Fluoride Toxicity Documentation
http://www.healthliesexposed.com/articles/article_2005_12_17_0912.shtml
Fluorine as a factor in premature aging]
[Article in Polish] Ann Acad Med Stetin.
2004;50 Suppl
1:9-13 Machoy-Mokrzyńska A.
Katedra Farmakologii, Pomorskiej
Akademii Medycznej w Szczecinie, al. Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111
The use of fluorine compounds in
various areas of medicine, particularly in dentistry, as well as in agriculture
and industry became very popular in the second half of the 20th century.
Fluorine owed this widespread acceptance to observations that its compounds
stimulate ossification processes and reduce the prevalence of caries.
Unfortunately, growing expectations overshadowed the truth regarding
interactions of fluoride on the molecular level. The fact was often ignored
that fluoride is toxic, even though laboratory data stood for a careful
approach to the benefits of usage. Excessive exposure to fluoride may lead to
acute poisoning, hyperemia, cerebral edema, and degeneration of the liver and
kidneys. Acute intoxication through the airways produces coughing, choking, and
chills, followed by fever and pulmonary edema. Concentrated solutions of
fluorine compounds produce difficult to heal necrotic lesions. In spite of
these dramatic symptoms, acute intoxications are relatively rare; the more
common finding is chronic intoxication attributable to the universal presence
of fluorine compounds in the environment. The first noticeable signs of
excessive exposure to fluoride in contaminated water, air, and food products
include discolorations of the enamel. Dental fluorosis
during tooth growth and loss of dentition in adulthood are two consequences of
chronic intoxication with fluorine compounds. Abnormalities in mineralization
processes affect by and large the osteoarticular
system and are associated with changes in the density and structure of the bone
presenting as irregular mineralization of the osteoid.
Fluorine compounds also act on the
organic part of supporting tissues, including collagen and other proteins, and
on cells of the connective tissue. These interactions reduce the content of
collagen proteins, modify the structure and regularity of collagen fibers, and
induce mineralization of collagen. Interactions with cells produce
transient activation of osteoblasts, stimulate fibroblasts to produce collagenase,
and trigger toxic reactions in osteocytes and chondrocytes of trabecular bone. Growing deformations of the skeleton reduce
mobility and result in permanent crippling of the patient. Fluoride increases the mass of non-collagen
proteins such as proteoglycans and glucosaminoglycans, accelerating skin aging even though
protein biosynthesis is generally suppressed. The final outcome includes
progressive vascular lesions and disorders of energy metabolism in muscles. In
conclusions, the use of fluoride, particularly by dentists and pediatricians,
must be controlled and adapted to individual needs. It is worth remembering
that fluoride: is the cause of disability due to bone deformations and
abnormalities in the musculoskeletal system; reduces the incidence of caries
but do not protect against tooth loss; exerts an adverse effect of metabolic
processes in the skin; accelerates calcification of vessels and thus reduces
their elasticity; inhibits bioenergetic reactions, in
particular oxidative phosphorylation, reducing
physical activity of muscles. These findings suggest that fluorine may be yet
another factor in accelerated aging and revive the dispute started more than
two and half thousand years ago whether aging is a physiologic or pathologic
process. The understanding of factors modifying the process of aging is the
basis for preventive measures aimed at extending life and maintaining full
psychosocial activity.
Foundation for
Neuroscience and Society,
Previous epidemiological studies
have associated silicofluoride-treated community
water with enhanced child blood lead parameters. Chronic, low-level dosage of silicofluoride (SiF) has never
been adequately tested for health effects in humans. We report here on a
statistical study of 151,225 venous blood lead (VBL) tests taken from children
ages 0-6 inclusive, living in 105 communities of populations from 15,000 to
75,000. The tests are part of a sample collected by the New York State
Department of Children's Health, mostly from 1994-1998. Community fluoridation
status was determined from the CDC 1992 Fluoridation Census. Covariates were
assigned to each community using the 1990 U.S. Census. Blood lead measures were
divided into groups based on race and age. Logistic regressions were carried
out for each race/age group, as well as above and below the median of 7
covariates to test the relationship between known risk factors for lead uptake,
exposure to SiF-treated water, and VBL >10 microg/dL. RESULTS: For every age/race group, there was a consistently significant
association of SiF treated community water and
elevated blood lead. Logistic regressions above and below the median
value of seven covariates show an effect of silicofluoride
on blood lead independent of those covariates. The highest likelihood of
children having VBL> 10 microg/dL occurs when they
are both exposed to SiF treated water and likely to
be subject to another risk factor known to be associated with high blood lead
(e.g., old housing). Results are consistent with prior analyses of surveys of
children's blood lead in
http://www.foodconsumer.org/777/8/National_Academy_urges_lowering_fluoride_in_ta
p_water.shtml
An
independent panel of experts commissioned by the US Environmental Protection
Agency reviewed the effect of fluoride in drinking water on public health and
released a report Wednesday saying that the fluoride level in tap water allowed
by the EPA should be lowered to protect severe enamel fluorosis,
clinical state II skeletal fluorosis, and bone
fractures.
