The controversy round whether or not fluoride must be added to faucet water has been ongoing for nearly 80 years. Authorities companies argue that fluoride helps stop tooth decay, whereas opponents are involved about potential well being dangers. Not too long ago, there was some progress within the EPA fluoride lawsuit, which has raised questions concerning the security of including fluoride to ingesting water.
Some analysis means that fluoride ought to have been beneath scrutiny way back due to a doable hyperlink between excessive ranges of fluoride publicity and decrease IQ scores and between fluoride and sleep patterns.
A Story of two Villages
In 2003, a examine (pdf) was carried out within the rural townships of Xinhuai and Wamiao in Jiangsu Province, China, situated north of Shanghai. The 2 villages had considerably completely different fluoride focus ranges of their ingesting water, with Xinhuai at roughly 0.91 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and Wamiao at round 4.12 mg/L. For reference, the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies recommends a stage no larger than 0.7 mg/L of fluoride in ingesting water.
The examine examined the IQ of 512 kids between the ages of 8 and 13 from each villages and located that, on common, the imply IQ of youngsters in Xinhuai was considerably larger than that of the youngsters in Wamiao.
Fluoride was believed to haven’t any dangerous results on folks other than inflicting dental fluorosis. Thus, the outcomes of the 2003 examine in Xinhuai and Wamiao got here as a shock, suggesting that the impression of fluoride on the human physique is extra advanced than beforehand thought. Extra analysis (pdf) concluded that the distinction in IQ scores was not attributable to variations in lead ranges or variations in socioeconomic or geographic elements. It’s value noting that this examine was not an remoted case, as different research (pdf) have investigated the potential hyperlink between fluoride publicity and cognitive perform.
Extra Analysis Suggests Fluoride in Ingesting Water Is Dangerous
For instance, a examine from New Zealand with almost 1,000 kids confirmed comparable outcomes to the Chinese language examine. An evaluation of 14 research additionally concluded that top fluoride ranges impression cognitive perform. General, there have been at the least 85 research, in keeping with the activist group Fluoride Motion Community, detailing the results of fluoride on kids’s IQs, and 76 of these research reported a possible hyperlink between elevated fluoride publicity and diminished IQ in people. This raises the query of what different elements—together with fluoride—may have contributed to the outcomes.
After we consult with low IQ, it implies that the mind can not perform optimally, possible attributable to improper growth or neural injury. Within the years after the 2003 examine in China, researchers discovered that fluoride, very similar to heavy metals reminiscent of mercury, lead, aluminum, and iron, can injury the nervous system by producing free radicals (pdf) that degrade cell membranes within the mind. Free radicals are like little asteroids that fly round contained in the physique and injury cells, together with DNA, cell membranes, and proteins.
Accumulation of free radicals can improve the chance of varied ailments, together with most cancers. Excessive ranges of fluoride consumption can result in the buildup of free radicals in a growing mind, which can end in neuronal injury, probably explaining why the youngsters from the village with excessive concentrations of fluoride within the water had lower-than-average IQs than the youngsters within the village with low concentrations. It’s troublesome for the human physique to interrupt down fluoride, so managing extreme consumption will be difficult.
How Fluoride Can Have an effect on Your Sleep
Fluoride can accumulate within the pineal gland, situated deep in the course of the mind, disrupting hormone-regulated sleeping patterns.
After getting into the physique, fluoride accumulates in locations wealthy in calcium, reminiscent of bones, tooth, and, surprisingly, the pineal gland. Calcium is important to correct mind perform, so calcium tends to build up there, particularly within the calcium-rich pineal gland, which tends to get the very best fluoride focus. Analysis reveals that top fluoride ranges are related to the calcification of the pineal gland.
The pineal gland performs a vital function in melatonin manufacturing, the first hormone answerable for the physique’s circadian rhythm, which regulates an individual’s sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin ranges peak throughout childhood and step by step decline as folks age, with aged people having the bottom ranges. Nonetheless, as a result of the physique has problem breaking down fluoride, it tends to build up, together with within the pineal gland, making it difficult to take care of a wholesome steadiness of melatonin.
The buildup of each calcium and fluoride can disrupt the manufacturing of melatonin within the pineal gland. For instance, a cross-sectional examine revealed in Environmental Well being discovered that publicity to fluoride in older adolescents might disrupt their sleep cycle, resulting in sleep issues and daytime drowsiness. Nonetheless, additional analysis is required to verify these findings.
Calcification of the pineal gland is a attribute characteristic of Alzheimer’s illness. In Alzheimer’s, extended calcification reduces the gland’s quantity, reducing melatonin manufacturing. Much less melatonin can result in poor sleep regulation and extra sleep issues. As well as, melatonin performs a task within the regeneration of neurons within the mind, serving because the mind’s self-repair mechanism.
Whereas a causal relationship between larger fluoride consumption and Alzheimer’s has not been established, a excessive fluoride consumption might result in persistent signs resembling Alzheimer’s illness. This raises considerations concerning the difficulties in regulating and controlling excessive fluoride consumption.
Contemplating the potential dangers to the pineal gland and different well being points related to the fluoridation of ingesting water, it’s important to query what sacrifices folks could also be making in pursuit of wholesome tooth and a satisfying smile.
Learn how to Keep away from Fluoride
The fluoride added to faucet water differs considerably from the fluoride in pure deposits. In nature, fluoride often exists together with calcium. The fluoride added to our ingesting water within the type of fluorosilicic acid or sodium fluoride, hazardous artificial chemical substances whose descriptions appear questionable relating to human well being:
- Fluorosilicic acid: “A colorless fuming liquid with a penetrating pungent odor. Corrosive to metals and tissue. Each the fumes and really quick contact with the liquid could cause extreme and painful burns. Utilized in water fluoridation, in hardening cement and ceramics, as a wooden preservative,” in keeping with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chemical Datasheet.
- Sodium fluoride: “It’s corrosive to aluminum. It’s used as an insecticide. It is usually used to fluorinate water provides, as a wooden preservative, in cleansing compounds, manufacture of glass, and for a lot of different makes use of,” in keeping with the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) PubChem library.
The previous compound is labeled as corrosive and the latter as poisonous. Nonetheless, the calcium fluoride present in nature has no warning labels. So other than questioning why officers aren’t fluoridating water with calcium fluoride, some folks could also be questioning about learn how to keep away from it. Listed below are a couple of simple methods:
- Sure water filters can successfully take away fluoride from faucet water.
- Verify the bottled water labels for info on producers’ components and coverings.
- Purchase spring water as a substitute of purified water.
- Purchase fluoride-free toothpaste.
Views expressed on this article are the opinions of the creator and don’t essentially replicate the views of The Epoch Occasions. Epoch Well being welcomes skilled dialogue and pleasant debate. To submit an opinion piece, please observe these tips and submit via our kind right here.
Originally posted 2023-05-18 13:00:03.