- 1) I heard fluoride is a poison. Is this
true?
-
- Yes. Fluoride is an acute toxin with
a rating higher than that of lead.
-
- According to "Clinical Toxicology
of Commercial products," 5th Edition, 1984, lead is given a toxicity
rating of 3 to 4, and Fluoride is rated at 4 (3 = moderately toxic, 4 =
very toxic). On December 7, 1992, the new EPA Maximum Contaminant Level
(MCL) for lead was set at 0.015 ppm, with a goal of 0.0ppm. The MCL for
fluoride is currently set for 4.0 ppm - that's over 250 times the permissable
level of lead.
-
- Fluoride used in water fluoridation is
also a toxic waste product -- which means it contains other heavy metals.
It is the most bone seeking element known to mankind. The US Public Health
Service has stated that fluoride makes the bones more brittle and dental
enamel more porous.
-
- 2) How much fluoride am I taking in?
-
- Current total intake is now estimated
to be between 5 and 7 mg/day in "optimally fluoridated" areas.
Current fluoride intake is equally divided between drinking water (in fluoridated
areas), food, other beverages, and dental products, meaning that even if
you don't live in a fluoridated area, fluoride is endangering your health.
Average fluoride content in juices is 0.02 to 2.80 parts per million, in
part because of variations in fluoride concentrations of water used in
production. Children's ingestion of fluoride from juices and juice-flavored
beverages can be substantial and a crucial factor in developing fluorosis.
Grape juice has been found to contain up to 6.8 mg/L of fluoride, a can
of chicken soup up to 4 mg of fluoride. Fluoride can be found in water,
toothpaste, mouthwash, Dentist's treatment, fluoride pills, juice, soft
drinks, canned food, commercial fruit and vegetables, Teflon and Tefal
coated items (such as frying pans), etc. (Note: No "optimal"
fluoride intake has ever been scientifically documented.)
-
- 3) How much is too much?
-
- As little as 0.04 mg/kg of body weight
per day has been proven to cause adverse health effects. Retention of 2
mg a day will produce crippling skeletal fluorosis in one's lifetime.
-
- 4) Does fluoride accumulate in the body?
-
- Yes. Approximately half of each day's
fluoride intake will be retained. This is what makes it so dangerous. "The
dose makes the poison." All sides agree to the fact that healthy kidneys
can eliminate only about 50% of daily fluoride intake. The rest gets stored
in calcified tissues, like bones and teeth.
-
- The National Academy Of Sciences (NAS)
stated in 1977 that, for the average individual, a retention of 2 mg/day
would result in crippling skeletal fluorosis after 40 years. Considering
the above mentioned intake level, it is likely that skeletal fluorosis
already affects many millions of people in the United States.
-
- Children, the elderly and any person
with impaired kidney function (which includes many AIDS patients), are
in the high risk group for fluoride poisoning and must be warned to monitor
their fluoride intake. Also at high risk are people with immunodeficiencies,
diabetes and heart ailments, as well as anyone with calcium, magnesium
and Vitamin C deficiencies. (At the level of 0.4 ppm renal (kidney) impairment
has been shown.) (Junco, L.I. et al, "Renal Failure and Fluorosis",
Fluorine & Dental Health, JAMA 222:783 - 785, 1972)
-
- 5) How does fluoride get into the water?
-
- Most often as a byproduct from the fertilizer,
aluminum and other industries, who manage to sell this toxic waste to municipalities
nationwide for human consumption -- incredible, but a fact.
-
- 6) What about my toothpaste?
-
- Studies show that adults can absorb up
to 0.5 mg per "TV ribbon" brushing. Small children, even if pea-size
amount is used, will still absorb the same, more if the child is younger
and has less swallowing control skills. Half a tube of toothpaste can kill
a child. Current content of sodium fluoride in toothpaste in Canada and
the US is up to 0.4% = 4000 ppm (parts per million). Bubblegum-flavored
dentifrice obviously is especially inviting for children. Since April 1997
all toothpaste in the US must carry a warning label, advising parents what
to do if their child swallows more than the pea-size brushing amount. Wholesale
containers carry the poison symbol of skull and crossbones.
