|
DONATIONS If our site or organization has been helpful to you, please consider donating to us, if you can afford to do so. This is a free website, no one is paid by our totally volunteer organization and we have no office to support. Most money raised goes to the dissemination of information either electronically or via snail mail. Checks should be written to: New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation PO Box 263 Old Bethpage, NY 11804 Thank You |
Links Section
Fluoride's Harmful Effects Can Be Reversed
|
|
NEW YORK — August 2002 -- Research from India shows that fluoride can make people sick; but improved diet and complete fluoride withdrawal can relieve symptoms, according to the May-June, 2002, “Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry.”(a)
Fluoride’s harmful health effects, except to teeth, are rarely studied in the U.S. and, in fact, are often discouraged(b). Also never studied, incredibly, are the most widely-used artificial fluoride chemicals Americans drink daily(c) - silicofluorides, derived from fertilizers, purposely added to water supplies, at about 1 milligram fluoride per quart of water, in an attempt to reduce tooth decay.
In areas of India, where food and water are naturally fluoride-abundant, severe fluoride toxicity is common and manifests as debilitating and disfiguring diseases(d). Well-known is that fluoride excess irreversibly cripples bones and crumbles teeth (fluorosis).
Lesser-known are early fluorosis warning signs, or soft tissue toxicity, whose manifestations and resulting clinical complaints are reversible with a diet adequate in calcium, vitamins C, E, other antioxidants and withdrawal of all fluoride sources (the intervention), report researchers Madhu Bhatnager and Professor (Dr.) A.K. Susheela, the CEO and Director of India’s Fluorosis Research and Rural Development Foundation.
Susheela and Bhatnager examined ten patients (6 males, 4 females; ages ranging from 8-60 years) having clinical symptoms suggestive of fluoride poisoning. Blood, urine and drinking water samples were collected. Water samples contained 0.l4, 0.38, 0.90, l.06, 2.00, 1.74, 3.00, 5.80, 26.07 and 29.00 milligrams fluoride per liter (approximately a quart). Some patients with fluorosis consumed safe water but ingested fluoride through food and/or other fluoride sources.
After a year on the intervention, serum and urine fluoride levels dropped significantly with patients’ complete relief from joint pain and rigidity, polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (constant thirst), muscle weakness, and gastrointestinal complaints, some alleviated after only 10-15 days.
Dr. Susheela researches fluoride extensively (http://education.vsnl.com/fluorosis/publication.html). In this study, Susheela and Bhatnager write: “It is now an established fact that fluoride ingestion over a period of time can affect the structure and function of cells, tissues, organs and systems resulting in a variety of clinical manifestations. (For example:)
1) aches and pain in the joints, i.e. neck, back, hip, shoulder and knee without visible signs of fluid accumulation
2) non-ulcer dyspepsia such as nausea, vomiting, pain in the stomach, bloated feeling or gas formation in the stomach, constipation followed by diarrhea
3) polyuria (frequent urination) and polydipsia (excessive thirst)
4) muscle weakness, fatigue, anemia with low hemoglobin level
5) complaints of repeated abortions/still birth
6) complaints of male infertility with abnormality in sperm morphology, oligospermia (spermatozoa deficiency in the semen), azoospermia (spermatozoa absence in the semen) and low testosterone levels.”
Susheela and Bhatnager recommend physicians consider fluoride toxicity for the above-listed patient complaints and/or any loss of shine or discoloration in the patient’s front row of teeth, which may be due to dental fluorosis.
“Americans are unaware that their arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome or other symptoms may be fluoride-related,” says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. “This information should be heeded by physicians and members of the medical and scientific communities. Dr. Susheela is a world authority on the health effects of fluoride to the human body,” says Beeber.
“Pediatricians need to be educated about fluorosis. Perhaps water fluoridation and indiscriminate promotion of fluoridated dental products in the name of prevention of dental caries (cavities) need to be reviewed,” writes Susheela and Bhatnager To arrive at a definitive fluorosis diagnosis, Susheela and Bhatnager:
(1) measure fluoride levels in drinking water, blood (serum), and urine. Twenty-four hour urine is ideal. Samples are collected in plastic, not glass, containers because fluoride reacts with silica in glass resulting in unreliable data.
