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HSI e-Alert - Hard to Swallow

Dear Reader,

What drug is taken by more Americans than any other drug?

You might guess cholesterol-lowering statins, but you'd be wrong.
Statins are only used by about 13 million. That's a drop in the bucket.

You might guess acetaminophen or aspirin, but you'd be wrong.

Millions of people use these over-the-counter analgesics every day, but
that's nothing compared to American's number one drug: fluoride.

Most of us have been taking a daily dose of fluoridated tap water since
birth. About two-thirds of all U.S. water supplies are fluoridated, and
most of those supplies are in major population areas.

According to a recent report in Scientific American, people who live
fluoride-free are probably healthier than the rest of us. And
ironically, their teeth might be in better shape too.
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Overdoing it
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A company called DS Waters manufactures a product called Nursery – a
steam distilled, purified bottled water for babies and infants. And when
they've finished creating this pristine water what do they do? They add
fluoride.
That's like manufacturing a pure, unadulterated ointment, and then
packing a fly into every jar.

Here are some of the key revelations from the Scientific American report
on fluoride:
Over-consumption of fluoride is common – in addition to our tap water,
fluoride is added to toothpaste, mouthwash, medications, beverages, and
even some foods

Over-consumption of fluoride often causes dental fluorosis – a
discoloring or pitting of the teeth

A 16-year study that tracked 700 children showed that mild fluorosis was
50 percent more likely among children who lived in fluoridated areas
compared to children who didn't drink fluoridated tap water.
Chinese studies have linked high fluoride intake with lower I.Q.

Studies with lab animals reveal that high fluoride intake may increase
bone fracture risk

A National Research Council (NRC) committee reviewed hundreds of
fluoride studies and concluded that fluoride intake can alter endocrine
function, especially in the thyroid

That last item is arguably the most disturbing. The thyroid produces
hormones that regulate metabolism and growth. The chair of the NRC
committee told Dan Fagin, the author of the Scientific American piece,
"The thyroid changes do worry me."
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Benefits? Not so much
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Some of the Scientific American revelations are not surprising – not
to e-Alert readers anyway.

Three years ago I told you about Harvard research in which data showed
that boys who drink fluoridated water between the ages of five and 10
may have an increased risk of bone cancer. And William Campbell Douglass
II, M.D., reports that several osteoporosis studies have linked hip
fracture risk to high fluoride intake. In addition, Dr. Campbell reports
that animal trials have shown that fluoride enhances the brain's
absorption of aluminum, which increases Alzheimer's risk.

But just try to tell your dentist that fluoride is a potential toxin.
He'll probably insist that the risks are overblown, while the dental
benefits are irrefutable. And that's when you can offer these two
points:

1) The largest study ever conducted on fluoridation and oral health
included more than 39,000 children in 84 locations throughout the U.S.
Results showed no statistical difference in tooth decay rates between
fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities.

2) Tooth decay trends tracked by the World Health Organization from 1970
to 2002 show that the incidence of decayed, missing, or filled teeth has
been steadily in decline with each passing year in the U.S., France,
Germany, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, The
Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Iceland, and
Greece. Only one of these countries adds fluoride to the public water
supply: the U.S.

In his article, Dan Fagin notes that scientific attitudes toward
fluoridation may be starting to shift. I hope he's right. It's a shift
long overdue.

Sources:
"Second Thoughts on Fluoride" Dan Fagin, Scientific American, January
2008, sciam.com