Dangers of Fluoride in our Water – the Great Debate

I sometimes wonder what percentage of the population is aware of the ongoing fluoride debate. There’s absolutely a growing voice of dissent over water fluoridation, but how familiar is the average Joe with this subject. I know that most of my friends and family are not aware of it. I’ve never heard it brought up on any popular news television programs. It seems the majority of information is coming from radio programming, local news stations, activist groups, and scientific community organizations. Does that mean there’s not much to this debate, or are we on the precipice of this issue entering into the national spotlight?

Fluoridation has occurred in the public water systems for more than 60 years. Given this basic historical fact, the immediate question that comes to many peoples mind when they are confronted with the debate is; “If fluoridation is so bad for us, wouldn’t we have figured it out already? Wouldn’t there be mountains of evidence to illustrate the toxic effects?” Opponents claim that this evidence does exist, and that more in depth and well funded studies need to be executed to better demonstrate this truth. Proponents retort that the evidence for fluoride is already there with US general population tooth decay reductions in the order of 50-60% since WWII. This statistic is one of the most controversial as these same reductions, over the same time periods, are shown in countries that have never engaged in water fluoridation.

Sodium fluoride, used for fluoridation, is a hazardous-waste by-product from the manufacture of aluminum, and is a common ingredient in rat and cockroach poisons, anesthetics, hypnotics, psychiatric drugs, and military nerve gas. Fluoride is more toxic than aluminum and studies have shown that fluoride consumption increases the absorption rate of aluminum by 600%. There are, however, controls set in place to manage this risk. The EPA has maximum water fluoridation levels set at 1 ppm (part per million) and the back of fluoride toothpaste reads “Keep toothpaste out of the reach of children under 6. If swallowed get medical help or contact poison control center right away.”

What is not up for debate is that fluoride harms bones, causes stiff joints, encourages skeletal abnormalities, raises the risk of cancer, results in genetic damage, and hampers nervous system function in humans. Opponents of fluoridation are concerned that since fluoride acts as a cumulative poison gradually affecting the body over time, potential toxicity depends on how much water is consumed on a daily basis, the individual’s body weight, and the body’s ability to filter and eliminate the chemical. These are wide margin variables that may allow a relatively large percentage of the population to fall into a toxic range over time.

Recently, there has been government studies that attest to fluoridation dangers. In 2005, a CDC study showed irreversible enamel fluorosis in 1 out of 3 children. Then in 2007, the ADA warned parents not to mix baby formula with tap water in the first 12 months of development so as to avoid fluoride intake. Just recently in June of 2008, the National Kidney Foundation stated the kidney disease patients should be notified of the potential risks of exposure to fluoride.

Each year our scientists are getting better at understanding the toxic implications of fluoride, and one point is glaringly obvious. With water fluoridation, you cannot control the dose ingested, both children and adults are treated with similar doses, and unless the public filters their water, they do not have a choice in the matter. At a bare minimum, larger and more comprehensive studies should be performed to properly address dosage variables and ensure the benefits definitively outweigh the risks. This is where the debate needs to go.

In the meantime, for those who are concerned, there are fluoride water filters on the market.  Berkey Filters makes a highly regarded and very popular PF-2 fluoride water filter that works in any Berkey Water Filters System.

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