What The Fluoride? Everything About Fluoride and Health
Fluoride and Health: The push to fluoridate is rooted in politics as opposed to science. Today we explore fluoride’s history, the different types of fluoride (natural and synthetic), and how it can become detrimental to human health. We’ll touch on the fluoride-teeth debate, examine the real ways to promote oral hygiene without introducing a synthetic neurotoxin into your body, and what to do to reverse the damage done by past-fluoride use.
All Fluoride Is Not Equal
When it comes to health, the type of fluoride absolutely matters. You see, not all fluoride is created equal. Some fluoride is naturally occurring, while some are synthetic. The way that these different fluorides interact and impact our bodies is drastically different, particularly when it comes to the parts per million found in the foods and beverages we consume. Poison is always dose-dependent, and this is very important when it comes to fluoride of all kinds.
Natural vs. Synthetic Fluoride
Calcium fluoride is the naturally occurring fluoride and is usually found in soil. Any type of water harvested from a natural source (like spring water) will contain trace amounts of calcium fluoride. In these trace quantities, calcium fluoride does not harm the human body and may even benefit human health.
Poison is Dose-Dependent
Like all poisons, the toxicity depends on the dosage. No health concerns have been linked to the naturally occurring calcium fluoride found in natural water sources; they may even be beneficial.
It was in the early 20th-century that the fluoride-dental health link was made when small communities with slightly higher levels of naturally occurring calcium fluoride in their drinking water (1mg/L) had fewer cavities. Unfortunately, this observation led to the wave of over-fluoridation that we see in modern times, with the common misconception that ‘if a little is good, then a lot must be better.’
Even naturally occurring calcium fluoride can, however, become problematic when the levels are inordinately high.
This problem is the case in rural Indian groundwater, for example.
Groundwater often contains much higher amounts of otherwise naturally-occurring minerals, all of which can cause health issues in humans when out of balance. When the calcium fluoride levels are too high, it can lead to skeletal fluorosis, a disease that calcifies joints and leads to pain and deformities.
The most common synthetic form of fluoride is called sodium fluoride. This synthetic fluoride is found rampantly in modern society, added to most American city drinking water and is also commonly found in pesticides, and many consumer products.
The health issues we see with synthetic fluoridation are of grave concern to human health.
One of the major problems is the impact that fluoride has on thyroid health, a health concern that affects a disproportionate amount of women, and 20 million Americans.
Fluoride was used to treat overactive thyroids (hyperthyroidism) in the 1930s, due to its ability to slow down thyroid hormone production. As permanent damage began to occur, the use of fluoride as a drug ceased in a medical setting. The impact of fluoride has not, however, changed. Fluoride decreases thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which can lead to thyroid inflammation, and autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s.
Fluoride and Health: As with other materials like lead, mercury, and pesticides: fluoride bioaccumulates in the body.
This bioaccumulation is problematic for a few reasons. Most obviously because most people drink water every day; although added fluoride levels added to city tap water are considered as ‘safe,’ these quantities build up in the body over time. This accumulation is also a problem because our water systems are recycled, continuously picking up a more significant amount of toxins and re-distributing them into nature.
There are approximately 20,000 tons of synthetic fluoride dumped into the American ecosystems each year, including the water flushed down toilets or used to water the garden. Although the levels are considered ‘safe’ for humans, they are lethal doses for many living plants and animals– including freshwater salmon.
The faulty dental-fluoride connection has also led to fluoridation of 95% of the toothpaste on the market.
Risks from ingesting fluoride toothpaste include permanent tooth discoloration (dental fluorosis), breakdown of teeth enamel, permanent dental discoloration, skin rashes (perioral dermatitis), stomach ailments, impaired glucose metabolism, and acute toxicity. According to poison control, over 20,000 children end up in emergency rooms each year in America due to toxicity caused by the ingestion of fluoridated toothpaste.
The bottom line is that: all fluorides are neurotoxins when consumed chronically or in high enough doses. Consumed mindfully in naturally occurring balanced ecosystems, trace amounts of calcium fluoride can be beneficial to human health. However, added fluoride harms the skeletal system, and thyroid hormones— particularly as it bioaccumulates in the body.
The Fluoride and Teeth Health Debate
The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that there is no discernible difference in tooth health between countries that fluoridate their water and those that do not. The modern rise of tooth decay that has plagued the United States over the last 60 years has occurred despite the fluoridated water. There has been a similar rise in tooth decay in other countries that do not fluoridate their water. So if it’s not the fluoride, what’s the deal?
Weston A. Price was a Canadian dentist who traveled the world in search of the answer to modern tooth decay.