-
- 7) What about the fluoride treatment
at the dental office?
-
- Fluoride treatments can contain between
10,000 to 20,000 ppm. There is no regulated dose requirement. There are
cases known of children dying in the dentist's chair. (New York Times,
Jan.20, 1979: "$750,000 Given in Child's Death in Fluoride Case"
about a three year old child killed by fluoride treatment in the Dentist's
office.)
-
- 8) How can my dentist say that it's good
for my teeth?
-
- By receiving limited training on the
subject and being misinformed on purpose by the American Dental Association.
Figures in ADA pamphlets contain an incredible amount of untruths, and
outright fraudulent claims. If you check the references cited and numbers
listed in your local libraries, you will undoubtedly come to the same conclusion.
Some fluoridation endorsements are listed which prove fraudulent when checked.
Most dentists never bother to take the time to study both sides of the
fluoride issue. Consider this statement by the ADA in 1979: "Individual
dentists must be convinced that they need not be familiar with scientific
reports and field investigations on fluoridation to be effective participants
and that non-participation is overt neglect of personal responsibility."
There are NO reliable studies, conducted under ethical research guidelines,
which prove the benefits of fluoride supplementation. The FDA admits this!
There are more than 500 peer-reviewed studies documenting the adverse effects.
Furthermore, dentists make higher profits in fluoridated areas and through
fluoride use. As a result of mottled enamel, many more restorative measures
are necessary, such as braces, bridges, etc. For the American and Canadian
Dental Associations, this condition is a real money-maker, because cosmetic
dentistry is far more lucrative than cavity repair. In addition, there
is an abundance of evidence in the scientific literature indicating that
fluoride causes a delay in the normal shedding of the "baby"
teeth, and their replacement by permanent teeth. This delay has been shown
to increase the number of children with malpositioned teeth. Again, braces
are far more expensive than fillings.
-
- (Note: In a 1972 report by the American
Dental Association, it is stated that dentists make 17% more profit in
fluoridated areas as opposed to non-fluoridated areas.) (Douglas et al.,
"Impact of water fluoridation on dental practices and dental manpower",
Journal of the American Dental Association; 84:355-67, 1972) In 1993 the
National Academy of Sciences warned, "dental fluorosis...might be
more than a cosmetic defect if enough fluorotic enamel is fractured and
lost to cause pain, adversely affect food choices, compromise chewing efficiency,
and require complex dental treatment."
-
- The International Academy of Oral Medicine
and Toxicology has classified fluoride as an unapproved dental medicament
due to its high toxicity.
-
- The FDA considers fluoride an unapproved
new drug for which there is no proof of safety or effectiveness. The FDA
does not consider fluoride an essential nutrient.
-
- Four major studies involving 480,000
children (US, 39,000; Japan, 22,000; India, 400,000; Tucson, 29,000) comparing
fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas showed no significant difference
in decay rates. Proven is that a higher intake of fluoride will actually
cause MORE cavities, especially for children with low dietary calcium intake.
-
- 9) Is it true that fluoride can cause
cancer?
-
- Yes. In 1990 fluoride was found to be
an equivocal carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute Toxicology Program.
(Maurer, et. al.,"Fluoride an equivocal carcinogen. J.National Cancer
Institute 82, 1118-26, 1990) In 1992 further studies by the New Jersey
Department of Health confirmed a 6.9 fold increase in bone cancer in young
males. (Cohn, Perry D. Ph.D. "An Epidemiological Report on Drinking
Water" Fluoridation and Osteosarcoma in Young Males, New Jersey Department
of Health, Environmental Health Service, Trenton NJ November 8, 1992) In
1997 there were more than 80 references available, linking fluoride to
cancer.
-
- 10) Is it true that fluoride can increase
hip fractures?
-
- Yes. According to Dr. J. William Hirzy
(vice-president of the NFFE LOCAL 2050, the union representing all scientists
at the EPA, Washington, D.C.) there have been 5 epidemiological studies
done since 1990, in three different countries, all showing a higher increase
in hip fractures in fluoridated communities.
-
- Some studies have indicated an 87% higher
risk of hip fractures to the elderly in areas where water fluoridation
was below 1.5 ppm.
