Fluoride In The Water
By Rosanne Lindsay, Naturopath
Are you drinking fluoridated water?
According to statistics from the CDC, fluoridated water reaches more than 204 million U.S. residents— or just under 74 percent of the population on public water systems. In 1999, the CDC proclaimed community water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
Water fluoridation began in 1945 when Grand Rapids Michigan became the first city to fluoridate their water based on the idea that it reduced tooth decay rates. However, excess fluoride causes dental and skeletal fluorosis, and dental carries. But that’s not all. In 2014, a study published in the journal Lancet, declared Fluoride a neurotoxin, affecting the brain. Other studies show that fluoride, as fluorosilicic acid, in the drinking water to affect every organ system in the body, including behavior.
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Fluoride in the public water supply is not natural, elemental fluorine found in soil. Rather, it is both sodium fluoride, rat poison, and hydrofluosilicic acid, or HFSA, a toxic byproduct of the fertilizer industry. Stannous fluoride can be found in over-the-counter toothpaste and mouthwash. It’s often used as a protective treatment during dental checkups.
We are told that the small amounts of fluoride added to tap water is not harmful. However, no one is monitoring all the sources of fluoride that make up an average daily exposure. Few people understand that as fluoride accumulates in the body and brain, it is not necessarily excreted.
The consumption of these forms of fluoride contributes to thyroid disease, cancers, the development of skeletal and dental fluorosis,[1]Â pineal gland calcification, and lower IQ.
The Case Against Fluoride
In 2016, the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) and coalition partners filed a citizen petition asking the EPA to ban the deliberate addition of fluoridating chemicals to U.S. drinking water under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). In 2017, EPA denied the petition and later made a motion to dismiss. In response, FAN and coalition partners filed a lawsuit challenging the EPA’s denial of their petition. On December 30th, the federal court denied EPA’s motion to dismiss. This allows the citizen petition to be heard in a federal court on fluoride neurotoxicity in the New Year. See timeline.Â
In 2020, will EPA finally be held accountable for decades of neglect with respect to protecting citizens from the deliberate addition of a known neurotoxic substance to the public drinking water?
Cities Banning Fluoride
Over the past 19 years, FAN has facilitated the removal of fluoride from the water supplies of hundreds of communities across North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Of the largest US cities, six do not add fluoride to their water:
- Tucson, Arizona
- Wichita, Kansas
- Fresno, California
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Portland, Oregon
- San Jose, California
About 30 cities in Canada have banned fluoride in drinking water, including Calgary, Windsor, and Waterloo. Although a handful of states have mandatory fluoridation laws, the vast majority of the debate happens at the local level, where many city councils, boards of health or water district officials have authority to make fluoridation decisions without your consent.
Recently, the Minnesota Dept. of Public Health closed their public comment period for a fluoride rule revision. The current rule allows an average of 1.2 milligrams FL per liter, with an acceptable range of 0.9 to 1.5. The proposed amendment would lower the average concentration of fluoride in public water to 0.7 milligrams per liter.
Few cities however are willing to completely eliminate it from public water supplies. Yet, fluoride is so corrosive that it leaches lead from leaded pipes, pipes which most U.S. cities still have as their infrastructure.
Fluoride Worsens Lead Crisis
The Flint water crisis happened in 2014, after the city of Flint changed its water source from water treated by Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, from Lake Huron and the Detroit River, to the Flint River. Officials failed to apply the corrosion inhibitors to the fluoridated water. As a result, tap water became so corrosive it caused lead from aging pipes to leach into the water supply, met the standard for hazardous waste, and placed over 100,000 residents at risk for the effects of double the blood lead level from before the switch.
Many cities across the United States have “higher rates of lead poisoning” than Flint, including at least 6 other (fluoridated) cities in Michigan itself.
This man-made disaster translates to lower IQs, increased violence, shorter attention spans, and a growing demand for more special education and juvenile corrections programs.
As of early 2017, some officials asserted that the water quality had returned to acceptable levels, but as of January 2019, Flint residents and officials still expressed doubt about the quality of the water. All the lead service lines are expected to be replaced by the end of 2019.
Alternatives to Fluoride
1. Coconut Oil
There is also a growing research showing that oil pulling with antibacterial coconut oil lessens overall plaque in the mouth, preventing gingivitis and cavities.
2. Herbal Tooth Powders
Herbal tooth powders and herbal extracts ease inflammation in the mouth, stop the bacteria that can cause infections, and some can even ease mild mouth pain.
