What is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a chemical that is commonly added to public water supply, an ingredient in toothpaste, and a tooth decay preventive treatment provided to many children in the United States. Fluoride is a naturally occurring element in the halogen group, as are iodide and chloride and bromide. Fluoride is commonly added to public water supply as are cheaper hydrofluosilicic acid, silicofluoride, or sodium fluoride.
What are the Concerns Associated with the Addition of Fluoride to the Water Supply?
Dental fluorosis, the failure of tooth enamel to crystallize in permanent teeth, dose-related increases in bone cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, forms of arthritis, neurological complaints, Down’s Syndrome, and some neurological disorders have been attributed to fluoride treatments.
The optimum level of fluoride added to the water supply was set in the 1940s at approximately 1 ppm (equal to 1 mg/l). This was based on assumptions that the total intake of fluoride would be 1 mg/day, assuming 4 glasses of water were drunk per day. However, current intake of fluoride comes not just from the water supply. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa and reported in the November issue of the Journal of American Dental Association found that 71% of more than 300 soft drinks contained 0.60 ppm fluoride. Toothpaste, beverages, processed food, fresh fruits and vegetables, vitamins and mineral supplements all contribute to the intake of fluoride. It is now estimated that the total amount of fluoride ingested per day is 8 mg/day, eight times the optimum levels.
What are the Thyroid-Specific Concerns?
For decades, fluoride had been used to treat hyperthyroidism and was frequently used at levels below the current “optimal” intake of 1 mg/day. This is due to the ability of fluoride to mimic the action of thyrotropin (TSH). It makes sense, then that out of the over 150 symptoms and associations of hypothyroidism, almost all are also symptoms of fluoride poisoning.
Our diet often consists of more fluoride than the body is capable of using. Also, fluoride accumulates in the body. Being a member of the halogen group, like iodine, they compete for the same cellular receptors in the thyroid gland, essentially kicking out iodine of its place. When a person is diagnosed as being hypothyroid, they almost always have excessive fluoride in their body.
What Can You Do?
Learn as much as you can about fluoride. Find out if your water supply contains fluoride. Switch to using unfluoridated toothpaste; but read the label thoroughly because even natural toothpastes can contain fluoride. A good alternative is making your own toothpaste from a recipe of 1 part baking soda to 1 part coconut oil, and a few drops of an essential oil like peppermint or orange.
You can also pay attention to the water you drink, and use filtered or bottled waters. Some water filters can remove fluoride from the water, but carbon-based filters such as the Brita filter do not. Berkey filters do.
Many bottled waters contain fluoride. You can find out the fluoride and other mineral content of your favorite bottled waters at www.bottledwaterweb.com. Evian and Calistoga brands, for example, contain no measurable fluoride, but Perrier has 0.12 parts per million.
