If you are a regular reader of this blog and a passionate supporter of natural health initiatives, the issue of water fluoridation is probably on your radar. Fluoridation is imposed upon us even while there is substantial evidence supporting its potential negative health effects.
The argument that proponents of fluoridation cite claims that fluoride is necessary for healthy teeth because it repairs and re-mineralizes exposed “dentin”. However, there is significant evidence that it can be detrimental if swallowed daily.
There are reasons to be concerned about water fluoridation:
- The main chemicals used to fluoridate water are industrial byproducts of the phosphate fertilizer industry and can contain elevated levels of arsenic and lead.
- Dr. Philippe Grandjean, chair of environmental medicine at the University of Denmark and adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, shared the results of decades of researching chemicals capable of damaging the developing brain in a paper published earlier this month. On the list with PCBs, toulene and ethanol: fluoride.
- The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) own National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory says that fluoride is a chemical with “substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity”.
The good news is the tide may be starting to turn. Already in 2014 a small community in Florida has gotten the ball rolling by following the lead set by nine states proposing anti-fluoridation bills last year. On January 28 the Wellington Village Council voted 3-2 to end 14 years of fluoridating their water.
It has been said that “it takes a village” – and we applaud the Wellington Village Council for taking the lead on this important issue – but it will take much more to raise awareness across the country. You can do your part by becoming informed and sharing that information with friends and family.
Stay tuned for more on this issue, and for opportunities to take action.