-
- 11) Can fluoride cause Osteoporosis and
Arthritis?
-
- Yes, most definitely. On July 9, 1998
the Manchester Guardian reported news of fluoride poisoned water in Central
India, from untested wells drilled in the 1980s, causing severe arthritic
damage to tens of millions of people -- a national disaster. Fluoride is
the most bone seeking element known to mankind. The US Public Health Service
has stated that fluoride makes the bones more brittle and dental enamel
more porous.
-
- 12) Does it cause brain damage?
-
- Yes. Fluorides lower the intelligence
capacity of humans, with children, again, especially susceptible to early
fluoride toxicity. IQ levels were significantly lower than children not
exposed to fluorides in all age groups listed. (According to Dr. Hirzy,
5 to 19 points lower!) (Li, X.S., Zhi, J.L., Gao, R.O., "Effects of
Fluoride Exposure on the Intelligence of Children", Fluoride;28:182-189,
1995) Further studies proving the neurotoxicity of fluoride in rats have
also been conducted by Dr. Phyllis Mullinex and her co-workers. (Note:
this also explains a recent University of South Florida study relating
fluoride intake during pregnancy to the yearly 1% increase in learning
disabilities found in children...)
-
- Studies proving that fluorides transfer
through the placenta are well known. (Meanwhile, Dr.Weil, Internet's Health
Guru, advocates fluoride supplements for pregnant women in his book "8
Weeks To Optimum Health"...)
-
- There are also several studies linking
aluminum with fluoride, showing that the bioavailability of aluminum is
increased in the presence of fluorides, causing aluminum in the brain to
double in treated animals. According to an October 28, 1992 Wall Street
Journal Article about a study conducted by Varnier JA, et al.: "Rats
fed the highest doses developed irregular mincing steps characteristic
of senile animals.... Post mortem examination of the rat brains disclosed
'substantial cell loss in structures associated with dementia -- the neo-cortex
and hippocampus'." (Note: Alzheimer's Disease, first diagnosed by
Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1907, is now the #4 killer for every person over
60 in the US. Every 2nd person over 70 will develop Alzheimer's.) Environmental
fluoride is implicated in this.
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- 13) How widespread is this problem?
-
- The US Public Health Service estimates
that 1 in 5 children have dental fluorosis. (By the way, all native reservations
in the US have mandatory fluoridation, resulting in very high incidents
of dental fluorosis in those areas.) Realistic figures are as high as 80%
in some areas in the US and as high as 69% in Canada. Studies have been
conducted directly linking bone tissue damage to children with dental fluorosis.
Fluorosis is the first visible sign that destructive effects of fluoride
are also occurring in bone, connective tissue, immune and enzyme functions.
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- 14) If all this is true, how can fluoridation
possibly be sanctioned by government? In 1939 a dentist named H. Trendley
Dean, DDS, examined water from 345 communities in Texas. Dr. Dean worked
for the U.S Public Health Service (PHS). He determined that high concentrations
of fluoride in the water corresponded to a high incidence in mottled teeth.
To many dentists this provided an answer to the problem of mottled teeth
they saw in some of their patients. Dr. Dean also unexpectedly found a
lower incidence of dental cavities in some communities having about 1 ppm
fluoride in the water supply. Among the native residents of these areas
about ten percent developed the very mildest forms of mottled enamel, sometimes
described as "beautiful white teeth". However, Dean used a technique
known as "selective use of data", using data from 21 cities while
completely disregarding data from 272 other locations which show an almost
complete lack of correlation when plotted. (J. Colquhoun; International
Symposium on Fluoridation, Porte Alegre, Brazil, September 1988) Meanwhile,
a number of court cases were being launched due to fluoride contamination,
mainly by the aluminum industry. In addition the Manhattan Project, the
secret atomic bomb project, was in a big race to build the world's first
A-bomb. A pollution incident of great magnitude occurred at a factory in
New Jersey (DuPont) producing millions of tons of fluoride for the project.
A major "negative PR" problem was emerging, threatening the Manhattan
Project and the secrecy around it. In 1945, supposedly as a result of Dr.
