Water Fluoridation Promotes Thyroid Impairment, Study Warns
March 10, 2015 | 224,814 views
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By Dr. Mercola
Fluoride is
a toxic drug linked with an array of potentially serious health problems. Most
recently, research linking fluoridated water consumption to thyroid dysfunction
received attention in both British and American media.1,2,3,4
Evidence also suggests it may contribute to or exacerbate behavioral problems
such as ADHD, by way of pineal gland calcification.
Despite irrefutable evidence of harm, the United States still adds fluoride to
municipal water supplies reaching nearly 211 million Americans. As of 2012,
more than 67 percent of Americans receive fluoridated water.5
Of those, more than 11 million people receive fluoride at or above what has
been deemed the "optimal" level, according to the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the UK, about 6 million Britons receive water with added fluoride.
Meanwhile, a growing number of countries—including Germany, Sweden, Japan, the
Netherlands, Finland, and Israel6—have
ceased this hazardous practice.7
Water Fluoridation Promotes Thyroid Dysfunction, Study Warns
Water fluoridation has long been promoted as a safe and effective way to improve dental health—a claim that in reality has no firm basis in science. On the contrary, the evidence clearly suggests there are wide-ranging health hazards associated with
fluoride exposure.British researchers are now warning that 15,000 people may be needlessly afflicted with hypothyroidism in the UK as a result of drinking fluoridated water.8
In areas where fluoride levels in the water registered above 0.3 mg/l, the risk of having a high rate of hypothyroidism was 37 percent greater compared to areas that do not fluoridate. As explained by Vice.com9 and in the featured video above:
"The key to a healthy thyroid
is iodine, which is generally absorbed through the blood and stored and
regulated by the body in the thyroid gland...
But because fluoride is more
electronegative than iodine, it displaces it in the body, disrupting thyroid
function and subsequently impacting hormone levels that keep metabolism in
check.
Numerous studies (including one from just
last year10)
have previously confirmed fluoride's ability to promote and exacerbate iodine
deficiency11..."
Recommended Fluoride Levels in US Is Twice the Level at Which Thyroid Function Can Be Affected
The US
currently recommends a fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L,12
and thyroid dysfunction is also rampant in the US, where an estimated 20
million people are affected,13
so from a public health standpoint, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to
medicate the entire population with a drug that can either induce or exacerbate
this condition.
Additional side effects of thyroid dysfunction include weight gain and
depression. An equally or more important side effect is harm to the fetus in
hypothyroid pregnant women, which can result in lowered IQ and other
neurological deficits.
Because of all of these effects, the researchers urge city councils to stop
adding fluoride to their drinking water. According to lead author Stephen
Peckham:14
"I think it is concerning for
people living in those [high fluoride] areas. The difference between the West
Midlands, which fluoridates, and Manchester, which doesn't, was particularly
striking. There were nearly double the number of [underactive thyroid] cases in
the West Midlands.
Underactive thyroid is a particularly
nasty thing to have and it can lead to other long term health problems. I do
think councils need to think again about putting fluoride in the water. There
are far safer ways to improve dental health."
Dr. Spyros Mezitis, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City who did not participate in the study told WebMD:15
"Clinicians in the United States should emphasize to patients this association and should test patients for underactive thyroid. Patients should probably be advised to drink less fluoridated water and consume less fluoridated products, including [fluoridated] toothpaste."
Endocrinologist Dr. Terry Davies, who is also a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City also agreed, saying that:
"This dramatic increase in thyroid dysfunction associated with fluoridation of the water supply adds to previous studies indicating that fluoride has an inhibitory effect on the thyroid gland. [The study] supports the argument that our water supply should be pure water and nothing else."
How Is Water Fluoridation in the Public's Best Interest?
Many fail
to realize that fluoride is indeed a drug, and as such it is grossly
inappropriate for it to be indiscriminately added to water supplies, as there's
no way to control who gets it, and in what dose.
Surely, protecting people from thyroid dysfunction—which can also raise your
risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, infertility, neurological harm
to fetuses and infants, and other health problems—is of greater concern than
protecting people from dental caries, which can be very effectively addressed
in other, far safer ways...