Ingestion
of high levels of fluoride can cause a series of health problems, which
have been known by many including American Dental Association for a few decades. The committee reviewed the
fluoride's effect on many health conditions including dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis,
bone fractures, damages to the brains, bone cancer and others. The effect of
over-exposure to fluoride on dental fluorosis is
particularly striking. Several new studies presented at the American
Association for Dental Research's annual meeting held on
Over-exposure to fluoride can also damage the
brain, particularly in children. The report cites that a few Chinese
epidemiological studies have linked exposure to fluoride at 2.5 to 4 mg/L in
drinking water to IQ deficits in children.
|
0108 Effects of Fluoride on Cultured Human Ameloblast-Lineage
Cells |
|
|
Q.
YAN, Y. ZHANG, W. LI, and P. DENBESTEN, University of California
- San Francisco, USA Fluorosed enamel, caused by excessive exposure to fluoride during
enamel formation, is hypomineralized. The
mechanisms responsible for the formation of fluorosed
enamel remain poorly defined. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to
determine whether fluoride (F), at micromolar
levels can affect gene expression and apoptosis in human ameloblast-lineage
cells in vitro .
METHODS: Embryonic primary human ameloblast lineage
cells were cultured for 72 hours with KGM-2. The cells were synchronized in
media without growth factors for 20 hours, and grown with either
0, 10, or 20µM F for 48 hours. The apoptotic cell population was
determined by a dural staining flow cytometric assay. Ameloblast-lineage
cells were then separated into 3 groups according to their calcification
initiation time: incisors, canines and first molars, and second molars. Cells
were synchronized by removing growth factors and then exposed to 0 or 10µM F
for 24 hours. The effect of 10µM F on the expression of DSPP and TNFα was further analyzed by real-time Supported by a
Lee Hysan fellowship to Q Yan
and NIH NIDCR R01 DE013508 to PDB. |
|
US Government Agencies Say Fluoride in Drinking Water Increases Toxicity of Aluminum http://www.mercola.com/2001/may/16/fluoride.htm
http://www.healthcarealternatives.net/removingfluoride.htm
In the March 2001 issue of the journal Neuro Toxicology, a team of researchers led
by Dr. Roger Masters of
http://www.americanfreepress.net/Alternative_Health/17_02%20HS%20Fluoride%20Is%20Poison,%20Sa.htm
Fluoride:
A Statement of Concern,
by Paul Connett,
PhD
http://www.fluoridealert.org/fluoride-statement.htm
Fluoride
water 'causes cancer'
Boys at risk from bone tumours, research by Harvard School of Dental Research
reveals
Bob Woffinden Sunday
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1504672,00.html
Dentists Demand End to ‘Cancer Risk’ Fluoride in Water
By Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent Irish Independent
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/2288.html
Most
European countries have rejected or ceased use of fluoride in water
The
fluoride chemical added to water is an unprocessed, industrial
waste-product from the pollution scrubbers of the phosphate fertilizer
industry. It contains toxic metals such
as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead that are known to be carcinogenic and neurotoxic.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/phosphate/overview.htm
http://www.earthisland.org/eijournal/fluoride/fluoride_phosphates.html
Fluoride
is extremely toxic and causes adverse health effects
Fluoride
commonly causes tooth problems and brittle teeth and bones
Fluoride Toxicity Documentation
http://www.healthliesexposed.com/articles/article_2005_12_17_0912.shtml
EPA unions call for
moratorium on fluoride in drinking water
|
By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press Writer, |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Eleven unions representing more than 7,000 workers at the Environmental Protection Agency are calling for a national moratorium on programs to add fluoride to drinking water, citing what they call a possible cancer risk and adverse health effects http://www.fluoridealert.org/hp-epa.htm http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050901/NEWS0103/109010031 http://home.att.net/~gtigerclaw/EPAresponse.html http://www.nofluoride.com/
ELECTION
2005: 5 More US Communities
Reject Fluoridation
Over
70
Water
Fluoridation "Obsolete" According to Nobel Prize Scientist Nations who still practice it "should
feel ashamed of themselves"
Dr.
Avid Carlsson, Pharmacologist, Nobel Laureat in Medicine/Physiology
Dentists Demand End to ‘Cancer Risk’ Fluoride in Water
By Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent Irish Independent
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/2288.html
Most
European countries have rejected or ceased use of fluoride in water
The
fluoride chemical added to water is an unprocessed, industrial
waste-product from the pollution scrubbers of the phosphate fertilizer
industry. It contains toxic metals such
as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead that are known to be carcinogenic and neurotoxic.
http://www.fluoridealert.org/phosphate/overview.htm
http://www.earthisland.org/eijournal/fluoride/fluoride_phosphates.html
Fluoride
is extremely toxic and causes adverse health effects
Fluoride
commonly causes tooth problems and brittle teeth and bones
US Government Agencies Say
Fluoride in Drinking Water Increases Toxicity of Aluminum
http://www.mercola.com/2001/may/16/fluoride.htm
Silicofluorides & Higher Blood Lead, Professor Roger D. Masters, Dartmouth College,
Research Professor of Government & Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor
Emeritus & President, Foundation for
Neuroscience & Society, 2001. www.fluoridealert.org/sf-masters.htm
We have compared
children's blood lead levels in communities using SiF
treated water with communities using sodium fluoride or with non-fluoridated
water. In three separate samples, totaling over 400,000 children, SiF treated municipal water is ALWAYS significantly
associated with increased blood lead levels in children.