3. Sea Salt
You want to remove plaque, but you don’t want to scrub away your enamel. Put some sea salt in a bit of water first, then dip your toothbrush in the solution and scrub with confidence!
4. Myrrh
Myrrh has been used for years to fight bad breath, and is often added to some natural, fluoride-free toothpastes for a healthy mouth. Myrrh is effective in tackling periodontal disease.
5. Neem Oil
One study showed that using a mouthwash containing neem oil outperformed most fluoride dental products when it came to reducing plaque and gingivitis in the mouth.
6. Oregano Oil
Oregano oil is another antibacterial oil often consumed to fight infections inside the body. It also does a great job when it comes to dental issues. Oregano oil fights abscesses, mouth sores and herpes, and eases the pain of toothaches. Dilute with coconut to reduce the strength.
7. Xylitol toothpaste:
Xylitol is a non-fermentable sugar alcohol that bacteria cannot process. It starves oral bacteria and genetically interferes with the bacteria’s ability to attach to the teeth over time. It also allows calcium ions to return to the teeth via saliva and is the best natural product to help remineralize teeth and prevent cavities from forming in the first place.
- Xylitol is 5-6 times more effective at decreasing cavity-causing oral bacteria than fluoride.
- Xylitol is 5 times more effective at preventing cavities than fluoride. (xylitol: 71% cavity reduction, vs. fluoride: 14% cavity reduction).
- Xylitol use changes cavity-causing bacteria’s DNA, affecting their ability to adhere to the tooth surface.
- Even short-term use of xylitol can have positive anti-cavity effects for up to 5 years.
8. Baking Soda
Mix two drops of peppermint essential oil and two drops of stevia with some baking soda, and you have a powerful, minty fresh, completely safe and natural toothpaste, You can also use cinnamon essential oil or spearmint.
Detoxing fluoride:
With Iodine:
The minerals Iodine and Boron help to detox fluoride from the body. Iodine benefits thyroid by increasing urinary excretion of fluoride, bromine and chlorine, known as halides on the Periodic Table. Halides are more electronegative and preferentially bind to cell receptor sites for iodine and thyroid hormones (which are made up of iodine). Seaweed is the best natural source of iodine and include arame, bladderwrack, Dulse, Hijiki, kelp, Irish moss, nori, and Wakame.It is best to get seaweed from the Atlantic Ocean because of the Fukushima radiation leaking into the Pacific Ocean. Short-term iodine supplementation may be helpful but long-term you should depend on natural sources of iodine.
With Boron:
As iodine is an excellent fluoride detox for the thyroid, boron is an excellent fluoride detox for bones and joints. Skeletal fluorosis is a bone disease caused by excessive accumulation of fluoride in bones. It results in brittleness of bones, and pain in bones and joints. In one study by Zhou et al., showed that boron effectively removed fluoride, which was excreted in urine. Signs of skeletal fluorosis practically disappeared during the experiment. A study by Rex Newman and his colleagues[11] attested to the importance of boron in supporting bone and joint health. They noted that in areas where boron consumption was low arthritis rates were high, and areas where boron consumption was high arthritis rates were low.
Natural food sources high in boron include almonds, avocados, dates, hazelnuts, prunes, and raisins. Boron can also be taken in supplements or as ionic boron water.
Eat Tamarinds:
A tamarind fluoride detox is an excellent and natural way to detox fluoride. Studies have shown that tamarind consumption results in the elevated excretion of fluoride through urination.
Drink Spring Water:
The obvious way to avoid fluoridated water is to drink non-fluoridated water, either as Spring water, or a Reverse Osmosis (RO) water. If opting for RO water, consider adding 1 tsp of sea salt per one gallon of water to remineralize the water.
Applying these various fluoride detoxes together will allow for a more thorough and comprehensive removal across different tissue types and functions throughout the body, including the pineal gland in the brain.
For more on the history and politics of fluoride, listen to an interview with Leo Cashman, founder of Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions (DAMS) on the December 2019 Nature of Healing podcast:
Rosanne Lindsay is a writer, blogger, and Naturopathic healer. She is the author of two books, The Nature of Healing: Heal the Body, Heal the Planet, and her story of thyroid disease reversal: Free Your Voice, Heal Your Thyroid, Reverse Thyroid Disease Naturally. Find her at Nature of Healing on Facebook. Consult with Rosanne to create a custom healing plan via Skype or Zoom or phone. Contact her at natureofhealing.org. Subscribe to her blog for updates at https://www.natureofhealing.org/blog/ and visit her podcast o archives at Blogtalkradio, and on Thursdays at 5 pm CDT.
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