Can too much fluoride lead to breast cancer?
Over 200 million Americans live in areas where fluoride is added to their water supply. Sadly, this practice of adding fluoride to the water began over seven decades ago and, by 1960, it was common throughout the United States.
In 1999, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fluoridation of water supplies was one of the “ten great public health achievements of the 20th century.” But, what the CDC completely failed to consider is the mounting evidence that connects fluoride to neurological impairments, hypothyroidism and cancer.
New findings: The fluoride-hypothyroidism link exposed
A study conducted in July 2015 by the Centre for Health Services Studies and the University of Kent in the UK found higher levels of hypothyroidism in areas where fluoridation of the public water supply was highest. West Midlands, for example, is a wholly fluoridated metropolitan area in western-central England. The study found that incidents of hypothyroidism there were twice as high as in Greater Manchester, another highly-populated area in northwest England where the water is not fluoridated.
“We found that higher levels of fluoride in drinking water provide a useful contribution for predicting prevalence of hypothyroidism,” say the study authors. “The findings of the study raise particular concerns about the validity of community fluoridation as a safe public health measure.”
Widget not in any sidebars
The study found that in areas where fluoride levels were above .3 mg per liter of water, hypothyroidism rates rose 30%.
This should be concerning for those who live in the United States, where 67% percent of the population lives in fluoridated municipalities and where the recommended fluoride level in the water is 0.7 mg/L, twice that of England.
Beware: The average American citizen has no idea about the danger
For a healthy, 150-pound adult, 3.5 mg of fluoride ingested daily could result in hypothyroidism. According to the latest data put out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American is consuming about 3 mg of fluoride a day and sometimes up to 6 mg. These high amounts come not only from water, but also from pesticide residue on commercially-grown produce (fluoride was originally a pest control chemical, after all), toothpaste, fruit juices, canned foods and other products most Americans consume every day.
And if a person has an iodine deficiency, that amount where hypothyroidism becomes a threat is reduced to a mere .7 mg. With an estimated 90% of the world’s population iodine deficient and millions worldwide continuing to drink fluoridated water, it is safe to say that a global epidemic of hypothyroidism is upon us.
The shocking reality of hypothyroidism and cancer rates
Hypothyroidism (i.e. low thyroid function) can cause weight gain, fatigue, constipation, dry skin, thinning hair, achiness and cold intolerance as well as slowed heart rate, impaired memory and depression. There are an estimated 27 million Americans, 80% of them women, who suffer from “thyroid disease” (a.k.a. hypothyroidism) today. Of these individuals, more than 60,000 have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
And yet, the medical community has known for decades what fluoride can do to the endocrine system. It was once used to treat goiter and other symptoms of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Fluoride was originally billed on the commercial market as a bug spray and the chemicals used to fluoridate U.S. water supplies today are often purchased from surplus industrial waste from China.
“We would not purposely add arsenic to the water supply. And we would not purposely add lead. But we do add fluoride. The fact is that fluoride is more toxic than lead and just slightly less toxic than arsenic,” says Dr. John Yiamouyiannis.
Best Paleo Cookbook for Beginners (Ad)
Fluoride has also been linked directly to cancer. Dr. Dean Burk, formerly of the National Cancer Institute, conducted studies on rats who drank fluoridated water. These rats showed an increase in tumors, especially in the thyroid, bones and liver. Based on his research, Burk estimated that fluoridation had caused more than 10,000 cancer deaths.
In a vicious cycle of increased risk, studies have also shown that women who take medications such as the thyroid hormone replacement Levothyroxine are twice as likely to develop breast cancer.
What can you do to lower your risk of cancer?
Because fluoride is hidden in so many of the foods you eat and products that you use every day, avoiding fluoride completely is nearly impossible to do. There are proactive steps you CAN take, however, to severely reduce the harmful effects of this dangerous substance.
The first and most important step is to invest in a top-notch water purification system for your home that filters out fluoride. Be sure to buy organic produce, and educate yourself as to which fruits and vegetables will see a rise in fluoride levels when cooked (such as peas).
Finally, be sure to detox regularly and include substances in your diet that are neuroprotectors and cancer-fighters, such as curcumin.
Dr. Veronique Desaulniers (“Dr. V”) is a best-selling author and specialist in Chiropractic, Bio-Energetics, Meridian Stress Analysis, Homeopathy and Digital Thermography. After 30 years in active practice, she decided to “retire” and devote her time to sharing her personal, non-toxic Breast Cancer healing journey with others. Her years of experience and research have culminated in “The 7 Essentials™ “, a step-by-step coaching program that unravels the mystery of healing the body. Her website and personal healing journey have touched the lives of thousands of women around the globe. To get your F.R.E.E. 7-day mini e-course and to receive her weekly inspiring articles on the power of natural medicine – visit: BreastCancerConqueror.com
References:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25714098
http://healthline.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/13/fluoride-and-thyroid-dysfunction.aspx
http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/progress/snapshots/thyroid
http://www.litalee.com/documents/Fluoride%20-%20A%20Modern%20Toxic%20Waste.pdf
This post appeared at Natural Health 365 – Like on Facebook, Follow on Twitter
