Water
fluoridation has come under increasing scrutiny as health concerns,
lack of efficacy in preventing tooth decay and ethical issues of
administering chemicals via the water supply have surfaced
Michael
Connett, an attorney with the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), summarizes
10 important facts about fluoride that everyone drinking fluoridated
water should know
Facts
uncovered reveal that fluoride impacts far more in your body than just
your teeth and provides serious risks to infants, along with little or
no benefit to your teeth, among others
By Dr. Mercola
If fluoride is really the panacea for dental disease that it's been
portrayed as, then why is it that the United States is one of the only
developed countries that fluoridates their citizens' drinking
water?
Hint: It's not because the other countries aren't aware of fluoride's
supposed "miracle" powers for your teeth … it's because they fully
realize that adding a known poison to your population's water
supply is probably not a good idea.
Even in North America, water fluoridation has come under increasing
scrutiny; since 2010, more than 75 US and Canadian communities have
voted to end water fluoridation, and the issue is heating up as more
and more people begin to demand water that does not expose them to this
highly toxic industrial waste product.
If you're new to this issue, and even if you're not, please take 20
minutes to watch Michael Connett, an attorney with the Fluoride Action
Network (FAN), summarize 10 important facts about fluoride that
everyone needs to know.1
10 Facts About Fluoride
1. Most Developed Countries Do Not Fluoridate Their Water
More people drink fluoridated water in the US alone than in the rest
of the world combined. In Western Europe, for instance, 97 percent of
the population drinks non-fluoridated water. 2. Fluoridated Countries Do Not Have Less Tooth Decay Than Non-Fluoridated Countries
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no
discernible difference in tooth decay between developed countries that
fluoridate their water and those that do not. The decline in tooth decay
the US has experienced over the last 60 years, which is often
attributed to fluoridated water, has likewise occurred in all developed
countries (most of which do not fluoridate their water). 3. Fluoride Affects Many Tissues in Your Body Besides Your Teeth
Many assume that consuming fluoride is only an issue that involves
your dental health. But according to a 500-page scientific review,
fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that can affect your bones, brain,
thyroid gland, pineal gland and even your blood sugar levels.2
There have been over 34 human studies and 100 animal studies linking fluoride to brain damage,3
including lower IQ in children, and studies have shown that fluoride
toxicity can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including:
Increased lead absorption
Disrupts synthesis of collagen
Hyperactivity and/or lethargy
Muscle disorders
Thyroid disease
Arthritis
Dementia
Bone fractures
Lowered thyroid function
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)
Inactivates 62 enzymes and inhibits more than 100
Inhibited formation of antibodies
Genetic damage and cell death
Increased tumor and cancer rate
Disrupted immune system
Damaged sperm and increased infertility
4. Fluoridation is Not a "Natural" Process
Fluoride is naturally occurring in some areas, leading to high levels
in certain water supplies "naturally." Fluoridation advocates often use
this to support its safety, however naturally occurring substances are
not automatically safe (think of arsenic, for instance).
Further, the fluoride added to most water supplies is not the naturally
occurring variety but rather fluorosilicic acid, which is captured in
air pollution control devices of the phosphate fertilizer industry. As
FAN reported:
"This captured fluoride acid is the most contaminated chemical
added to public water supplies, and may impose additional risks to those
presented by natural fluorides. These risks include a possible
cancer hazard from the acid's elevated arsenic content, and a possible
neurotoxic hazard from the acid's ability--under some conditions--to
increase the erosion of lead from old pipes."
5. 40% of American Teenagers Show Visible Signs of Fluoride Overexposure
About 40 percent of American teens have dental fluorosis,4
a condition that refers to changes in the appearance of tooth enamel
that are caused by long-term ingestion of fluoride during the time teeth
are forming. In some areas, fluorosis rates are as high as 70-80
percent, with some children suffering from advanced forms.
It's likely this is a sign that children are receiving large amounts
of fluoride from multiple sources, including not only drinking water
but also fluoride toothpaste, processed beverages/foods, fluoride
pesticides, tea, non-stick pans and some fluorinated drugs. So not only
do we need to address the issue of water fluoridation, but how this
exposure is magnified by other sources of fluoride that are now common.
It's also important to realize that dental fluorosis is NOT "just
cosmetic." It can also be an indication that the rest of your body, such
as your bones and internal organs, including your brain, have been
overexposed to fluoride as well. In other words, if fluoride is having a
visually detrimental effect on the surface of your teeth, you can be
virtually guaranteed that it's also damaging other parts of your body,
such as your bones. 6. For Infants, Fluoridated Water Provides No Benefits, Only Risks
Infants who consume formula made with fluoridated tap water may
consume up to 1,200 micrograms of fluoride, or about 100 times more than
the recommended amounts. Such "spikes" of fluoride exposure during
infancy provide no known advantage to teeth, but they do have plenty of
known harmful effects.
