Fluoride is a word we have all heard before. It’s in our water; it’s in our toothpaste, mouthwash, and many other things that we are probably not yet aware of. So, what exactly is fluoride and why is the government insistent that it needs to be added to public drinking water. Fluoride is a naturally occurring, organic compound and it can be found naturally in soil, water, food, and in several minerals and it is the 13th most abundant element on the Earth’s crust. In fact, fluoride occurs naturally in water with an average of about 1 part per million (ppm) in saltwater and around 0.01-0.3ppm in fresh water.[1]
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has this to say about the lovely compound Fluoride:
“Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is proven to protect against tooth decay.”[2]
The concept of water fluoridation was first conceived in the 1940s when scientist found that people who lived in areas with higher naturally occurring fluoride in their drinking water had less tooth decay and cavities than those who did not have the elevated levels of fluoride in their drinking water. It was discovered that on average this particular area with elevated fluoride levels had approximately 1ppm of fluoride in their drinking water. It later would be determined that fluoride can prevent and even reverse tooth decay by inhibiting bacteria in the mouth that produce acid and destroy the tooth enamel and the fluoride also enhances re-mineralization; a process in which tooth enamel is rebuilt.[3]
Grand Rapids, Michigan became the very first community to implement water fluoridation by adjusting its water supply to 1.0ppm with fluoride in 1945. By 2008, more than 72% of the U.S. population with public access to water had fluoridated water. Sounds pretty good, right? I thought it sounded a bit odd that fluoride is commonly used as a rat poison but somehow small chronic exposure to this toxic substance was deemed ok for human consumption, so I kept digging.
Water fluoridation is a process by which fluoride is artificially added to drinking water in order to aid against tooth decay – or so we are told. First off, just because fluoride is a naturally occurring substance does not mean it is safe – I’ll reference things like arsenic and mercury to make the point clear. In fact, fluoride is a highly toxic substance and has many severe side effects and is commonly used in rodenticides and pesticides to kill pests like rats and insects – we will get into this a bit later.
As I mentioned before, fluoride is a naturally occurring substance, however, with that being said I want to make this very clear: Water Fluoridation is NOT a natural process. Most the Fluoride that is added to the water supply is in fact not the naturally occurring Fluoride but rather fluorosilicic acid – a byproduct that is captured in air pollution control devices of the phosphate fertilizer industry.[4]
So, by now, you are probably asking yourself that same question I asked myself: If fluoride is a known toxic substance, why is it being added to our water supply and virtually every dental product on the market?
As I’ve mentioned already, the alleged benefits of fluoride is that is prevents and can reverse tooth decay, however, the only benefit that fluoride plays on dental health is through topical treatment – not ingestion – this is something that even the CDC acknowledges now.[5]
Now that we have a decent understanding of fluoride, its history, and how it is used let’s look at what fluoride is really doing to the body. Chemical toxicity can measured in two ways; either chronic toxicity or acute toxicity. As the name implies, chronic toxicity refers to a substance that can be ingested only once and be safe, but over long periods of time or repeated exposure the substance can become toxic. Opposite of this is acute toxicity, which is a specific dose that, if consumed in one sitting, can cause immediate poisoning. For our lovely compound fluoride the acute toxicity level is 0.1-0.3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. So let me give you a real life example of how toxic fluoride is and how easily someone, such as a child, can become poisoned.
For a child who weighs 10kg, or roughly 22 pounds, they can suffer immediate symptoms of acute fluoride poisoning by only consuming 1-3mg of fluoride in a single sitting. How might something like this happen you ask? It’s actually quite simple. It would only take this child consuming approximately 1-3 grams of over the counter toothpaste, such as the bubble-gum or fruit flavored kind marketed towards children. This 1-3grams doesn’t even account for 3% of the tube of toothpaste. Symptoms of acute fluoride toxicity include thirst, abdominal pain, vomiting, and even diarrhea. When fluoride is ingested it is transformed by the stomach to hydrofluoric acid – which in turn has a corrosive effect on the epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal tract.[6] I don’t want to harp on the acute toxicity of fluoride too much as this is well documented, however, if you would like any more proof of the toxicity of fluoride, consider this; the Food and Drug Administration now requires a warning label on all toothpastes containing fluoride and the warning label reads as follows:
“WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.”
If I didn’t have your attention before, hopefully I do now.
There is no debate about the acute toxicity of fluoride; however, the debate is still very hot about the long term effects of fluoride exposure – such as that in our drinking water. For over 60 years water fluoridation has been forced upon the American public and there have not been any long term studies to monitor the possible adverse effects that this poison can play on human health.
This sounds like a bad plot in a horror movie, but sadly it’s true.
Fear not! There have been more and more skeptics and scientist alike coming forward and questioning the safety of water fluoridation and its benefits. There have been more recent studies reviewing the safety of long-term systemic exposure to fluoride and its adverse effects on human health and the results may frighten you. In 2006 on March 22nd, there was a 450 page review of fluoride toxicity released by the prestigious National Research Council of the National Academies of Science and it was ultimately concluded that the current acceptable levels of Fluoride in drinking water may pose risk for damage to teeth, bone damage, and other dramatic health effects such as damage to the brain, bone cancer, and most notably disruption of the endocrine system. [7]
There have now been over 100 animal studies and 34 human studies showing a link between fluoride exposure and brain damage. Furthermore, in 2012 Harvard University scientists released studies showing that children exposed to higher levels of fluoride had significantly reduced IQs and 12 of these studies reviewed by the scientist showed fluoride levels at the same levels the U.S. government deems “safe”.