He founded the National Dental Association, a research institute that later became the American Dental Association. Dr. Price’s findings are world-renowned because he linked nutrition and physical degeneration. In his book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Price highlights that in the advent of the modern Western diet (mainly sugar, flour, and processed vegetable fats), human oral hygiene and human physiology took a turn for the worst.
Many Cling to This Outdated Theory
Although many cling to the outdated theory that fluoride is the primary protector of teeth, Weston Price’s work highlights the importance of diet above all other factors when it comes to oral health. This theory has been upheld by many modern dentists and doctors throughout history.
The President of the Canadian Association of Dental Research, Dr. Hardy Limeback, called for the end of water fluoridation in April of 1999, claiming there was no scientific evidence that ingesting fluoride protects teeth. Dr. John Colquhoun, the Principal Dental Officer of the city of Auckland, found that more children were cavity-free in the non-fluoridated parts of New Zealand. He, like Dr. Limebeck, highlights the negative health impacts that added fluoride has on health without any added health benefit to teeth or otherwise. Many modern-day doctors like Dr. Steven Lin emphasize the importance of nutrition to combat and prevent dental decay without the use of fluoride.
Real Solutions to Healthy Oral Hygiene
There are many things you can do to promote oral health without introducing fluoride into your body. By following a Weston A. Price wholefoods diet, you will provide your body with the building blocks for optimal dental health. This diet revolves around pasture-raised animal proteins and fats, lots of vegetables, fruits, and other whole foods properly prepared in their ancestral fashion (soaked, sprouted, fermented).
Oral hygiene habits are in line with general recommendations and include brushing daily after meals (using natural toothpaste), and flossing daily (using natural, non-toxic floss). Instead of using toxic antibacterial agents like mouthwash, opt for Ayurvedic all-star habit of oil pulling. Simply swishing sesame or coconut oil in your mouth for 5-20 minutes will draw out harmful bacteria without disrupting your oral biome, and will also naturally whiten your teeth!
Also, it turns out that keeping your mouth bugs happy is scientifically more effective than fluoride in the battle against tooth decay.
You may know about your gut microbiome, but what about your mouth microbiome?
Taking care of your mouth microbiome doesn’t have any of the detrimental side effects of the much-used neurotoxin.
One way to ensure your oral flora is balanced is by choosing the right toothpaste. This is tough amidst the hundreds of options at your local drugstore.
Not only is Revitin™ designed to work with the natural defenses in your mouth, it’s also safe enough to ingest and contains no harsh detergents or chemicals.
Fluoride and Health: City Tap Water and Fluoridation
The majority of the world do not fluoridate their water. In fact, the American’s drink more fluoride in the United States alone than the rest of the world combined. Ninety-seven percent of Europe’s population drinks non-fluoridated water.
Fluoride was initially added to city tap water as a way to mitigate tooth decay, based on the assumption that fluoride did indeed prevent it. As we have explored, the hypothesis is speculative and not based on science. The observation that naturally occurring calcium fluoride in slightly elevated doses does not warrant the synthetic-fluoridation of our water supply, nor the daily topical use through toothpaste.
We must look at a combination of exposures and cumulative effects that fluoride has on the body. The impact it has on our bones becomes problematic in the doses that it is consumed in the United States.
Fluoride and Health: Negative Effects of Fluoride
Without any scientific support for health benefits, added fluoride sure does have an extensive list of negative impacts on the body. As it bioaccumulates, fluoride causes health damage to:
- The thyroid (downregulates thyroid activity)
- The brain (lowered IQ and ADHD)
- Bones (promotes broken hips and arthritis)
- Kidneys (burdens them with toxic overload)
It has also been linked to disease models including:
- Autoimmunity (Hashimoto’s)
- Cancer
- Infertility
Fluoride and Health: How to Mitigate the Negative Impact of Fluoride
1. Filter Your Water
If your primary source of drinking water is city tap water, filtering it should be non-negotiable. This water is not only a fluoride issue, as there is a wide range of pollutants found in city tap water that are not conducive to human health. The chlorine used to kill harmful bacteria in water also destroys your good gut bacteria, not to mention all the added toxins to prevent tap water from rusting the pipes.
A proper water filter will indeed remove the fluoride, and beware that most filters on the market do not. Standard plastic pitcher filters remove mostly sediment. They do next to nothing when it comes to filtering out the chemicals and toxins found in city tap water. A reverse-osmosis filter that remineralizes the water may be your best bet. You can also invest in spring water delivery.
2. Switch to a Fluoride-free Toothpaste
Although conventional dentists push fluoridated toothpaste, this neurotoxin has no place in our mouth in such high doses twice a day. Many all-natural toothpaste brands use essential oils, and natural compounds like clay or bi-carb to ensure you get a solid clean without the added chemicals.