This effect was
evident in a Massachusetts
survey of lead levels in 280,000 children (see graph for children exposed
to SiF from the Greater Boston water system, from
towns that add SiF locally, or from communities using
sodium fluoride, and towns without fluoridation). For the state of New
York, data was available on venous blood lead levels for 151,225 children
in communities of 15,000 to 75,000. Controlling for other factors associated
with higher blood lead, silicofluorides were again significantly associated with
higher uptake of lead from the environment. For black children, who are
especially at risk for high blood lead, those in towns using SiF were less likely to have low blood lead and more likely
to have lead over 10µg/dL. To confirm that these results are not due to other
socio-economic or demographic factors, additional statistical tests were run.
The third study
concerned children's blood lead levels in the National Health and Nutrition
Evaluation Survey (NHANES III), which had reports for 7224 children from 80
counties with populations over 500,000. Since only 4 of these counties had any
communities that used sodium fluoride, analysis of the NHANES III data focused
on the percentage of the entire county population exposed to silicofluoride treated water.
Among the 1543
children of all ages from large urban counties with over 80% of the population
exposed to fluoridation (almost all of whom receive water treated with SiF), average blood lead was 5.12 µg/dL
whereas the average for 1139 children in low fluoride exposure counties was
3.64 µg/dL Blood lead in the 473 children sampled
from the medium fluoridation counties was 3.23 µg/dL,
which was significantly different from the high fluoridation counties but not
from either low fluoridation counties or those with unknown fluoridation
status, where average blood lead levels were 3.16 µg/dL
(S.D. 2.83). Controlling for the Poverty, the effect of SiF
use was highly significant (p < .0001). When the sample is divided by age
and race, these findings provide six separate samples in which SiF is associated with high blood lead (see Graphs).
In all three
populations studied, those children in each racial category and each age group
who were highly likely to be exposed to silicofluorides
differ strongly in levels of blood lead from those not exposed. This conclusion
was further checked by analyzing available data for health and behavioral
traits that have been associated with high blood lead (such as violent crimes,
cocaine use and asthma). In each case, those exposed to silicofluoride
treated water were more likely to have behavioral or health problems that are
more likely among those with high lead in their bodies.
The injection of silicofluorides
in public water supplies is a practice whose elimination could possibly
contribute to reduced rates of learning disabilities, substance abuse, violent
crime, and asthma (all connected with lead poisoning and other toxins). Whatever
the benefits to teeth (and this is highly controversial), our research shows
that the issues facing the public concern silicofluoride
chemistry, toxicology, and the linkage of neurotoxins with behavior or health.
Before SiF chemicals are used, citizens must know
that they are safe for all.
For more
information, see: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~rmasters/ahabs.htm.
.
Fluoride/aluminum-
80% death rate in rats! Implications for Alzheimer’s.
Posted by: "Elizabeth Sinkey" westoo@sbcglobal.net elizabeth_sinkey
Date:
SLOW
REACTION to 80% DEATH
George Glasser
"In l999, EPA convened a group of
experts to carefully consider the results
of the
Varner et al. (1998) study," USEPA spokesman, Charles Fox wrote in a
Fox carefully avoided mentioning the fact
that the reviewed study he cited was replicated in two previous studies by Dr.
Julie Varner. All three studies found that aluminum-fluoride interactions are associated
with brain and kidney damage in laboratory animals. Aside from brain and kidney
damage, there was an 80% mortality rate in the animals fed doses of sodium
fluoride and aluminum similar to those found in artificially fluoridated
drinking water.
Alum (aluminum sulfate) is most frequently
used by water companies to improve
the
appearance of drinking water, to make it clear. For many years, aluminum has
been known to be neurotoxic to humans and animals.
The original Varner, et al, study published
in Neuroprotective Agents, 1997, was designed to
determine whether aluminum and fluoride (aluminum fluoride) in drinking water
play a role in age-related neurological damage similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
It was the
first scientific study to deal with fluoride/aluminum interaction.
The researchers considered that fluoride and
aluminum could combine in the stomach and be more readily transported to the
brain. The combination, they believed, could enhance neurological damage and
cause conditions such as presenile dementia or
Alzheimer’s like dementia (ALD). During the first experiment, the researchers
had noted and were perplexed by the alarmingly high death rate in the group of
animals receiving aluminum and fluoride in their drinking water (80% of the animals
in the low-dose group died before completion of the experiment).
They also noted that the amounts of aluminum
and fluoride fed to the animals was about the same as the amounts people are
exposed to in artificially fluoridated public water supplies. The reasons for the high number of animal deaths is still
unexplained as was the fact that the greatest number of mental impairments
appeared in the low-dose group of animals.
It was also observed that the animals who drank the aluminum/fluoride-laced water developed sparse
hair and abnormal, copper-colored underlying skin which is related to premature
aging. Researchers said that most often this condition is the result of several
diseases including chronic kidney failure. Further autopsy results showed
serious kidney abnormalities in animals that drank water containing both sodium
fluoride and aluminum fluoride.
The Varner team said that, "Striking
parallels were seen between aluminum-induced alterations" in cerebral
blood vessels that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of presenile dementia. They concluded that the alterations of
the blood vessels may be a primary event triggering neuro-degenerative
diseases.