Babies given fluoridated water in their formula are not only more
likely to develop dental fluorosis, but may also have reduced IQ scores.
In fact, a Harvard University meta-analysis funded by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded that children who live in areas
with highly fluoridated water have "significantly lower" IQ scores than
those who live in low fluoride areas.5 A number of prominent dental researchers now advise that parents should not add fluoridated water to baby formula. 7. Fluoride Supplements Have Never Been Approved by the FDA
The fluoride supplements sometimes prescribed to those who are
not drinking fluoridated water have not been approved by the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of tooth decay. In fact,
the fluoride supplements that the FDA has reviewed have been rejected.
"So with fluoridation, we are adding to the water a prescription-strength dose of a drug that has never been approved by the FDA," FAN noted.
8. Fluoride is the Only Medicine Added to Public Water
Fluoride is added to drinking water to prevent a disease (tooth
decay), and as such becomes a medicine by FDA definition. While
proponents claim this is no different than adding vitamin D to milk,
fluoride is not an essential nutrient. Many European nations have
rejected fluoride for the very reason that delivering medication via the
water supply would be inappropriate. Water fluoridation is a form of
mass medication that denies you the right to informed consent. 9. Swallowing Fluoride Provides Little Benefit to Teeth
It is now widely recognized that fluoride's only justifiable benefit comes from topical
contact with teeth, which even the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged. Adding it to water and pills, which
are swallowed, offers little, if any, benefit to your teeth. 10. Disadvantaged Communities are the Most Disadvantaged by Fluoride
Fluoride toxicity is exacerbated by conditions that occur much more frequently in low-income areas. This includes:
Nutrient deficiencies
Infant formula consumption
Kidney disease
Diabetes
African American and Mexican American children have significantly
higher rates of dental fluorosis, and many low-income urban communities
also have severe oral health crises, despite decades of water
fluoridation. FAN continues:
"The simple fact is that poor populations need dental
care, not fluoridation chemicals in their water. The millions of dollars
spent each year promoting fluoridation would be better spent
advocating for policies that provide real dental care: like allowing
dental therapists to provide affordable care to populations with little
access to dentists. In short, fluoridation provides good PR for
dental trade associations, but bad medicine for those it's supposedly
meant to serve."
Pro-Fluoride Group Rewards Minority and Immigrant Groups With Cash Payments for Support
Portland, Oregon, gets its water from the Bull Run watershed, a
102-square mile protected watershed that is so pristine and pure the
city was even granted a waiver from having to build a water treatment
plant. In May, Portland residents will vote for or against adding risky
fluoridation chemicals to their unusually pristine water supply.
Not only will adding fluoride add to environmental chemical pollution
and increase residents' risks of dental fluorosis and other health
concerns, it will also raise monthly water bills since adding these
industrial waste chemicals costs millions of dollars.
As the vote on May 21, 2013 nears, the pro-fluoride campaign, Healthy
Kids, Healthy Portland, has been increasing its "outreach" to gain the
votes of minority groups. Not only did the organization
recently gain another $325,000 in new contributions, giving them a large
monetary lead over the fluoride opponents, Clean Water Portland, but
they also reported some eyebrow-raising expenditures to groups
working with minorities and immigrants. Among them:
$20,000 to the Center For Intercultural Organizing
$20,000 to the Native American Youth and Family Center
$20,000 to the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon
$20,000 to the Latino Network
$20,000 to the Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization
$19,100 to the Urban League
That's nearly $100,000 "donated" to essentially buy votes from the low-income communities that are among those at risk of being most harmed by water fluoridation. As WW reported:6
" … Healthy Kids has aggressively sought the support of such organizations. That's not unusual. What is somewhat uncommon is rewarding that support with cash payments,
which the campaign
characterized in its filings as 'grant[s] for outreach services.'
Campaigns typically spend their money on advertising, consultants,
polling, rent and other direct expenses, not making grants to other
groups. Evyn Mitchell, the campaign manager for Healthy Kids, says the
grants to minority and immigrant groups are 'a new and different
approach.'"
Call to Action as Portland Readies to Vote on Water Fluoridation
Portland rejected water fluoridation in 1956, 1962, and 1980. But after
more than a year of secretive planning, fluoride lobbyists convinced the
Portland city council to add this toxic waste for their public's
consumption. Luckily, the citizens of Portland stood together by
gathering enough signatures to force the decision to a vote on May 21,
2013.
Hopefully, with your help in spreading the message, Portland will once
again stop this measure. If you live in Portland and want to sign up as a
volunteer or pledge to vote No on water fluoridation on the City of
Portland ballot, please do so on the Clean Water Portland Pledge Page.
Remember, these lobbyists are well funded, and we're going to see a
campaign similar to Prop 37 in California. The citizens need your help
to keep Portland free of this contaminant. So, regardless of where you
live, please help by donating to their campaign to ensure Portland's
pure water source remains that way.
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