Dean's discovery, the PHS planned to conduct a 10-year study of fluoridation
in two cities. Grand Rapids, Michigan was chosen as the city for artificial
fluoridation and Muskegon, Michigan was the non-fluoridated city for comparison
and cavity rates were to be compared. In 1950, after only five years into
the project, due again to pressure exerted from the atomic bomb program,
public health officials started to campaign for fluoridation. The campaign
was based on the fact that fluoridated Grand Rapids had shown some decrease
in cavity rate. Meanwhile there was also a decrease in cavity rate shown
in non-fluoridated Muskegon. However, Muskegon was dropped from the study
for unknown reasons. After the project was completed, only the Grand Rapids
result was released and a major PR campaign promoting fluoride use started.
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- 15) How about the effects on the environment?
-
- Many studies have been conducted examining
the adverse effects of fluoride on the eco-system. In 1995, the Canadian
EPA identified the now closed Brunswick Mining and Smelting Fertilizer
Plant in Belledune, New Brunswick as having the largest discharge of fluoride
to the aquatic environment in Canada. Toxicity to marine bacteria and impaired
reproduction effects were demonstrated... Agriculture Canada (1976) found
that 25 out of 36 cattle located on several Cornwall Island farms in the
Saint Regis Quebec region displayed real or potential symptoms of chronic
fluorosis. A subsequent study of livestock in this region reported stiffness
and inflamed leg joints, dental fluorosis, osteosclerosis, osteonecrosis
and bone deformations. Many serious toxic and detrimental effects to plants
and animal species have been documented, salmon populations in particluar
being in the high risk category.
-
- IT'S A TOXIC WASTE! Think about it -
day after day, unprecedented quantities of fluoride are deliberately released
into the environment, especially in fluoridated areas. Showers, toilet
flushes, lawn sprinkling .. As a result of the original Manhattan Project
logic, industries, now mainly the fertilzer and aluminum industries, have
a perfect way to get rid of their hazardous waste material. It would cost
up to $8,000 per truckload to dispose of this hazardous waste. At a rate
of emissions into the air of 155,000 tons/year, in addition to an estimated
500,000 tons of emissions into lakes, ocean, rivers (not counting fluoridation)
- this adds up to savings of $6 Billion dollars/year to industry!
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- 16) What do I need to do? How can I protect
myself?
-
- If you live in an area with fluoridated
water, drink distilled water. You can have it delivered or buy it at Supermarkets.
You can also buy distilling or reverse osmosis systems for home use which
is the only way for taking fluoride out of the water. Also, eliminate any
Teflon of Tefal coated cookingware, for scratches in the surface will release
PTFT, another toxic fluoride compound. Avoid fruit juices canned or bottled
in fluoridated areas. All non-organic grape products are especially high
in fluoride content due to the number of fertilizer and pesticide applications.
Wine can contain up to 3 ppm fluoride. Avoid using any toothpaste or mouthrinse
containing fluoride. There are many alternatives on the market. A recent
store survey in Vancouver showed over 20 different brands.
-
- In addition, lobbying is required to
demand fluoride content labeling on commercial products. Steps to educate
the public about this proven health risk and fluoride's toxic properties
must be taken immediately and health advisories issued. Water fluoridation
should cease immediately and steps should be taken to reduce fluoride in
food, drink, and dental products. If you live in a fluoridated area, take
action to stop the addition of fluoride into the water supply. Individuals
ARE successful in educating legislators about the issue and have helped
pass laws to stop the addition of fluoride into the water supply. (Notably
Darlene Sherrell, who not only discovered that the original Roholm/Hodge
safety figures had been mis-calculated and then persisted with the help
of Dr. Bob Carton and Senator Bob Graham in her efforts to get the National
Research Council (NAS/NRC) to adopt the new figures - which had even been
corrected by Hodge himself in 1979 - but also managed to change the law
in Michigan, giving people the right to vote on fluoridation. Michigan
was the first state in the US to repeal their mandatory fluoridation law.
Darlene's contact info is below.)
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- Web pages have been set up documenting
all the above information, enabling you to conduct your own research into
this matter. All information is verifiable. For more info with study/research
links to studies, abstracts, charts and fraud papers, please go to either
web site listed below.
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