For so long the dominant view was that fluoride was beneficial in our water supply, and that those who disagreed were wackos. The facts, however, simply don’t support that view. Every year brings more research showing the risks of ingesting fluoride.
The idea of putting fluoride into the water supply began when it was recognized that people living in a place with natural fluoride in the water had fewer cavities than those living elsewhere. That was true. However, the supply of fluoride found to add to the water supply was industrial waste – and not the same form of fluoride found in nature.
In November 2006, the American Dental Association sent a communiqué to its members letting them know that fluoride is too dangerous for infants under the age of one. In order to prevent tooth damage fluoridated water should not be added to food or formula for babies. As we understand it, this information was shared with the members of the ADA, but not disseminated elsewhere by them.
People are frequently pointing out how much better their children’s dental health is compared to their own, and ascribe that to fluoride in the water. But Europe outlawed fluoride in the water decades ago and their dental health has improved just as much as that in the US, and in a few cases more.
There are many places you’ll find stating that ‘fluoride has been shown to be safe.’ It is much harder to find a significant body of research to back up that claim. And the statement is nearly always “at the levels found in the water.” Completely ignored is that we now intake about 4 times as much fluoride as when they started adding it to the water through our food, toothpaste, water and drinks! At friendsofwater.com we just heard from 3 different people in 3 parts of the country each with well water with 5 times the ‘recommended’ level of fluoride. Do you think we’re building up the levels of fluoride in the water table with all this fluoride isolated in industry and added to the water?
According to a systematic review of fluoride supplement research in the November 2008 Journal of the American Dental Association, "There is weak and inconsistent evidence that the use of fluoride supplements prevents dental caries in primary teeth." The authors could find only one study, from China, showing any fluoride benefit to primary teeth and that study was probably biased with a high withdrawal rate. “Mild-to-moderate dental fluorosis is a significant side effect. Clinical Implications. The current recommendations for use of fluoride supplements during the first six years of life should be re-examined.”
There is an ever-growing body of research showing the risks of fluoride in the drinking water – even in very low dosages. Take a look at the results of 10 scientific research studies in 2007 gathered by the Fluoride Action Network. Risks of ingesting fluoride include Chronic Kidney Disease, Thyroid Disease, reduced brain development in children, reduced IQs, dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, and increases in hip and other bone fractures.
The good news is that you can remove fluoride from your drinking and cooking water. Activated alumina (which is not aluminum and does not leach aluminum) is the best solution for a kitchen filter. Reverse Osmosis will remove nearly as much fluoride, but it does not leave healthy water with the trace elements the body needs.