Astounded, the researchers went on to say:
"Not only did the rats in the
lowest
dose groups die more often during the experiment, they looked poorly well
before their deaths. Even the rats in the lowest dose group that managed to
survive the 45 weeks looked to be in poor health."
Subsequently, the researchers reported that
the results of the "THIRD"
animal
study confirmed the findings of the previous studies. This red flag alarmed the
USEPA panel of experts because the same physical and neurological damage can
also be occurring in humans in areas where both aluminum sulfate and fluorides
are added to the public drinking water.
Based on the conclusions drawn from the third
Varner study, the USEPA experts
requested
further research be commissioned by the National Toxicology Program. In spite
of the disturbing Varner team revelations it will take two to three years for
the National Toxicology to review the request.
Almost 60% of the
In the
years will
develop some form of dementia.
Recent USEPA concerns over arsenic, a Group 1
(a) carcinogen, caused the government-contracted water treatment chemical
certification laboratory, National Sanitation Foundation International, to say
that there will be "increased product failures" due to high arsenic
levels in fluorosilicic acid. USEPA has asked the US
Government to dramatically reduce arsenic levels in drinking water from 50
parts per billion to 5 parts per billion. The EPA is keen to change the
regulations because arsenic in known to cause a wide range of cancers in
humans.
More recently, the primary component of fluorosilicic acid and sodium fluorosilicate - silicon -
has also been discovered in the brain plaque of Alzheimer’s and
Alzheimer’s-like dementia (ALD) victims. Silica has also been found in the
brain tissue of people with primary brain tumors, which is considered a
terminal condition. Although aware of these new developments, no responsible
government agency including the USEPA is likely to request that any research be
done with the actual toxic waste "product" used to fluoridate public
drinking water due to political pressure.
Fluoride,
a major pollutant in phosphate mining and also used in water fluoridation, is
documented to be an extremely problematic pollutant: known to be carcinogenic
and highly toxic and to have caused large numbers of adverse health effects
Fluoride Pollution: An
Overview
http://www.fluoridealert.org/f-pollution.htm
Fluoride
is more acutely toxic than lead http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/accidents/f-lead.html
Fluoride water 'causes
cancer' http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1504672,00.html
http://ewg.org/issues/fluoride/20050606/index.php
FLUORIDE
HEALTH EFFECTS DATABASE
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/
Why EPA's
Headquarters Professionals'
http://www.fluoridealert.org/hp-epa.htm
Suppression of Scientific Dissent on Fluoride's Risks and
Benefits http://www.fluoridealert.org/suppression.htm
Research
links low levels of fluoride and aluminum to Alzheimer's and kidney damage
Alzheimer's
in
http://www.nofluoride.com/Alzheimer's_in_America.htm
http://www.advancedhealthplan.com/alzheimers.html
http://www.bruha.com/fluoride/
J
A Varner, K F Jensen, W Horvath and R L Isaacson, Binghamton, New York, and Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina, USA, CHRONIC ADMI
Dr. Mercola’s
Health Letter http://www.mercola.com/article/links/fluoride_links.htm
Lead researcher Dr. C.D. Anuradha,
in comments to the
However the type of fluoride found in phosphate
ore is different and appears to be even more toxic. one of the silicofluorides (either fluosilicic
acid or sodium silicofluoride).
However, these chemicals have been shown to
act much differently from the much simpler sodium fluoride. In one study, it
was shown that these
chemicals enhance the cellular uptake of lead
(http://www.fluoride-journal.com/98-31-3/313-s25.htm).
50 Reasons to Oppose
Fluoridation
By Paul Connett, PhD
1. Fluoride is not an essential nutrient. No disease has ever been linked to a
fluoride deficiency. Humans can have perfectly good teeth without fluoride.
2. Fluoridation is not necessary. Most Western European countries are not
fluoridated and have experienced the same decline in dental decay as the
3. Fluoridation's role in the decline of tooth decay is in serious doubt…In a
review commissioned by the
4. Where fluoridation has been discontinued in communities from
5. There have been numerous recent reports of dental crises in US cities (e.g.
6. Modern research shows that decay rates were coming down before fluoridation
was introduced and have continued to decline even after its benefits would have
been maximized. Many other factors influence tooth decay. Some recent studies
have found that tooth decay actually increases as the fluoride concentration in
the water increases
7. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now acknowledged the
findings of many leading dental researchers, that the mechanism
of fluoride's benefits are mainly TOPICAL not SYSTEMIC. Thus, you don't
have to swallow fluoride to protect teeth. As the benefits of fluoride (if any
exist) are topical, and the risks are systemic, it makes more sense, for those
who want to take the risks, to deliver the fluoride directly to the tooth in
the form of toothpaste. Since swallowing fluoride is unnecessary, there is no
reason to force people (against their will) to drink fluoride in their water
supply. This position was recently shared by Dr. Douglas Carnall,
the associate editor of the British Medical Journal.
8. Despite being prescribed by doctors for over 50 years, the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has never approved any fluoride
product designed for ingestion as safe or effective.
9. The US fluoridation program has massively failed to achieve one of its key
objectives, i.e. to lower dental decay rates while holding down dental fluorosis (mottled and discolored enamel), a condition
known to be caused by fluoride….