I would like to bring attention back to the concern of the endocrine system, particularly the pineal gland. The pineal gland may be one of the most important components of our body and not only is it over looked – its poisoned everyday by fluoride. Every time you take a drink of public water your pineal gland is being exposed to poison. I don’t want to spend too much time discussing the fundamental importance of this gland; however, there are some key points that have to be discussed for the sake of understanding the damage fluoride is undoubtedly causing on our society. The pineal gland is located in almost the exact middle of the brain, between the two cerebral hemispheres. The pineal is a source of melatonin and also helps regulate sleep cycles, or circadian rhythm.[8] This gland is also in charge of many other hormones such as serotonin and norepinephrine and it also influences sexual development and even hibernation and seasonal breeding in other species. As I’m sure you can understand this gland is pretty critical to life. For thousands of years this gland has been referred to as the “seat of the soul” or the ‘Third Eye’ and many believe that the pineal gland is our connection to spirituality and having mystical experiences. This is considered by many as a pseudoscience, however, one must be open-minded to the fact that these beliefs have been around much longer than modern society and water fluoridation. I will allow you to make your own judgment; however, the physiological importance of this gland cannot and should not be ignored. [9]
It has become well documented and understood that the pineal gland contains the highest levels of fluoride in the body – even more than our teeth and bones. The pineal gland is exposed to a high level and volume of blood flow and it has now been proven that the gland becomes calcified due to exposure of fluoride. The complete impact and understanding of a pineal gland that is calcified is not fully understood but we do know that a calcified pineal gland produces less melatonin and pinealocytes as well as impairment in the sleep-wake cycle. With all of this being said one thing is for certain, there are in fact major health concerns with the chronic and systemic exposure to fluoride and the adverse effects it has on the body.
Briefly, there are a few other notes of concern that I would like to discuss as I believe they aid in the ability to understand the malice in water fluoridation and the dangers therein. First, 97% of Western Europe has rejected water fluoridation and they do not have any elevated levels or occurrences of tooth decay. In fact, the U.S. drinks more artificially fluoridated water than the rest of the world combined and STILL there is not a discernable difference in dental health. The World Health Organization has even stated that there is not a discernable difference in tooth decay between countries that fluoridate water and those that do not.[10] Secondly, fluoride is not a nutrient and fluoride supplements have never been approved by the FDA. The practice of water fluoridation is a large scale medication forced onto the public – fluoride is not an essential nutrient and therefore adding it to the water supply makes it a medication. Many children, approximately 40%, now exceed the recommended daily intake of fluoride from toothpaste alone and exhibit visual signs of over exposure to fluoride – such as dental fluorosis. Lastly and perhaps most notably, is the fact that children are reaching puberty at earlier and earlier ages – this is a trend that carries dire health consequences, such as heightened risk for breast cancer. There have been studies and evidence that now suggest and link this growing trend to fluoride and the effect it has on the pineal gland. Some animal studies have shown that fluoride exposure has been found to decrease the amount of circulating melatonin and thus leads to accelerated sexual maturation in females. There have also been a few similar studies and findings when reviewing human populations drinking fluoridated water – one such particular study showed that girls who lived in a fluoridated community reached puberty at least 5 months sooner than those who did not have fluoridated water.
I believe it is time that we stop this unnecessary practice of water fluoridation for the sake of our health and the future of our kin. The detrimental effects that fluoride has on us as a people is very clear and it is also well known that fluoride only aids with dental health as a topical treatment – so why then does water fluoridation continue? Is there more to it? Personally, I believe this may be a form of government mind control – I know, it sounds ridiculous, but is it any more ridiculous than the government knowingly and forcefully exposing the mass population to a systemic poison while knowing that ingesting fluoride has absolutely no benefit for dental health? We are living in a society that lacks a since of community, spirituality, and love for one’s self and thy neighbor – all perhaps due to the fact that we are exposed to fluoride on a multitude of levels, but, this is most concerning in our water supply. Could it be possible that the government is intentionally fluoridating our water to calcify our pineal glands in order to prevent us from reaching peaceful, spiritual like moments – like a way to dumb down the masses so that they may reign supreme? I do not know the answer to the question that I ask but I do know this: It is time to put a stop to this old archaic style of thinking by medicating the mass public and to follow science. We need to stop water fluoridation until we further and more completely understand the risk associated with such a practice.
If you would like to take control of what goes into your body and no longer wish to be fluoridated, unfortunately, there are not many options out there as of yet. Sadly, just about every water filtration system on the market is designed to leave fluoride in the water, no matter how big or expensive they are. If they do not directly say they remove fluoride – which most don’t – then they are not removing fluoride. I would like to suggest the Berkey water filtration systems for anyone interested in taking control of their life and their health. Berkey is the most trusted water filtration system in the world and are used in FEMA camps all over the world and the best part – you can buy specific filters to remove fluoride from your tap water! Although the Berkey systems may have a larger start-up cost than most of their competitors – the quality of the product and water are unrivaled. I have the Big Berkey model, which holds about 2.5 gallons of water, and it cost me about 2 cents per gallon of pure, untainted, filtered water. That’s right, 2 little pennies. Not only are Berkey systems the best filtration systems on the market, they are also the most economical! Next time you buy a bottle or case of water – consider the 2 little pennies it could have cost for a gallon of pure fluoride free water J
[1] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154164.php
[2] http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/
[3] http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/causes-prevention/risk/myths/fluoridated-water-fact-sheet
[4] http://fluoridealert.org/articles/fluoride-facts/
[5] http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8401742c-75b5-49f2-998d-dc411e7d5878@sessionmgr4003&vid=1&hid=4210
[6] http://fluoridealert.org/studies/acute03/
[7] http://fluoridealert.org/researchers/nrc/
[8] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/460967/pineal-gland
[9] http://fluoridealert.org/issues/health/pineal-gland/
[10] http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/fluoride_drinking_water_full.pdf?ua=1
