Could one chemical, an abundant waste by-product, be the chemical that causes more illness than any other chemical?  Many believe so.

The chemical in question permeates all aspects of our lives.  It is present in many water supplies, in our food, juice, soda, beer; it's even in the air we breathe.  To top it off, every day, millions of people willingly introduce it into their bodies, unaware and misinformed of its dangers.

Fluoride is a waste by-product of fertilizer production and aluminum manufacturing.  It is considered a carcinogen to humans.  In fact, "fluorides are medically categorized as protoplasmic poisons, which is why they are used to kill rodents".[1]  Why aren't fluorides properly disposed of?  Could the reason be that it is more costly to dispose of this hazardous waste than it is to fund research into the safe consumption of it?  It is something to think about.

So this a world wide issue, right.  Well, yes and no.  Yes, fluoride has been an issue in many countries, but, "99% of western continental Europe has rejected, banned, or stopped fluoridation due to environmental, health, legal, or ethical concerns."[2]  China, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Hungary, and Japan are a few of the countries that no longer  fluoridate their water supplies.  So about how much of the world's population is fluoridated?  Around 5%, of which 50% of that population lives in North America.[2]  The answer to the next question is.... the United States is one of the major producers of this hazardous waste by-product. Shame on us for letting the manufacturers use politics to get away with this!

Ok, so we have determined a good percentage of the fluoride ending up in U.S. water supplies, toothpaste, food, etc. is from our own U.S. manufacturing facilities.  Really how dangerous can fluoride be?  On one side, we have our trusted dentists and doctors pushing us to fluoridate.  In fact, an acquaintance of my husband recently began purchasing special fluoridated bottled water for his 5-year-old child.  And believe me, he's not the only one.  If someone is manufacturing specially fluoridated bottled water there is probably a demand for it.  All I can say is please finish reading this article BEFORE you give your child any type of fluoridated product.  Once I have permission, I will post additional articles on fluoride in the Your Wellness Options library so you can see how deep this subject really goes and some of the politics and ethical issues related to fluoride.

Of all the fluoride we ingest, only about half of it is passed in our urine.  The remainder accumulates in our bones.  Numerous studies have shown that fluoride creates weak and brittle bones, which lead to increased hip fractures.  Since the fluoride builds up over time, you may not even realize the damage done until your are into your 60's or 70's or beyond. 

Let's get a little more serious.  Now, a rare bone cancer, osteosarcoma, has surfaced.  The original studies showed young male rats were the most susceptible to the cancer.  Of course, the fluoridation proponents said there was no correlation between the rat study and human beings.  "But it has now been found that the same rare bone cancer has increased dramatically in young human males - teenage boys aged 9 to 19 - in the fluoridated areas of America but not in the non-fluoridated areas." [3]

Beyond osteoporosis and bone cancer, other studies have shown fluoride is related to a large list of issues. Some are:

• Immune system problems
• Increases in tumor growth rate in cancer prone individuals
• Kidney problems
• Arthritis
• Genetic damage and birth defects
• Premature aging
• Lower intelligence scores
• Increase in thyroid cancer and thyroid disturbances
• Behavioral problems(ie ADHD), addictions, mental diseases
  
• Down Syndrome
• Gastrointestinal diseases
• Respiratory diseases
• Skin disorders
• Nervous system and sensory dysfunction
  

Fluoride works against us in various ways.  From the list above, you see thyroid disturbances.  Fluoride tends to block the thyroid's ability to utilize iodine, which it needs to function properly.  This can lead to numerous issues including behavioral problems and weight gain, along with a large list of other issues tied to the thyroid.    Another way fluoride wreaks havoc within our bodies is by accumulating in certain areas of the brain affecting behavior and the ability to learn.  Speaking of fluoride and our brains, fluoride intensifies the absorption of aluminum.   A tie to Alzheimer's Disease, possibly?  Maybe, maybe not.

It gets better.

Fluoride is good for my teeth.  Is it not?  Sorry, I searched for something positive on fluoride for this article but was unable to find anything.  I even posted a message on a large medical forum and only received messages back saying "sorry, there is nothing positive to say about fluoride".  Children who receive too much fluoride while their tooth enamel is forming end up with a condition known as dental fluorosis.  It starts as white and brown spots that create mottled looking, porous, and thin enamel.  Most dentists consider this a cosmetic issue, it actually predispose your teeth to decay.  In 2000, studies showed up to 80% of US children suffer from dental fluorosis [6].

In reviewing the various studies done on fluoridation, it is evident that fluoride has not proven to reduce cavities and in most cases, fluoridated areas have shown more incidence of cavities than non-fluoridated areas.  From what I have read, there have been no double blind studies on fluoridation by the proponents of it.  Generally, the studies done by pro-fluoridation proponents have been small scale and flawed with a lack of controls in place.  If a double blind study were to be done by a third party (so the funds could not be withdrawn if undesirable results were found), fluoridation would lose out.  One large scale study done on 26,000 Tucson, Arizona school children revealed the following.  "When we plotted the incidence of tooth decay versus the fluoride content in a child's neighborhood drinking water, a positive correlation was revealed.  In other words, the more fluoride a child drank, the more cavities appeared in the teeth".[3]  Other studies I read showed a range from 43% to 9% more cavities in fluoridated areas versus non-fluoridated areas. 

So what can we do?  This is a tough one.  Fluoride is so abundant  in the U.S. it is almost impossible to avoid.  Processed food or beverages prepared in a fluoridated area contain fluoride.  It may be in your local water.  If you cook with that water, now it's in your homemade food.  Even if your water processing plant does not add fluoride, check your water quality report.  My local water has more than the standard 1 ppm already present without manually adding fluoride.   What it comes down to is many of us are probably ingesting an excess of fluoride everyday already. 

You can do a couple things.  Never allow children to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste, use fluoride rinses, or chew fluoride tablets.  Chances are they will swallow a portion of it.  Also, never mix infant formula with fluoridated water.  And just because it's bottled, does NOT mean it is fluoride free.  If all else fails, use distilled water.  I know you are missing the minerals in distilled water but it's better than giving infants fluoridated water.   I personally will never purchase fluoridated toothpaste again for my family.   There are also special water systems that can supposedly filter out the fluoride. 

Well, I think it's time to wrap this article up.  Before I do, I need to let you know I finally found a pro-fluoride article.  The article basically refutes some of John Colquhoun's findings.  You can find a link to his article in the Library on the website.  Based on the pro-fluoridation article, my position on fluoridation has not changed.  I still do not believe the proponents have proven the benefits of fluoride outweigh the health risks.  Plus, the amount of politics and big business involvement in the pro-fluoridation front, is too much for my comfort level.  It is a high stakes game. 

Don't forget to review the articles on the website.  As soon as I have permission from the authors of the fluoride articles I referenced, I will post them in the website library.  Until then, I will post links to the articles.  I have only scratched the surface here. 

So what are you going to do with all of this new information?  If you go to your dentist with it, don't be surprised if he brushes off your concerns.  There have been groups of individuals working on this for many years now.  Human nature is a tough nut to crack.  It is stated best by John Colquhoun, former Principal Dental Officer in New Zealand.  He says when professionals "are confronted by disconcerning new evidence they bend over backwards to explain away the new evidence.  They try very hard to keep their theory intact - especially so if their own professional reputations depend upon maintaining that theory." [3]