10. Dental fluorosis means that a child has been
overdosed on fluoride. While the mechanism by which the enamel is damaged is
not definitively known, it appears fluorosis may be a
result of either inhibited enzymes in the growing teeth, or through fluoride's
interference with G-protein signaling mechanisms. In a study in
11. The level of fluoride put into water (1 ppm) is
up to 200 times higher than normally found in mothers' milk (0.005 – 0.01 ppm). There are no benefits, only risks, for infants
ingesting this heightened level of fluoride at such an early age (this is an
age where susceptibility to environmental toxins is particularly high).
12. Fluoride is a cumulative poison. On average, only 50% of the fluoride we
ingest each day is excreted through the kidneys. The remainder accumulates in
our bones, pineal gland, and other tissues. If the kidney is damaged, fluoride
accumulation will increase, and with it, the likelihood of harm.
13. Fluoride is very biologically active even at low concentrations. It
interferes with hydrogen bonding and inhibits numerous enzymes.
14. When complexed with aluminum, fluoride interferes
with G-proteins. Such interactions give aluminum-fluoride complexes the
potential to interfere with many hormonal and some neurochemical
signals.
15. Fluoride has been shown to be mutagenic, cause chromosome damage and
interfere with the enzymes involved with
16. Fluoride forms complexes with a large number of metal ions, which include
metals which are needed in the body (like calcium and magnesium) and metals
(like lead and aluminum) which are toxic to the body. This can cause a variety
of problems. For example, fluoride interferes with enzymes where magnesium is
an important co-factor, and it can help facilitate the uptake of aluminum and
lead into tissues where these metals wouldn't otherwise go.
17. Rats fed for one year with 1 ppm fluoride in
their water, using either sodium fluoride or aluminum fluoride, had
morphological changes to their kidneys and brains, an increased uptake of
aluminum in the brain, and the formation of beta amyloid
deposits which are characteristic of Alzheimers
disease.
18. Aluminum fluoride was recently nominated by the Environmental Protection
Agency and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for testing by
the National Toxicology Program. According to EPA and NIEHS, aluminum fluoride
currently has a "high health research priority" due to its
"known neurotoxicity". If fluoride is added
to water which contains aluminum, than aluminum fluoride complexes will form.
19. Animal experiments show that fluoride accumulates in the brain and exposure
alters mental behavior in a manner consistent with a neurotoxic
agent. Rats dosed prenatally demonstrated hyperactive
behavior. Those dosed postnatally demonstrated hypoactivity (i.e. under activity or "couch
potato" syndrome). More recent animal experiments have reported that
fluoride can damage the brain and impact learning and behavior.
20. Five studies from
21. Studies by Jennifer Luke showed that fluoride accumulates in the human
pineal gland to very high levels. In her Ph.D. thesis Luke has also shown in
animal studies that fluoride reduces melatonin production and leads to an
earlier onset of puberty.
22. In the first half of the 20th century, fluoride was prescribed by a number
of European doctors to reduce the activity of the thyroid gland for those
suffering from hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid). With water fluoridation,
we are forcing people to drink a thyroid-depressing medication which could, in
turn, serve to promote higher levels of hypothyroidism (underactive
thyroid) in the population, and all the subsequent problems related to this
disorder. Such problems include depression, fatigue, weight gain, muscle and
joint pains, increased cholesterol levels, and heart disease. It bears noting
that according to the Department of Health and Human Services (1991) fluoride
exposure in fluoridated communities is estimated to range from 1.6 to 6.6 mg/day,
which is a range that actually overlaps the dose (2.3 - 4.5 mg/day) shown to
decrease the functioning of the human thyroid. This is a remarkable fact,
particularly considering the rampant and increasing problem of hypothyroidism
in the
23. Some of the early symptoms of skeletal fluorosis,
a fluoride-induced bone and joint disease that impacts millions of people in
24. In some studies, 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. The cumulative doses used in these
trials are exceeded by the lifetime cumulative doses being experienced by many
people living in fluoridated communities.
25. Nineteen studies (three unpublished, including one abstract) since 1990
have examined the possible relationship of fluoride in water and hip fracture
among the elderly. Eleven of these studies found an association, eight did not.
One study found a dose-related increase in hip fracture as the concentration of
fluoride rose from 1 ppm to 8 ppm.
Hip fracture is a very serious issue for the elderly, as a quarter of those who
have a hip fracture die within a year of the operation, while 50 percent never
regain an independent existence….
26. The only government-sanctioned animal study to investigate if fluoride
causes cancer, found a dose-dependent increase in cancer in the target organ
(bone) of the fluoride-treated (male) rats. The initial review of this study
also reported an increase in liver and oral cancers,
however, all non-bone cancers were later downgraded – with a questionable
rationale - by a government-review panel. In light of the importance of this
study, EPA Professional Headquarters Union has requested that Congress
establish an independent review to examine the study's results.
27. A review of national cancer data in the
28. 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. While studies conducted at the FDA have failed
to find reproductive effects in rats, an epidemiological study from the
29. The fluoridation program has been very poorly monitored. There has never
been a comprehensive analysis of the fluoride levels in the bones, blood, or
urine of the American people or the citizens of other fluoridated countries.
