Is Fluoride Bad for You?

Would you intentionally ingest a substance that is used as a pesticide and has been suspected of causing cancer, hip fractures, mental impairment, fertility problems, thyroid conditions, brittle bones, anemia, chronic fatigue, excessive thirst, headaches, skin rashes and dental deformities?

Surprisingly enough, approximately two-thirds of the population of the United States are ingesting fluoride into their bodies every day, if they use tap water in any way.

Fluoridation in our drinking water remains a very controversial and emotional issue. Many believe that fluoridating the public drinking water takes away their right of informed consent and liken it to mass medication.

How can you decrease your own personal exposure and that of your family?

Since people are individuals with differing sensitivities to various substances and differing patterns of water consumption. Therefore, it would be difficult to recommend a “safe level” of fluoride for an entire population.

If your water is fluoridated, don’t use more than a pea-sized bit of fluoridated toothpaste. Too much fluoride may make your teeth mottled and chalky white spots in places, a condition known as fluorosis (this condition mostly afflicts children).

If fluoridation is a concern to you, use bottled water for drinking and cooking. Boiling will not remove fluoride - it will only concentrate it.

Don’t use it in baby formulas, or give it to your pets.

Use non-fluoride toothpaste. If you can’t find any in your supermarket, try a health food store. If you are using a brand with fluoride, do not swallow your toothpaste.

You can also consider installing a water filtration system. However, there is no single, cure-all filtration system or technique. Different water filters remove different substances from the water and they may not make the water safer or healthier to drink. You may need a system that uses more than one technology to remove organic chemicals, heavy metals, nitrates, and bacteria. It’s recommended that you buy a system with standard-sized cartridges, so that you will be able to get replacement parts even if the manufacturer goes out of business.

If you buy water from a water company, ask for the results of the tests that companies are required to make available. You want to know whether bacteria, lead, fluorine, chlorine, arsenic, nitrates, and hardness fall within safe levels, as well as whether the water contains parasites, other microorganisms, sulfates, herbicides, pesticides, and any other contaminants that might occur in your area. Also, “safe levels” may vary from state to state.

Water is great medicine and needed to maintain a healthy body, but you don’t have to limit yourself to water. You can drink highly diluted, sugar free, fruit juice or herbal tea. Drinks such as coffee and cola work against you because caffeine is a diuretic and removes fluid from the body.

Visit the Fluoride Action Network website - http://fluoridealert.org - (and be careful you don’t type in dot com for their Web address; the American Dental association owns the dot com and the dot net domain names) and send and online message to Congress in support of the Professionals’ Statement calling for an end to water fluoridation and a new Congressional Hearing.