Fluoride in our drinking water
FACT: Every capital city in Australia with the exception of Brisbane, fluoridates its water supply.
Fluoride is claimed to reduce dental cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. The key findings which support fluoridation of our water supply are based on studies performed in the 1940s. These studies are now being called into question due to their dubious scientific quality. It should be noted that scientific research of this era also claimed that smoking cigarettes was harmless!
The US Centre for Disease Control states that “When water fluoridation first began in the 1940s, dentists believed that fluoride’s main benefit came from ingesting fluoride during the early years of life. This belief held sway for over 40 years. However, it is now acknowledged by dental researchers to be incorrect, fluoride’s predominant effect is TOPICAL (direct contact with teeth) and not systemic (from ingestion).â€
As stated by the US Center for Disease Control: Fluoride’s primary ‘benefits’ are topical, not systemic.
More recent studies have shown that exposure to high doses of fluoride can cause many health problems, ranging from mild to severe. Chronic exposure (’safe’ doses consumed over a period of time) can be detrimental to health because fluoride is a persistent bioaccumulator that builds up in bone tissue. Those who support the addition of fluoride to drinking water claim that the risks outweigh the benefits, and that adding fluoride to water is necessary to reduce the incidence of dental cavities. However there is no credible scientific evidence to support this. Research has shown that there has been a reduction in tooth decay over time, in areas with fluoridated water supplies. Similar declines in tooth decay have occurred in virtually every western country, including those without fluoridated water. So it is reasonable and logical, to assume that a decline in tooth decay is due to other factors such as better oral hygiene practices, topical application in the form of fluoridated toothpastes and easier access to dental health services.
There are five isotopes which make up fluoride, some of which are also common pesticides. These compounds are obtained as waste products from the fertilizer and aluminum industries.
This raises the question – why are authorities relying on initial findings about fluoride from the 1940’s and not on compounding new evidence which makes the unnecessity of ingesting fluoride undeniably clear?
This toxic waste must be disposed of somewhere – if it’s not used as a ‘beneficial’ additive to water, manufacturers would have to pay millions of dollars to dispose of it properly.
Fluoride is added to our water at the ‘optimal’ dose of 1 ppm (equal to 1 mg/l). This dose was set in the 1940s and based on the assumption that the total intake of fluoride would be 1 mg/day, assuming that 4 glasses of water were consumed per day. However, today fluoride is also present in virtually everything we consume – a fact that is not taken into consideration when determining fluoride levels in drinking water. Most foods are made with fluoridated water. Crops are sprayed with fluoridated water and treated with pesticides that contain fluoride. Eat a bowl of cereal with milk for breakfast and a can of coke with lunch and you have already consumed 230% of the recommended ‘optimal’ dose. Cooking in fluoridated water also increases dietary fluoride levels – unlike chlorine, fluoride does not dissipate in the steam, rather it remains in the water and concentrates in cooked food.
Because of the increase in fluoride exposure from all sources combined, the rate of dental fluorosis has increased significantly over the past 50 years. Dental fluorosis (discolouration and pitting of the teeth) is often touted as simply an aesthetic problem, however it is actually the first visible sign of fluoride poisoning. Babies should not be given fluoridated water. The ‘optimal’ level of 1 ppm is calculated for an average adult, so the dose received by an infant 1/10th of the weight of an adult would be 10 times the ‘optimal’ level.
An article by Geofrey Nochimson, MD states that:
Death may result from ingesting as little as 2g of fluoride in an adult and 16 mg/kg in children. Symptoms may appear with 3-5 mg/kg of fluoride.
Estimated toxic dose for fluoride ingestion is 5-10 mg/kg.
Estimated lethal dose is 5-10 g (32-64 mg/kg) in adults and 500 mg in small children.
A few facts on fluoride:
Fluoride’s benefits come from topical application to teeth, eg; fluoridated toothpaste, not from ingestion. Fluoridated toothpaste is both readily available and affordable. Furthermore, 99% of tap water is not consumed – it ends up down the drain, on the garden, is used to wash clothes, dishes, in the shower or bath, and so on. There is absolutely no need for fluoride to be added to drinking water.
Naturally occurring organic calcium-fluoro-phosphate is an edible salt, insoluble in water and easily assimilated by the body, where it builds and strengthens bones and teeth.
The first use of fluoridated drinking water was in Germany’s Nazi prison camps, allegedly to sterilize humans and force the prisoners into calm submission!
Fluoride can diminish bone strength and increase the risk of fractures. According to the NRC, fracture risk may be increased at levels as low as 1.5 ppm.
Fluoride can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland, resulting in iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of brain damage and mental disability in the world.
Most people are aware of the fact that chlorine reacts to form numerous compounds, such as chloramines, after it is added to our drinking water. However many people are not aware that fluoride is much more reactive than chlorine and is capable of forming any number of poisonous compounds.
More information on fluoride can be found at the following sites:
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/water.htm
http://www.just-think-it.com/f-facts.htm