I sometimes wonder what division of the citizen is aware of the ongoing fluoride debate. There's well a growing voice of dissent over water fluoridation, but how well-known is the median Joe with this subject. I know that most of my friends and family are not aware of it. I've never heard it brought up on any favorite news television programs. It seems the majority of facts is coming from radio programming, local news stations, activist groups, and scientific community organizations. Does that mean there's not much to this debate, or are we on the precipice of this issue entering into the national spotlight?
Fluoridation has occurred in the collective water systems for more than 60 years. Given this basic historical fact, the immediate inquire that comes to many peoples mind when they are confronted with the turn over is; "If fluoridation is so bad for us, wouldn't we have figured it out already? Wouldn't there be mountains of evidence to elucidate the toxic effects?" Opponents claim that this evidence does exist, and that more in depth and well funded studies need to be executed to better demonstrate this truth. Proponents talk that the evidence for fluoride is already there with Us normal citizen tooth decay reductions in the order of 50-60% since Wwii. This statistic is one of the most controversial as these same reductions, over the same time periods, are shown in countries that have never engaged in water fluoridation.
Berkey Water Filter
Sodium fluoride, used for fluoridation, is a hazardous-waste by-product from the institute of aluminum, and is a common ingredient in rat and cockroach poisons, anesthetics, hypnotics, psychiatric drugs, and troops nerve gas. Fluoride is more toxic than aluminum and studies have shown that fluoride consumption increases the absorption rate of aluminum by 600%. There are, however, controls set in place to administrate this risk. The Epa has maximum water fluoridation levels set at 1 ppm (part per million) and the back of fluoride toothpaste reads "Keep toothpaste out of the reach of children under 6. If swallowed get medical help or caress poison operate center right away."
What is not up for turn over is that fluoride harms bones, causes stiff joints, encourages skeletal abnormalities, raises the risk of cancer, results in genetic damage, and hampers nervous theory function in humans. Opponents of fluoridation are implicated that since fluoride acts as a cumulative poison moderately affecting the body over time, potential toxicity depends on how much water is consumed on a daily basis, the individual's body weight, and the body's potential to filter and eliminate the chemical. These are wide margin variables that may allow a relatively large division of the citizen to fall into a toxic range over time.
Recently, there has been government studies that attest to fluoridation dangers. In 2005, a Cdc study showed irreversible enamel fluorosis in 1 out of 3 children. Then in 2007, the Ada warned parents not to mix baby method with tap water in the first 12 months of improvement so as to avoid fluoride intake. Just recently in June of 2008, the National Kidney Foundation stated the kidney disease patients should be notified of the potential risks of exposure to fluoride.
Each year our scientists are getting better at comprehension the toxic implications of fluoride, and one point is glaringly obvious. With water fluoridation, you cannot operate the dose ingested, both children and adults are treated with similar doses, and unless the collective filters their water, they do not have a option in the matter. At a bare minimum, larger and more uncut studies should be performed to properly address dosage variables and ensure the benefits definitively outweigh the risks.
In the meantime, for those who are concerned, there are fluoride water filters on the market. Berkey makes a very regarded Pf-2 fluoride filter that works in any Berkey Water Filters System.
Dangers of Fluoride in Our Water - The Great debate