Based on the sparse data that has become available, however, it is increasingly
evident that some people in the population – particularly people with kidney
disease - are accumulating fluoride levels that have been associated with harm
to both animals and humans, particularly harm to bone.
30. Once fluoride is put in the water it is impossible to control the dose each
individual receives. This is because 1) some people (e.g. manual laborers,
athletes, diabetics, and people with kidney disease) drink more water than
others, and 2) we receive fluoride from sources other than the water supply.
Other sources of fluoride include food and beverages processed with fluoridated
water, fluoridated dental products, mechanically deboned
meat, teas, and pesticide residues on food.
31. Fluoridation is unethical because individuals are not being asked for their
informed consent prior to medication….
32. While referenda are preferential to imposed policies from central
government, it still leaves the problem of individual rights versus majority
rule. Put another way -- does a voter have the right to require that their
neighbor ingest a certain medication (even if it's against that neighbor's
will)?
33. Some individuals appear to be highly sensitive to fluoride as shown by case
studies and double blind studies. In one study, which lasted 13 years, Feltman and Kosel (1961) showed
that about 1% of patients given 1 mg of fluoride each day developed negative
reactions. Can we as a society force these people to ingest fluoride?
34. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR
1993), and other researchers, certain subsets of the population may be
particularly vulnerable to fluoride's toxic effects; these include: the
elderly, diabetics and people with poor kidney function. Again, can we in good
conscience force these people to ingest fluoride on a daily basis for their
entire lives?
35. Also vulnerable are those who suffer from malnutrition (e.g. calcium,
magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin D and iodide deficiencies and protein poor
diets). Those most likely to suffer from poor nutrition are the poor, who are
precisely the people being targeted by new fluoridation programs. While being
at heightened risk, poor families are less able to afford avoidance measures
(e.g. bottled water or removal equipment).
36. Since dental decay is most concentrated in poor communities, we should be
spending our efforts trying to increase the access to dental care for poor
families. The real "Oral Health Crisis" that exists today in the
37. Fluoridation has been found to be ineffective at preventing one of the most
serious oral health problems facing poor children, namely, baby bottle tooth
decay, otherwise known as early childhood caries.
38. The early studies conducted in 1945 -1955 in the
39. The
40. Since 1950, it has been found that fluorides do little to prevent pit and
fissure tooth decay, a fact that even the dental community has acknowledged.
This is significant because pit and fissure tooth decay represents up to 85% of
the tooth decay experienced by children today.
41. Despite the fact that we are exposed to far more fluoride today than we
were in 1945 (when fluoridation began), the "optimal" fluoridation level
is still 1 part per million, the same level deemed optimal in 1945!
42. The chemicals used to fluoridate water in the
43. These hazardous wastes have not been tested comprehensively. The chemical
usually tested in animal studies is pharmaceutical grade sodium fluoride, not
industrial grade fluorosilicic acid. The assumption
being made is that by the time this waste product has been diluted, all the fluorosilicic acid will have been converted into free
fluoride ion, and the other toxics and radioactive isotopes will be so dilute
that they will not cause any harm, even with lifetime exposure. These
assumptions have not been examined carefully by scientists, independent of the
fluoridation program.
44. Studies by Masters and Coplan (1999, 2000) show
an association between the use of fluorosilicic acid
(and its sodium salt) to fluoridate water and an increased uptake of lead into
children's blood. Because of lead’s acknowledged ability to damage the child’s
developing brain, this is a very serious finding yet it is being largely ignored
by fluoridating countries.
45. Sodium fluoride is an extremely toxic substance -- just 200 mg of fluoride
ion is enough to kill a young child, and just 3-5 grams (e.g. a teaspoon) is
enough to kill an adult. Both children (swallowing tablets/gels) and adults
(accidents involving fluoridation equipment and filters on dialysis machines)
have died from excess exposure.
46. Some of the earliest opponents of fluoridation were biochemists and at
least 14 Nobel Prize winners are among numerous scientists who have expressed
their reservations about the practice of fluoridation.
47. The recent Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology, Dr. Arvid Carlsson (2000), was one of
the leading opponents of fluoridation in
48. While pro-fluoridation officials continue to promote fluoridation with
undiminished fervor, they cannot defend the practice in open public debate –
even when challenged to do so by organizations such as the Association for
Science in the Public Interest, the
49. Many scientists, doctors and dentists who have spoken out publicly on this
issue have been subjected to censorship and intimidation. Most recently, Dr.
Phyllis Mullenix was fired from her position as Chair
of Toxicology at
50. The
To check references go to Paul Connett’s website: http://www.fluoridealert.org/50-reasons.htm
Conclusion
When it comes to controversies surrounding toxic chemicals, invested 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. With fluoridation we have had a fifty
year delay. Unfortunately, because government officials have put so much of
their credibility on the line defending fluoridation, and because of the huge
liabilities waiting in the wings if they admit that fluoridation has caused an
increase in hip fracture, arthritis, bone cancer, brain disorders or thyroid
problems, it will be very difficult for them to speak honestly and openly about
the issue. But they must, not only to protect millions of people from
unnecessary harm, but to protect the notion that, at its core, public health
policy must be based on sound science not political expediency. They have a
tool with which to do this: it's called the Precautionary Principle. Simply
put, this says: if in doubt leave it out. This is what most European countries
have done and their children's teeth have not suffered, while their public's
trust has been strengthened.
