It has been ingrained in your head since you can remember: Brush two times a day at the minimum and always with fluoride toothpaste. “Fluoride is what makes your teeth strong, prevents cavities and fights tooth decay.” Not necessarily.
Well, here’s a doozy: Fluoride is highly toxic. Before fluoride became the holy “cavity fighter,” it was used as an insecticide and a rat poison. It was first produced as a byproduct of aluminum production. Even more surprising is that when it comes to dental hygiene, fluoride does more harm than good.
Wait a minute. Isn’t Chicago’s water fluoridated? It most certainly is and watchdog groups like the Environmental Working Group (EWG), Fluoride Action Network and Beyond Pesticides are increasingly concerned and are raising awareness where it comes to human consumption of fluoride. Especially sulfuryl fluoride, a fumigant applied to stored crops after harvest as a pesticide and is often past along into the food supply.
So why is it that fluoride has made it into not only your daily intake of toothpaste, but more importantly, your drinking water? Illinois is currently ranked as the number two state with the highest percent of the population receiving fluoridated water according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
How fluoride got into your toothpaste and drinking water is a lengthy story of Big Industry and Big Pharma in bed with Big Government. It is a big mess of bureaucratic red tape too lengthy to get into today.
The focus here is the damage this toxic byproduct of aluminum production is causing every day and how to limit your exposure.
Bad for your teeth … Your Mom was right, it is recommended to brush your pearly whites at minimum two times a day. But with what? A study in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that contrary to what we have been told, fluoride is bad for your teeth. Fluorosis is a condition where the tooth enamel becomes discolored.
A well respected proponent of public health, Dr. Mercola stated: “Dental fluorosis results in white and brown spots on your teeth. It is only caused by fluoride — typically due to ingesting too much fluoride during your developing years, from birth to about eight years of age. According to the CDC, about one-third of U.S. children aged 12 to 15 years have very mild to mild forms of enamel fluorosis on their teeth.”
Dr. Paul Connett, a chemist specializing in environmental chemistry said in an interview with Mercola.com, “The teeth are the windows to the bones, if you see damage to the teeth, what damage can you not see?”
Your bones: Fluoridation.com informs us that the results of more than five epidemiological studies indicate increased hip fractures in both naturally and artificially fluoridated areas. The incidence of hip fracture is also increasing more rapidly than can be accounted for by aging of the population. There are numerous studies which strongly suggest that fluoride’s cumulative effect on bone is devastating.
Your kidneys: According to the Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation journal there are studies that suggest “fluoridation of community water actually causes kidney disease. Kidney damage to tubular function and structure, and reduction in glomerular filtration rate occurred in residents of endemic fluoride areas and anecdotal cases of fluoride intoxication suggested a causal relationship between fluoride intake and renal failure.” Meaning overexposure to fluoride may lead to kidney failure.
Your brain: Numerous studies conducted in China, India, Iran, and Mexico have determined that fluoride exposure is associated with IQ deficits in children. The highest doses of fluoride are going to bottle-fed babies. Still a common practice in Chicago Public Schools is that the entire school is subjected to an annual fluoride rinse. There are even studies that link fluoride consumption to dementia.
A lot to take in. It’s very curious that this information is not widely known or accepted and a conclusion might be that there is a conspiracy between Big Industry and Big Pharma coupled with Big Government which continues to push that you need fluoride in your lives. Do you?
Here are some quick and easy ways to rid you and your family from having this toxic substance in your life:
DIY toothpaste: So much cheaper and fluoride free, this quick and easy recipe comes after a culmination of R&D and review of hundreds online. The one from National Geographic seems to resonate with some of the top hits online. Ingredients are all-natural and can be found at your closest Whole Foods.
Buy organic: Not the first time you have heard this from this column. The importance of eating organic here is to avoid the pesticides found on many conventionally grown produce. The sulfuryl fluoride often cannot be removed from rinsing the produce when you get it home. Dow recently has begun marketing sulfuryl fluoride as a post-harvest fumigant for dry fruits, nuts, and grains under the trade name ProFume.
Water filter: Moving to filtered water in your home is very important and a switch you should make sooner rather than later, the unfortunate situation is that while Brita and Pur make some great products which we highly recommend, they unfortunately do not remove fluoride.
The only way to be sure that you and your family are ultimately safe is to purchase a high-quality filter which removes heavy metals like mercury, lead, aluminum, copper and flouride.
Ultimately, the choice is up to you. There is a lot of information that fluoridated water may not be helping or even necessary in your water. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to buy distilled water (especially for baby formula) or to invest in your family’s health and get a high quality water filter.
If fluoride pesticides are a concern in your food, buy organic. If the toothpaste is an issue, make your own. If fluoride in your water is a concern then all you can do right now is speak-out and try to effect change or get that shiny new filter.
Loading ...