Besides, the science behind fluoride's purported dental benefits is flimsy at
best, and has repeatedly failed to stand up to closer scrutiny. Mounting
scientific evidence reveals that:
· Swallowing fluoride provides relatively little benefit to your teeth. In fact, when fluoride is taken internally, it actually damages your teeth, causing a condition known as dental fluorosis, which now affects 41 percent of American children between the ages of 12 and 14.16
Outwardly visual signs of this condition include pitting and
discoloration of your teeth, caused by long-term ingestion of fluoride during
early tooth formation. In some areas, fluorosis rates are as high as 70-80
percent, with some children suffering from advanced forms. Dental fluorosis can
be an indication that the rest of your body, such as your bones and internal
organs, including your brain, has been overexposed to fluoride as well.
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. Moreover, 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.
· Even topical application of fluoride may be largely ineffective. Research published in the journal Langmuir17 five years ago discovered that the fluorapatite layer formed on your teeth from fluoride is a mere six nanometers thick (about one ten-thousands' the width of a strand of hair), which led the scientists to question whether this ultra-thin layer can actually protect your enamel and provide any discernible benefit, considering the fact that it is quickly eliminated by simple chewing. Other studies have concluded topical fluoride may be helpful.
Cavity Prevention 101
As I’ve
discussed in previous articles, the best way to prevent cavities is not by
adding fluoride, but by addressing your diet. Scientific American18
recently addressed this issue as well, noting that excessive sugar consumption
is at the heart of the problem. According to Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of
WHO's Department of Nutrition for Health and Development: “We have solid
evidence that keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10 percent of total
energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay.”
One of the keys to oral health is eating a traditional diet
rich in fresh, unprocessed vegetables, nuts, and grass-fed meats. By avoiding
sugars and processed foods, you prevent the proliferation of the bacteria that
cause decay in the first place. Other natural strategies that can significantly
improve your dental health is eating plenty of fermented
vegetables doing oil pulling with coconut oil. Also make sure you’re getting
plenty of omega-3 fats. The latest research suggests even
moderate amounts of omega-3 fats may help ward off gum disease. My favorite
source of high quality omega-3 fat is krill oil.
Fluoride Detrimentally Affects Many Tissues in Your Body
Many assume that the fluoride in drinking water (or in any other fluoride
supplement) will somehow only affect your teeth. Unfortunately, this is simply
not the case. According to one 500-page scientific review,19
fluoride is an endocrine disruptor that can affect not only your thyroid gland,
but also your bones, brain, pineal gland, and even your blood sugar levels.
There are more than 100 published studies illustrating fluoride's harm to the brain alone, plus 43 more
that directly link fluoride exposure to reduced IQ in children!
Studies have also demonstrated that fluoride toxicity, caused by overexposure,
can lead to:
Disrupted synthesis of collagen |
Hyperactivity and/or lethargy |
Muscle disorders |
|
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) |
Increased tumor and cancer rate |
Arthritis |
Skeletal fluorosis and bone fractures |
Genetic damage and cell death |
Damaged sperm and increased infertility |
Inactivation of 62 enzymes and inhibition of more than 100 |
Inhibited formation of antibodies, and immune system disruptions |
The Link Between Fluoride, Pineal Gland Calcification, and ADHD
A recent article20 by Frank Granett, R.ph, director of Clinical Pharmacy Operations at Behavioral Center of Michigan Psychiatric Hospital, and author of The American Epidemic and Over Medicating Our Youth, also addresses the issue of fluoride and pineal calcification, which can result in symptoms such as ADHD. He writes, in part:
"Located deep within the brain below the corpus callosum, which is the circuit connector for the right and left brain hemispheres, the pineal gland is responsible for the secretion of melatonin, the human body's biological time-clock hormone regulating normal sleep patterns. More importantly, the pineal gland plays a critical role in the enzyme pathway for the production of brain neurotransmitters including serotonin and norepinephrine. Additionally, the body's anti-oxidant defense system is optimized by healthy pineal tissue, which helps eliminate free-radical toxin accumulation in the body."