It is like a question from a Kafka play. Just how much doubt is needed on just
one of the health concerns identified above, to override a benefit, which when
quantified in the largest survey ever conducted in the US, amounts to less than
one tooth surface (out of 128) in a child's mouth?
For those who would call for further studies, I say fine. Take the fluoride out
of the water first and then conduct all the studies you want. This folly must
end without further delay.
Postscript
Further arguments against fluoridation, can be viewed
at http://www.fluoridealert.org.
Arguments for fluoridation can be found at http://www.ada.org and a more systematic presentation of
fluoride’s toxic effects can be found at http://www.Slweb.org/bibliography.html
DAMS International Newsletter, July 2007 Issue
Higher Fluoride Gives Lower
IQs,
More Retardation
By Leo Cashman
|
A |
n Iranian study has found that children whose
water fluoride is much higher have significantly lower IQs than comparable
children drinking water with a low level of fluoride. The study was led by B. Seraj, MD at the Teheran University of Medical Science. The
sample included 85
children from a village having low water fluoride levels, 0.4 parts per million
(ppm), and 41 children from a village having higher
fluoride levels, 2.5 ppm. Both villages are in the Qazvin
area of Iran and all of the children in the study had lived in their villages
all their lives; the occupational status and the socioeconomic background of
people living in the two villages was very similar.
The IQ differences were sharp. The mean IQ level
was 98.9 in the low fluoride village versus 87.9 in the high fluoride village.
In the low fluoride village, only 7.1% of the children fell into the
“borderline retarded” category of IQ, (IQ from 70 and 79), while in the high
fluoride village, 22% fell into that category. The high fluoride village also
had many more children falling into the “dull normal” category, (IQ from 80 to
89). 60% of the low fluoride village
children fell into the normal IQ category, (IQ of 90 to 109), while only 39% in
the high fluoride had normal IQs.
16.5% of the low fluoride children were “bright normal”
(IQ of 110 to 119), whereas only 4.9% of the high fluoride children were bright
normal. 7.1% of children in the low fluoride village were in the “superior” IQ
category, (IQ of 120-129); in the high fluoride village none of the children
tested in as having superior IQs.
“High level of fluoride may be associated with
impaired development of intelligence,” the study found.
In year 2000, Lu and
others published a similar for children in two Chinese villages. The children
in the higher fluoride village (3.15 ppm) had average
IQs of 92, as compared with an average IQ of 103 for children in the lower
(0.37 ppm) fluoride village.
In 2003 Xiang and others looked at children in six groups each
having a different water fluoride level, ranging from the lowest level of 0.36 ppm to 4.16 ppm fluoride at the
highest. Mental retardation (an IQ
below 80) rates increased as the level of fluoride increased. The retardation
rate was 6.5%
in the lowest fluoride group but retardation came in at 37.5% in the children
drinking highest fluoride
|
Effect of high fluoride concentration in
drinking water on children’s intelligence |
|
Author(s): Seraj B, Shahrabi M, Falahzade M, Falahzade F, Akhondi N |
Journal of Dental Medicine, Vol. 19, No. 2,
Pages 80-86
http://diglib.tums.ac.ir/pub/search.asp?kw=Fluoride
EFFECT OF HIGH-FLUORIDE WATER ON
INTELLIGENCE IN CHILDREN
http://www.fluoride-journal.com/00-33-2/332-74.pdf
EFFECT OF FLU
http://www.fluoride-journal.com/03-36-2/362-084.pdf
Arsenic
and Fluoride Exposure in Drinking Water: Children's IQ and Growth in
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2007/9270/abstract.html
Fluoride
Linked to Low IQ, Studies Show http://fluoridealert.org/news/1655.html
Fluoride in Drinking
Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards (2006) Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11571&page=205
|
How Much
Arsenic is Fluoridation Adding to the Public Water Supply? |
|
|
|
|
http://www.fluoridealert.org/f-arsenic.htm
Chronic Fluoride Poisoning
This contradicts the website of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of The
University of Western Ontario where it says, "In the broadest sense, the
term "Fluorosis" describes a state of
toxicity of the trace element, Fluorine (commonly referred to in its ionic
state as Fluoride) within an organism…Humans appear to vary considerably with
respect to their susceptibility to Fluorosis. As a
general guideline, prolonged total Fluoride intake exceeding 1.0 mg/day can
produce clinical signs of Fluorosis in adults. " The site goes on to say, "Generally speaking,
human Fluoride toxicity will manifest as any combination of;
§ Dental Fluorosis: the most obvious and easily
diagnosed form of Fluorosis by a characteristic
bilateral white mottling of the dentition. Dental Fluorosis
is usually caused by over-exposure to Fluoride when the dental enamel is
actively mineralizing during early childhood.
§ Skeletal Fluorosis: involves abnormal
mineralization of bone and soft tissues and/or the disruption of normal
activity of the osteocytes. For this reason, Skeletal
Fluorosis often mimics "generic"
osteoarthritis and/or osteoporosis in relatively young adults.
§ Systemic Fluorosis: due to the chemical nature of
Fluoride and its action(s) within mammalian systems which are not limited to
teeth and bone, Fluoride toxicity may potentially be linked to every major
multiple cause ailment of the 20th century from cancer to
Attention Deficit Disorder.
