Fluoride – Do you know what this toxic substance is doing to your health?
I've been talking about fluoride concerns for a long time now, but after watching the video linked below, I felt the need to write a more current blog post on the topic. In December of 2010, I attended a medical training that just happened to cover some information on fluoride and the toxicity therein. What I learned was alarming at best, so I decided to do a little further research, to make sure what I was hearing was not simply one-sided conjecture! To my horror, it was not only factual, it was mild compared to what I would run across in the course of my research on this topic.
Consider that chlorine and many other additives to the water were considered simply for water safety. In other words, other water additives were deemed necessary to purify the drinking water and increase the safety of the consumer. Fluoride, on the other hand, does not meet that criteria. Fluoride is a chemical added not to treat the water we are ingesting to make it safe, but rather a medicine added to treat the individuals consuming it. Think about this, as with any chemical or medicine, every person responds differently depending on size, weight and other variables. In other words, the amount of any chemical you would give a 10 pound infant would significantly vary from what you would give a 200 pound individual. There is never a one-size-fits-all approach to medicine, unless you consider fluoridated water! What is considered to be an appropriate dosage? Who is monitoring this to determine if we are getting too much? The answer is NO ONE!
Most Americans are aware that our water is fluoridated and believe this is in our best interest. The American Dental Association and CDC have long praised the benefits of fluoride in our drinking water, espousing the necessity of decreasing tooth decay within our population. Yet, what does the science behind water fluoridation really say?
Most European countries have long since stopped adding fluoride to water, recognizing that the benefits are far outweighed by the risks of toxicity and physiological damage. Fluoride has shown some benefit as a TOPICAL substance ONLY, improving the enamel of teeth, yet ingesting fluoride is hazardous in a multitude of fashions. So why is it still being added to the water supply in most of the US? Simple, because there's no place to dispose of this substance in an environmentally safe way, so why not just add it to our water and dupe the population into thinking it's for their own benefit.
Any form of fluoride is neurotoxic, but some forms more so than others. If you ask a dentist today what is added to our water, they will tell you sodium fluoride NOT SO! Did you know most of what we are getting in our water is not sodium fluoride, it's hydrofluorosalicic acid, a waste product from the phosphate industry? These waste products were deemed far to toxic to be released through the stacks and were not allowed to be released into the streams or rivers because of toxicity, but it's ok if it's added to our drinking water. I'm sorry.... WHAT? This toxic substance is a mixture of whatever collects in the stack gases and it contains LOTS of contaminants, including heavy metals.
You can see additional information and studies about fluoride toxicity at http://www.flouridealert.org as well as an excellent article and video discussing these issues at http://wholefoodusa.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/dont-drink-the-fluoride/
How many of you have seen children with brown or white spots on their teeth? That's called Dental Fluorosis. It's causes by the ingestion of too much fluoride during the period of tooth development. It can not only affect the enamel of the teeth, but can also cause flaking, chipping and structural problems. Now let's take it a step further. Skeletal fluorosis is a bone disease caused by the ingestion of too much fluoride and causes significant bone degeneration and pain in those affected. It is often mistaken for arthritis, a disease which we know has been steadily on the rise in this country for many years and seems to be affecting its victims at a younger and younger age.
One of my larger concerns has to do with thyroid activity. In the studies and the informational sites listed above, there is a tremendous amount of information talking about the fact that fluoride causes significant thyroid impairment, usually seen as hypothyroidism. I'd like to detail this a bit more, as a full understanding of this issue is paramount for our health and well-being. Understanding WHY fluoride is a significant thyroid problem is important, if you want to learn how to prevent this issue and eliminate the consequences at hand.
Our pituitary gland controls the production of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The thyroid gland then produces T4 (thyroid hormone). This is then converted into T3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is made from a protein called tyrosine with 4 iodine bonds.
The training class I took in December went into great detail about the nature of fluoride and how it affects our thyroid function. In the periodic table, fluoride (fluorine) is listed in the halogens, along with chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine. Florine is what is known as a “bully” halogen, because anytime fluorine is present, it will displace any other halogen. Case in point, thyroid! Fluoride (fluorine), when ingested, will replace the iodine in the thyroid hormone, causing it to become a tyrosine protein with 4 fluorine bonds, rather than iodine, which it has displaced. It actually creates what is a “fake” thyroid hormone that the body cannot utilize appropriately.
Blood testing for thyroid will NOT show this problem, as the current blood tests cannot distinguish the fluorine from the iodine in the thyroid hormone test. Testing will often come out completely normal, when in essence, your body has a fake thyroid hormone that cannot be used, leading you to a state of induced Type II Hypothyroidism.
These are just some of the many issues associated with water fluoridation and the toxicity associated. It is incumbent upon those partaking of the fluoridated water system to know the risks and side effects. Unfortunately, informed consent, as required when any other type of medical intervention is employed, doesn't seem to apply here. Drink at your own risk!
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