Because the soft tissue of our mouths bears direct entry into the bloodstream, it’s appalling that we continue to use kinds of toothpaste with poison control warning signs on them. If a substance is toxic enough to warrant poison control if ingested, it shouldn’t be applied to the skin or put in the mouth.
3. Fluoride and Health: Detox
Protection is only half the battle… Many of us have been exposed to unnatural levels of fluoride and other toxins for years. Yes, even if you already use a water filtration system.
For a gentle detox that supports the removal of environmental toxins like heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, and biotoxins at the cellular level, try CytoDetox®.
If you’ve been exposing your body to elevated levels of fluoride, or generally drinking city tap water— a detox is probably a good idea.
Many toxins found in tap water bioaccumulate in the body. Therefore, only a proper protocol to detoxify the cell and open up the detox pathways will truly have a long-lasting impact on your health.
CytoDetox® is a cutting-edge formula that provides an all-inclusive detox support system. That means it has the ability to travel beyond the colon and liver, supporting your body’s natural ability to detoxify throughout every cell.
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If you are serious about your health and cleansing the body, there are many resources available to dive deeper into the subject. To know more about body cleansing and learn about True Cellular Healing, head to my website DrPompa.com. We also have a wide range of videos about detox on my Dr. Pompa Youtube channel, and a detailed guide to detox in my Cellular Healing Diet Book.
Fluoride and Health: Summary
Calcium fluoride is naturally occurring in soil and found in trace quantities in clean drinking water. Both naturally occurring and the synthetic forms of fluoride added to city water can be detrimental to health in high enough doses. Since fluoride bioaccumulates in the body, any added fluoridation can be harmful to health, particularly in the realms of skeletal and thyroid health.
Avoiding any added fluoride from city tap water can be done by investing in a proper water filter. Another option is drinking only spring water. Switching to fluoride-free toothpaste is easy with all the modern-day natural toothpaste options. And finally, detoxing the body is always a good idea if you have been consuming city tap water for a long time. This can help with a wide array of harmful toxins.
References
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Colquhoun, J., Why I Changed My Mind About Fluoride. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 41:1-16, Autumn 1997.
Grandjean, Philippe, and Philip J Landrigan. “Neurobehavioural Effects of Developmental Toxicity.” The Lancet Neurology, vol. 13, no. 3, 2014, pp. 330–338., doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(13)70278-3.
Hu, Howard, et al. “Prenatal Fluoride Exposure and Cognitive Outcomes in Children at 4 and 6-12 Years of Age in Mexico.” ISEE Conference Abstracts, vol. 2018, no. 1, 2018, doi:10.1289/isesisee.2018.s02.01.23.
Li, Yiming, et al. “Effect of Long-Term Exposure to Fluoride in Drinking Water on Risks of Bone Fractures.” Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, vol. 16, no. 5, Jan. 2001, pp. 932–939., doi:10.1359/jbmr.2001.16.5.932.
“Male Fertility.” Fluoride Action Network, fluoridealert.org/issues/health/fertility/.
“NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (2006).” Fluoride Action Network, fluoridealert.org/researchers/nrc/findings/.
Neuhold, J.M., Effects of Sodium Fluoride on Carp, and Rainbow Trout. Transactions, American Fisheries Society, 89:358-370, 1960.
Pimental, R., Influence of Water Hardness on Fluoride Toxicity to Rainbow Trout. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2:381-386, 1983.
Peckham, S, et al. “Are Fluoride Levels in Drinking Water Associated with Hypothyroidism Prevalence in England? A Large Observational Study of GP Practice Data and Fluoride Levels in Drinking Water.” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 69, no. 7, 2015, pp. 619–624., doi:10.1136/jech-2014-204971.
Price, Weston. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: a Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects. Garsington, 2010.
Sauerheber, Richard. “Physiologic Conditions Affect Toxicity of Ingested Industrial Fluoride.” Journal of Environmental and Public Health, vol. 2013, 2013, pp. 1–13., doi:10.1155/2013/439490.
Singh, Navneet, et al. “A Comparative Study of Fluoride Ingestion Levels, Serum Thyroid Hormone & TSH Level Derangements, Dental Fluorosis Status among School Children from Endemic and Non-Endemic Fluorosis Areas.” SpringerPlus, vol. 3, no. 1, 2014, p. 7., doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-7.
“Water Fluoridation ‘Obsolete’ According to Nobel Prize Scientist.” Fluoride Action Network, fluoridealert.org/content/carlsson-interview/
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