There is POISON in the tap water!

  

Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of a fluoride compound to a public water supply effective enough to reduce tooth decay.  It operates on tooth surfaces – in the mouth it creates low levels of fluoride in saliva, which reduces the rate at which tooth enamel demineralizes and increases the rate at which it re-mineralizes in the early stages of cavities.

Dental caries remain a major public health concern in most industrialized countries, affecting 60–90% of kids and the vast majority of adults.  Thus, water fluoridation mitigates this problem with studies estimating an 18–40% reduction in cavities when it is combined with toothpaste and other sources of fluoride used by kids.  However, most European countries have experienced substantial declines in tooth decay without its use, primarily due to the introduction of fluoride toothpaste in the 1970s.  For instance, in Finland and Germany, tooth decay rates remained stable or continued to decline even after water fluoridation stopped.

Fluoridation may be useful in the U.S. because unlike most European countries, school-based dental care is largely inadequately provided and most children do not go for dental treatment regularly.  To-date, only eight countries in the world have more than 50% of their populations drinking artificially fluoridated water, namely Australia, Colombia, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the U.S.  On the contrary, some countries such as India, China and parts of Africa have areas with high natural fluoride found in the water and steps are taken to remove this potential health hazard.

Harmful effects

+  There is extensive evidence that fluoride can interfere with many important biological processes. For example it interferes with numerous enzymes. In combination with aluminum, fluoride interferes with G-proteins, giving the potential to interfere with signals from growth factors, hormones and neurotransmitters.

+  Animal experiments show that fluoride accumulates in the brain and alters mental behavior in a manner consistent with a neurotoxic agent.  This is due to an increased uptake of aluminum in the brain and the formation of beta-amyloid deposits which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

+  There have now been 24 studies from China, Iran, India and Mexico that have reported an association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ.  At least three human studies have reported an association between fluoride exposure and impaired visual-spatial organization while three other studies have found an association between prenatal fluoride exposure and foetal brain damage.  This is possibly due to an increased uptake of lead into children’s blood by 3 folds as compared to lead alone, cause gradual damage to the developing brain. (note fluoridating agents in combination with chlorinating agents such as chloroamine increase the leaching of lead from brass fittings used in plumbing).

+  In the mid-20 century, fluoride was prescribed by a number of European doctors to reduce the activity of the thyroid gland for those suffering from hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).  Effective result was seen with application of 2.3 – 4.5 mg/day of fluoride ion.  This may explain the rampant and increasing problem of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) in the United States and other fluoridated countries.

+  A bottle-fed baby consuming fluoridated water (0.6 – 1.2 ppm) can get up to 300 times more fluoride than a breast-fed baby. This poses a big risk for infants ingesting this heightened level of fluoride at such an early age.  As for healthy adult kidneys excrete 50-60% of the fluoride they ingest each day with the remainder largely in calcifying tissues such as the bones and pineal gland. Infants and children are worst off with 80% of ingested fluoride accumulate in their bones.

+  Some of the early symptoms of skeletal fluorosis (a fluoride-induced bone and joint disease) are impacting millions of people in India, China and Africa, that mimic the symptoms of arthritis, initiating thought to be due to drinking large amount of tea.  This is especially so for kidney patients who are unable to effectively excrete fluoride, resulting in accumulation of high levels of fluoride in their bone and blood.

+  When high doses of fluoride (average 26 mg per day) were used in trials to treat patients with osteoporosis in an effort to harden their bones and reduce fracture rates, it actually led to a higher number of fractures, particularly hip fractures.  Further study in male rats showed a dose-dependent increase in bone cancer using fluoride-treatment.  It can interfere with the genetic apparatus of bone cells in several ways –  mutagenic, cause chromosome damage, and interfere with the enzymes involved with DNA repair in both cell and tissue studies.

+  Fluoride administered to animals at high doses wreaks havoc on the male reproductive system – it damages sperm and increases the rate of infertility in a number of different species.

Public concerns

+  As of July 2011, over 3700 professionals have signed a statement calling for an end to water fluoridation worldwide. This statement and a list of signatories can be found on the website of the Fluoride Action Network (see: www.FluorideAlert.org)

+  When it comes to controversies surrounding toxic chemicals, vested interests traditionally do their very best to discount animal studies and quibble with epidemiological findings. In the past, political pressures have led government agencies to drag their feet on regulating asbestos, benzene, DDT, PCBs, tetraethyl lead, tobacco and dioxins.

Social concerns

+  Those most likely to suffer from poor nutrition, and thus more likely to be more vulnerable to fluoride’s toxic effects, are the poor, who unfortunately, are the very people being targeted by new fluoridation programs.

+  As for majority of populations, fluoridation may have make sense in the 1950-60s when oral hygiene was generally worse with dental caries widespread.  Today, this problem is no longer a major health issue in most societies.

+  While fluoridation may not be the greatest environmental health threat, it is one of the easiest to end. No turning off the tap is required, just remove this chemical from our water supply.  In this way, other indirect sources of fluoride include food and beverages, mechanically deboned meat, tea, and pesticide residues on food are eliminated too.

+  Since there is no need to swallow fluoride to protect teeth, it makes more sense to deliver the fluoride directly to the tooth in the form of toothpaste.  Also use mouth rinses and salt whilst dentist still applies fluoride topically.  Parents may want to consider installing water filter to remove fluorides for their young ones.

Source:  http://www.fluoridealert.org/50-reasons.htm