also been found in people with diabetes mellitus and cardiac insufficiency …People over the age of 50 often have decreased renal fluoride clearance…Postmenopausal women and elderly men in fluoridated communities may also be at increased risk of fractures.”

Healthy Alternatives to Avoid Fluoride Toxicity:

Try these safe, natural alternatives that can be found at Optimal Wellness Center.

• Use toothpaste free of fluoride—especially kids! We love SPRY!

• Use fluoride-free/non-alcohol based mouthwash … SPRY makes a fantastic mouth wash, too!

• Never drink tap water—Invest in a water purification system for your home.

• Removing fluoride from tap water at home is not simple. Investing in a reverse osmosis, distiller, or alkalizing filter is highly recommended for all and a requirement for those on the high risk list. Most bottled water and inexpensive filters (Brita) do not remove fluoride from the water.

• Eat organic foods and juices.

• Organic produce is grown without the use of pesticides that contain fluoride.

• Avoid processed foods and sugar to avoid cavaties and decay. They cause high acidity in the body and break down bone (in the teeth and the skeleton!) Especially sodas, juices, and chewy, sticky candy.