The fluoridation of public water is a controversy I return to every few months, just to keep it on the burner, so to speak. This is an important health issue that affects virtually everyone who lives in or near any large population center in the U.S. And it’s a subject that always prompts a surprised response from those who haven’t yet heard that fluoride contains dangerous toxins, even though it’s added to the water supplies in thousands of communities.
Fortunately there are ways to avoid fluoride intake. And believe it or not, avoiding fluoride just might make your teeth healthier.
Binding molecule
I recently received this e-mail from an HSI member named Owen:
“Fluoride is a toxin which accumulates in the bones and glands over a lifetime. It makes bones brittle, and has been linked to the plague of hip-fractures which effectively end the lives of 350,000 elderly Americans each year.
“I’ve been taking good care of myself for decades, but I drank tap water when I was a young man. There’s bound to be fluoride in my bones, unless the clean living of the last 26 years has removed it. That’s what I want to know: are there foods or supplements which effectively remove fluoride from bones and glands?”
Unfortunately, the answer to Owen’s question appears to be, “No.” So far, anyway.
I asked HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., about the possibility of chelating fluoride accumulation from the body, and he pointed out that fluoride has an unusually strong binding molecule. This is part of the reason why many water filters are ineffective in extracting fluoride. Dr. Spreen says, “It’s well known that fluoride is difficult to remove from water with conventional water filters. Much of the chlorine can be removed using a good carbon filter, but fluoride will not come with it.”
Cumberland Blues
In a Daily Dose e-letter titled “Fighting Back Against Fluoride” (10/31/03), William Campbell Douglass II, M.D., featured the small town of Cumberland, Maryland, where the citizens adopted a charter provision in the 1960s to reject fluoridation of their water. But in 2000, a city referendum overruled the provision. Now that the tap water of Cumberland is fluoridated, many residents continue to fight the reversal of their charter provision in court.
In Dr. Douglass’ typical, straightforward style, he gets to the heart of the fluoride debate with this barb: “But even if fluoride in the drinking water meant an absolute guarantee of never having to go the dentist again, EVER, you shouldn’t consume it. Why? Because cavities can’t kill you, but fluoride can.”
Here’s a quick rundown of a few of fluoride’s potential dangers:
- A number of studies have linked fluoride to as many as 10,000 cancer deaths each year, with a high incidence of bone cancer among men exposed to fluoride
- In animal trials, fluoride has been shown to enhance the brain’s absorption of aluminum (the toxin shown to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease)
- Several osteoporosis studies have associated hip fractures with fluoride intake
Land of the free
Usually when the government interferes with our healthcare choices, it’s done by forbidding or restricting access. With fluoride it’s the opposite; your freedom of choice is compromised when your local government puts a chemical in your water “for your own good.” So every time you drink from a faucet, you’re being medicated without your consent. Or – in the case of the citizens of Cumberland, MD -against your expressed wishes.
Want to hear some truly radical thinking? Many countries throughout the world have rejected water fluoridation programs based on the idea that health treatments should be a personal choice, not mandated by the government.
Water, water everywhere
There are basically two ways to avoid the fluoride that comes out of your tap: You can drink bottled water, or find a reliable water filter that actually removes fluoride. But that’s easier said than done. To read more details about filters and bottled water, see the e-Alerts “Bad to the Bone” (4/29/03), and “Don’t Fill ‘er Up” (2/13/03); both available on our web site at www.hsibalitmore.com.
Dr. Douglass has been one of the most outspoken voices in the fight against fluoride for decades. Recently, he consulted with a company to create a water filter specifically built to remove fluoride from your drinking water. For more information on the filter Dr. Douglass helped design, follow the link below.
To Your Good Health, and Go Ravens!
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
“Fighting Back Against Fluoride” William Campbell Douglass II, M.D., Daily Dose, 10/31/03, realhealthnews.com
“How does the government help big industry get rid of millions of tons of toxic waste? Easy. They add it to your drinking water!” William Campbell Douglass II, M.D., realhealthnews.com
“Tooth Decay Trends: Fluoridated Vs. Unfluoridated Countries” Fluoride Action Network, fluoridealert.org
