What I Am Doing About My Fluoride Intake
I am not an investigative reporter. I do not wish to dig up all the data regarding the safety of fluoride. I am merely sharing a few quickly gathered facts to give an overview of the subject as a basis for the little steps I have taken to ingest less fluoride. I've layed it all out below. It's not that I don't trust the government, large corporations, and the medical field... Ok. I'll be honest. I don't.
I maintain enough optimism to believe that they probably don't want to hurt me and enough pessimism to feel that someone or someones are definitely willing to profit at the expense of my health. At my core, I simply do not want any more foreign crap in my body than there needs to be. I am not perfect in this attempt, but I try. So these are the baby steps I've made to put less of this questionable crud in the temple of soft, warm, girly bod that I inhabit.
Ideally, I'd like to have a reverse osmosis system installed in the house. I don't want fluoride seeping into my pores via the shower either. Or chlorine. But I am tackling one thing at a time here.
I could buy a 5-stage filter called ZeroWater, for drinking and cooking purposes. I'll get around to this eventually. It costs about $40, I can find it locally I am told, and it is recommended by thepeopleschemist.com, whom I have heard very good things about.
What I did do, is switch toothpaste brands. I now buy *Tom's of Maine Fluoride Free toothpaste. It is not any more expensive than any normal toothpaste and compared to some brands, it is less. I've been getting it at Whole Foods. Target has started stocking some varieties as well. As a bonus, Tom's toothpaste is Cruelty-Free (Certified by PETA), Cruelty-Free (certified by the Leaping Bunny Program), Kosher certified and HALAL endorsed, with many other awesome attributes. It also has the ADA's seal of acceptance. Find them here: http://www.tomsofmaine.com/products/overlay/Not-In-Our-Products
I have also made my own toothpaste. It works great and it is incredibly easy! My teeth whitened better than with any toothpaste I've ever used. It is an equal mix of baking soda and coconut oil. (I used organic.) If you want a flavor, add a drop or two of essential oil. I did not add the oil. As a result, my breath did not have that safe "fresh" taste that I have grown accustomed to, even though my teeth felt yummy and clean. I ended up using it as my nighttime toothpaste and the Tom's in the morning, so I could greet the world with my minty freshness.
It's not a lot, but it is a good solid effort. Try it out.
What is fluoride?
Cancer.Gov states - "Fluorides are compounds that combine the element fluorine with another substance, usually a metal. Examples include *sodium fluoride, *stannous fluoride and *monofluorophosphate (MFP fluoride).
Once in the body, fluorides are absorbed into the blood through the digestive tract. They travel through the blood and tend to collect in areas high in calcium, such as the bones and teeth."
Fluoride is a controversial additive in many public water supplies. It is commonly found in drinking water, other beverages, food, and dental products like toothpaste and mouthwash. It is deemed safe by the American Dental Association. A Google search will fill your computer screen with oodles of organizations claiming otherwise. Oodles and oodles.
The American Dental Association cites examples of studies stating that it is not deemed a cancer risk and poo-poos a study by Japanese scientists that says it is. I lived in Japan for a time and they did not add fluoride to the water. The Japanese have horrible teeth and when I returned state-side, I had a huge dental bill. But no Cancer... So there's that. It does help prevent cavities. That's a personally experienced fact.
One of the studies the ADA cited as valid was done by Procter and Gamble. I wouldn't trust either the ADA or P&G as a stand alone for my opinion as they both profit from fluoride.
Cancer.Gov quotes a systematic review by the National Health Service (NHS) Center for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, United Kingdom as saying, "Given the level of interest surrounding the issue of public water fluoridation, it is surprising to find that little high-quality research has been undertaken."
What are the benefits? The Dangers? A quick, unscientific search of the internet yielded these results:
Benefits:
Protects all ages against cavities.
Possible Dangers:
Bone fractures
Dental fluorosis
Neurotoxicity
Lower IQ
It affects the pineal gland
It affects the thyroid
Causes arthritic symptoms
Damages bones
May cause bone cancer
May cause reproductive problems
It may leach lead from pipes when mixed with chlorinating agents
But, you'll have less cavities.
Peace, Love, and Health,
The Hungry Hippie
*Sodium fluoride: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_fluoride
*Stannous fluoride: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin%28II%29_fluoride
*Monofluorophosphate (MFP fluoride): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_monofluorophosphate
Product info Tom's of Maine: http://www.tomsofmaine.com/product-details/antiplaque-plus-whitening-gel-toothpaste