Despite its diminutive size, your pineal gland tends to accumulate significant amounts of fluoride, which eventually causes it to calcify. Besides ADHD-like symptoms, pineal calcification may also play a role in Alzheimer's and bipolar disease. Considering its effect on neurotransmitters, it's also quite conceivable that it might promote depression and other neurological disorders. Granett also notes that studies have linked pineal calcification to precocious puberty in girls, attributed to abnormal melatonin secretion.
"Government agencies complicit in this public-health issue should re-evaluate the dangers fluoride poses in childhood behavioral development," he writes. "Children and adults battling behavioral conditions should adopt an action plan to prevent the onset of pineal-gland calcification."
To help decalcify your pineal gland, Granett suggests:
· Eliminating sugar, processed foods, and genetically engineered foods
· Drinking purified water. To help break up the calcification, take one teaspoon of cold organic apple cider vinegar in water once per day
· Consuming raw beets four times per week, as beets contains high amounts of boron that also help break up calcification
· Taking an antioxidant supplement
· Using non-fluoridated toothpaste
To Protect Your Health, Avoid Fluoride
No matter
which scientific studies you examine or which population trends you view, the
rational conclusion is that fluoride's health dangers far outweigh the marginal
dental benefits it mightoffer. Dental
caries can be effectively prevented with means other than fluoridation, thereby avoiding the adverse effects of
fluoride. It's important to realize that fluoride is a cumulative toxin, which over time can lead to serious health
concerns, from hypothyroidism to skeletal fluorosis and much more.
The neurological effects are particularly disconcerting. As mentioned, 43 human
studies21
now link moderately high fluoride exposures with reduced IQ. We cannot afford
to ignore such warnings! Water fluoridation needs to stop. The question is how. Despite all the evidence, getting
fluoride out of American water supplies has been exceedingly difficult. It's
not impossible, however, as evidenced in areas that have successfully abolished
water fluoridation.
According to the late Jeff Green, National Director of Citizens for Safe
Drinking Water, a repeated theme in the cases where communities successfully
removed fluoride from their water supply is the shifting of the burden of proof. Rather than citizens taking on the
burden of proving that fluoride is harmful and shouldn't be added, a more
successful strategy has been to hold those making claims, and the elected
officials who rely on them, accountable for delivering proof that the specific
fluoridation chemical being used fulfills their health and safety claims, and
is in compliance with all regulations, laws, and risk assessments already required for safe drinking
water. To learn more, please see this previous article, which discusses these strategies more
in-depth.
Help End The Practice of Fluoridation
There's no
doubt about it: fluoride should not be
ingested. Even scientists from the EPA's National Health and Environmental
Effects Research Laboratory have classified fluoride as a "chemical having
substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity.” Furthermore, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 41 percent of American
adolescents now have dental fluorosis—unattractive discoloration and mottling
of the teeth that indicate overexposure to fluoride. Clearly, children are
being overexposed, and their health and development put in jeopardy. Why?
The only real solution is to stop the archaic practice of water fluoridation in
the first place. Fortunately, the Fluoride Action Network has a game plan to
END water fluoridation worldwide. Clean pure water is a prerequisite to optimal
health. Industrial chemicals, drugs, and other toxic additives really have no
place in our water supplies. So, please, protect your drinking water and
support the fluoride-free movement by making a tax-deductible donation to the
Fluoride Action Network today.
Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More
I encourage you to visit the website of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) and visit the links below:
· Like FAN on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and sign up for campaign alerts.
· 10 Facts About Fluoride: Attorney Michael Connett summarizes 10 basic facts about fluoride that should be considered in any discussion about whether to fluoridate water. Also see 10 Facts Handout (PDF).
· 50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation: Learn why fluoridation is a bad medical practice that is unnecessary and ineffective. Download PDF.
· Health Effects Database: FAN's database sets forth the scientific basis for concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of ingesting fluorides. They also have a Study Tracker with the most up-to-date and comprehensive source for studies on fluoride's effects on human health.
Together, Let's Help FAN Get The Funding They Deserve
In my opinion,
there are very few NGOs that are as effective and efficient as FAN.
Its small team has led the charge to end fluoridation and will continue to do
so with our help!
Please make a donation today to help FAN end the absurdity of fluoridation.
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