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- Issue #410: What's the Deal with Fluoride?
Issue #410: What's the Deal with Fluoride?
Ryan Schneider
December 10, 2024
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, December 10th.
In today’s email:
Learn: Fluoride in Drinking Water
Try: Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste
Listen: Functional Medicine Dentist
In the News: A Fruit Fly’s Brain
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Stat of the Day
The number of Americans drinking fluorinated drinking water - that’s 72.3% of the total U.S. population. (CDC)
Learn
Fluoride in Drinking Water
Should we have fluoride in our drinking water?
It’s one of the loudest health debates and will only get more scrutiny with the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. as head of Health and Human Services.
Just about every medical organization - like the American Dental Association (ADA), recommends fluoride for healthy teeth.
But there’s a growing group of critics pointing out the danger of fluoride and that we shouldn’t be adding it to our drinking water.
So what’s the deal?
Well here’s what a judge just said in the case involving the U.S. adding fluoride to our water supply:
That water fluoridation at the level of 0.7 mg/L — the prescribed optimal level of fluoridation in the United States — presents an ‘unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, without consideration of costs or other non-risk factors.’
The U.S. District Court of Northern California just ruled in September of this year (from a lawsuit that started in 2016) that the EPA must strengthen regulation of fluoride in drinking water and found scientific evidence of fluoride’s health risks - specifically in infants.
The studies show a connection between fluorinated drinking water and higher ADHD and lower IQ in children, as well as cognitive impairment in older populations.
But wait - doesn’t fluoride prevent cavities?
Fluoride is a mineral found in the earth’s crust and can strengthen our enamel.
Just like calcium - which is the basis for our bones and teeth - when we are growing, our body will pull minerals from our bloodstream to build our bones and teeth.
It mostly pulls calcium - in fact, 99% of our calcium is stored in our bones and teeth. But when fluoride is present, it will also pull that too.
It’s true that fluoride can strengthen enamel. And - it has become even more popular because it’s resistant to acidic foods and junk food (a.k.a. sugar). So as we changed our diet to processed food, fluoride became a crutch to prevent tooth decay.
But even if that’s true - at what cost?
So Why Fluoride?
The U.S. is actually one of the few countries that puts fluoride in their drinking water.
Most countries have already figured out that we don’t need it in the water.
Why do we? Well - follow the money.
One of the byproducts of our synthetic fertilizers is - hydrogen fluoride. This gas led to some of the worst pollution in areas heavy with fertilizer production, like central Florida.
It’s really expensive to limit this pollution. But instead of paying for abatement, fertilizer companies instead got paid to sell it to municipal utilities and “drip” fluoride into the water supply.
And unlike the pharmaceutical grade fluoride in our toothpaste, the fluoride in our water is just untreated industrial waste with trace elements of arsenic and lead. As anyone can see on the EWG website for water in their zip code - these metals are in most of our drinking water.
What happens to those fertilizer companies if cities stop buying their fluoride?
There’s a long history that fluoride might not be as good as advertised. Back in 2011, the EPA recommended lowering levels of fluoride from 1.2 mg/L to 0.7 mg/L.
So what now?
Oral health is essential for longevity. We can’t ignore our teeth - quite the opposite, we need to double down on the health of our teeth and gums. But we also don’t want more toxins in our body.
Our recommendations:
1. Rinse Your Mouth - drink water after drinking anything acidic (carbonated water, soda, tea) and eating sugar or processed food.
2. Floss and/or Waterpik - keep your gums healthy and eliminate any food that can cause bad bacteria growth or inflammation.
3. Filter Your Water - get a reverse osmosis water filter. We just upgraded from the countertop version to the under the sink filter from AquaTru. Yes, it’s possible to install without a plumber (but I won’t get into the number of leaks we had to deal with before we were up and running).
Try
Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste
Recommended by progressive dentists - this is a great fluoride alternative. It’s safe and leverages calcium to strengthen our teeth and prevent cavities.
Some brands to check out (no affiliation):
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Listen
Functional Medicine Dentist
Check out the conversation between Dhru Purohit and Dr. Mark Burhenne as they discuss the topic of fluoride in more detail.
H&L in the News
Pollution Mutes Nature's Flower Power: Air pollution alters plant scents, disorienting bees and other pollinators. Fewer pollinator visits threaten crop yields and plant life, underscoring pollution’s ripple effect on ecosystems. (Knowable)
Stop the Suds Overload!: Using too much laundry detergent? An appliance expert reveals why less is more - save money, protect your washer, and get cleaner clothes with just two tablespoons per load. (The Cool Down)
A Fly’s Brain, Our Blueprint?: The most detailed brain map yet reveals 140,000 neurons and 50 million connections in a fruit fly’s brain. This breakthrough could offer profound insights into how human brains function. (Big Think)
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