Fluoride toxicity may be acute or chronic, with affects ranging from cosmetic
damage, to disability and even death. With the exception of Dental Fluorosis, Fluoride-related illness is often attributed to
other diseases or syndromes (i.e. osteoarthritis for Skeletal Fluorosis, cardiovascular failure for death by acute
Fluoride poisoning) making Fluorosis in itself very
difficult to track epidemiologically in the absence of an ecosystem health
framework." 8
How to tell if you have fluorosis? Here's what they
said:
"What are the symptoms of Fluorosis?
Though apparently vague and non-specific, most of the symptoms of Fluoride
toxicity point towards some kind of profound metabolic dysfunction, and are
strikingly similar to the symptoms of Hypothyroidism.
Symptoms of Fluorosis
1. Learning Disorders/Difficulty
Concentrating/Incoherence/Memory Loss/Confusion
2. Body Temperature Disturbances/Cold Shivers
3. Chest Pains
4. Heart Palpitations
5. Depression
6. Dizziness/Vertigo
7. Dyspepsia
8. Excessive Sleepiness/Fatigue
9. Headaches/Migraines
10. Joint Pains
11. Nausea
12. Restlessness
13. Sensitivity to Light
14. Shortness of Breath
15. Difficulties Swallowing
16. Thirst
17. Tinnitus
18. Visual Disturbances
Major Related Diagnoses: Alzheimer's Disease/demyelinizing
diseases, anemia, arthritis, breast cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, decrease in
testosterone/spermatogenesis, altered vas deferens/testicular growth, decreased
dental arch, dental crowding, delayed tooth eruption, diabetes insipidus, diarrhea, Down Syndrome, early onset of puberty,
eosinophilia, eye/ear/nose disorders, fever,
gastro-intestinal disturbances, gingivitis, heart disorders, hypertension, hypoplasia, hypothyroidism/thyroid cancer, kidney
dysfunction, osteosarcoma, low birth weight, candidiasis, multiple sclerosis, oral squamous
cell carcinoma, Parkinson's Disease, seizures, slurred speech, skin
irritations, ankylosing spondylitis,
telangiectasia, thrombosis, ulcerative colitis,
uterine cancer, vaginal bleeding, weak pulse." 8
Fluoride and the Thyroid
A major point of disturbance about the USDA's
tolerance of 8 – 10 mg/day of fluoride is that it only takes 2 – 5 mg/day to
disrupt the thyroid. Here's what Fluoride Alert has to say:
"Starting in the 1930s and extending through to the 1970s, fluoride was
utilized by European and South American doctors as a drug to treat HYPER-thyroidism (over-active thyroid).
Of concern today in the
Whereas doses of 2 to 5 mg/day of fluoride were shown effective at depressing
thyroid function, adults in fluoridated communities in the
While it may be that the thyroid in a patient with hyperthyroidism is
particularly susceptible to the anti-thyroid actions of fluoride, there is
concern that current fluoride exposures may be playing a role in the widespread
incidence of HYPO-thyroidism (under-active thyroid)
in the U.S.
Hypothyrodisim, most commonly diagnosed in women over
40, is a serious condition with a diverse range of symptoms including: fatigue,
depression, weight gain, hair loss, muscle pains, increased levels of
"bad" cholesterol (LDL), and heart disease.. The drug (Synthroid) used to treat hypothyroidism is now one of the
top five prescribed drugs in the
The USDA document did not mention effects on the thyroid, or any of the
symptoms described by the
1) http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2005/March/Day-04/p4281.htm
2) http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/waterfluoridation/other.htm
3) Honeyville's Whole Dried Eggs
4) http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic181.htm
5) Minnesota Poison Control System http://www.mnpoison.org/index.asp?pageID=151
6) http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/oct00/sulf.htm
7) Federal Register Environmental Documents http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2005/July/Day-15/p13982.htm
8) Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario CASE
STUDY FOR THE 4TH YEAR COURSE IN ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
DENTAL FLUOROSIS (under development) http://www.med.uwo.ca/ecosystemhealth/education/casestudies/fluorosismed.htm
9) http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/thyroid/
10) Washington Post "Professor at Harvard Is Being Investigated" By
Juliet Eilperin Wednesday, July 13, 2005; Page A03
Fluoride Exposure May
Contribute to Early Puberty and Insomnia
Up until the
1990s, no research had ever been conducted to determine the impact of fluoride
on the pineal gland -- a small gland located between the two hemispheres of the
brain that regulates the production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a
hormone that helps regulate the onset of puberty and helps protect the body from
cell damage caused by free radicals.
It is now known -- thanks to the meticulous research of Dr. Jennifer Luke from
the
After finding that the pineal gland is a major target for fluoride accumulation
in humans, Dr. Luke conducted animal experiments to determine if the
accumulated fluoride could impact the functioning of the gland -- particularly
the gland's regulation of melatonin.
Luke found that animals treated with fluoride had lower levels of circulating
melatonin, as reflected by reduced levels of melatonin metabolites in the
animals' urine. This reduced level of circulating melatonin was accompanied --
as might be expected -- by an earlier onset of puberty in the fluoride-treated
female animals.
Sources:
·
Fluoride Action Network November 2008