Fluoride Is Not What You Think

For several decades, health officials have promoted the benefits of fluoride to the public. Dentists claim it strengthens tooth enamel, cities have added it to their drinking water, and the FDA even declares it safe for consumption in small amounts. Hidden behind the smokescreen however, lies some disturbing truths about fluoride, and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

Fluoride is natural element that has a few health benefits. However, what is added to drinking water and dental products is in reality hydrofluoric acid, which is a far cry from the element of fluoride. Hydrofluoric acid is a byproduct of the aluminum, cement, steel, phosphate, and nuclear weapons manufacturing process. It is considered highly toxic, even in small amounts. You may notice that toothpaste now has a warning label that tells consumers to call poison control if they swallow more than a pea sized amount. (How it became used by the dental industry and municipal water plants is complicated and too much for a single humble blog post. If you’d like to read up on the how, check out this article.)

What are the consequences of using this fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) on a regular basis? So here are a few examples of what fluoride does to your body:

• Fluoride disrupts the endocrine system which puts all people at risk for related diseases, including cancer, and we’ve known this since 2006. A report by the National Research Council of the National Academies published a 450 page report, and their conclusion was this (emphasis mine):

In summary, evidence of several types indicates that fluoride affects normal endocrine function or response; the effects of the fluoride-induced changes vary in degree and kind in different individuals. Fluoride is therefore an endocrine disruptor in the broad sense of altering normal endocrine function or response, although probably not in the sense of mimicking a normal hormone. (page 266)

• Fluoride interferes with the function of the pancreas. Numerous animal studies have shown that fluoride causes blood sugar to increase. This is bad news especially for those who are already at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

• Fluoride interferes with the thyroid’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, including iodine. Without iodine, the thyroid cannot function. Even if you are supplementing your diet with iodine, your fluoride toothpaste is preventing you from absorbing any of it.

• Too much fluoride causes a condition known as dental fluorosis. Fluorosis is a defect of tooth enamel. It happens when fluoride interferes with tooth-forming cells. (It is actually preventing enamel from forming - so how can it possibly protect enamel?) People affected by fluorosis have cloudy spots and streaks on their teeth. In severe cases, brown stains and tooth erosion are present. In some areas of the country, as many as 70-80% of teenagers are showing signs of this condition.

There are a few ways you can avoid fluoride. The most obvious is to switch your toothpaste to fluoride free. There are many on the market, and most are sold in health food stores.  DoTerra has a great one!  I can help you purchase one if you are interested.

If you live in a city, the chances are good that your water is fluoridated. Simply filtering it will not remove the fluoride. As a substitute, you can buy pure water at most stores very inexpensively. Most grocery stores have a fill station where you can bring your own containers for storing your water. This water is very inexpensive and it’s much healthier for you.

Finally, when you go to get your teeth cleaned, you can request to ask the dentist not use fluoridated cleaners. Most dentists will discourage this, but you can ask to have it done anyways.

Taking care of your health requires so much more than just a pill or two. Get adjusted, eat whole food, supplement your diet with wholesome vitamins, move your body, get enough sleep, remove toxins from your world, and think positive thoughts. A lifestyle of health is worth every effort, no matter how small.