(2) take radiographs of the region or joint where the patient had complaints such as pain and stiffness
(3) take forearm X-rays to look for interosseous membrane calcification. The forearm X-ray is essential for diagnosis of fluorosis at early stages and to distinguish fluorosis from other orthopedic conditions. “This is an important message as forearm X-ray is only requested for diagnosing fluorosis. In patients with fluorosis and osteomalacia, increases in bone mass and bone density may not appear, but ligaments would reveal calcification.” they write.
“U.S. studies show American children are fluoride saturated, ruining their teeth with dental fluorosis; yet cavity rates are rising,” says Beeber. “These children should be studied for fluoride’s other adverse health effects and correlated to essential nutrient consumption and cavities.”
Ignoring tax dollar research indicating Americans are over-fluoridated, Public Health Dentists request more federal money for fluoridation (S.1878, H. R. 4476, S. 998, S. 971, S.1626, H.R.3659, H.R.5098, S.87, H.R.562, H.R.3450, S.1533, H.R.1662, S.212). At the same time, they ask for even more money to treat the rampant tooth decay fluoridation fails to prevent.
If I drink and cook with bottled water will I avoid fluoride? NO
In the U.S., it’s virtually impossible to live a fluoride-free life. Fluoride is inhaled via ocean mist and steam from showers, baths, humidifiers and air pollution. Mechanically deboned meats (e.g. chicken baby foods, chicken nuggets) can contain high levels of fluoride. Fluoride has an affinity for both teeth and bones. Fluoridated chicken bone dust gets into the finished product.
Vegetables and fruits may bear fluoride-containing pesticide residues. Some juices made with grapes, for example, with more surface area, are very high in fluoride.
Most foods and beverages baked, canned, processed, etc., in fluoridated US cities will contain fluoride not listed on the label. Are you cooking with bottled water (pasta and rice, especially absorb lots of water) and what does your favorite restaurant cook with?
Fluoridated dental products, both over the counter and in the dentist office, are a billion dollar industry which financially supports organized dentistry to some extent.
How Much Is Too Much?
To avoid dental fluorosis, according to the National Academy of Science (NAS), fluoride from all sources should total less than 0.01 milligram for infants up to 6 months old. This is hard to accomplish since many baby foods contain more fluoride than that.
For example, fluoride concentrations in infant formulas measure 0.01 to 0.75 mg/L when distilled water was used in preparation; from 0.02 to 1.37 mg/L when bottled mineral water was used; and from 0.91 to 1.55 mg/L for concentrated formulas prepared using fluoridated tap water(g). Soy formulas had the highest fluoride content. By comparison, breastmilk contains about .007 mg/L fluoride.
The NAS says over 0.5 mg fluoride daily from all sources for babies from 6 - 12 months puts babies at risk for dental fluorosis. However, a single serving (71 g or 2.5 ounces) of mechanically separated pureed chicken baby food can contain 0.6 mg fluoride(e).
The NAS says over 0.7 mg for children from 1 to 3 years old may create the mottled teeth indicative of dental fluorosis. However, some milk measures .72 mg/L fluoride(f)
The NAS says that over 1 mg fluoride daily for children from 4 to 8 years old may doom them to the white spots or yellowing too much fluoride delivers. Fruit loops have been measured to contain 2.1 mg/L fluoride(f). And fluoridated tap water delivers about 1 mg/L fluoride.
Researchers calculate children's fluoride intake between 6 and 9 months is significantly associated with the development of fluorosis of baby teeth (h). And, unless fluoride sources are cut back, Fluorosis on primary teeth probably leads to fluorosis in permanent teeth (i).
The onset of fluoride-overdose in adults is the above-listed symptoms and others that US doctors are not trained to detect.
(a) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12162452&dopt=Abstract
(b) http://www.fluoridealert.org/mullenix.htm
(c )http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/Chem_Background/ExSumPDF/Fluorosilicates.pdf
(d) http://www.fluoridealert.org/fluorosis-india.htm
(e) September, 2001, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, “Fluoride Content of Foods Made with Mechanically Separated Chicken,” by Fein and Cerklewski http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11559124&dopt=Abstract
(f) http://bruha.com/fluoride/html/f-_in_food.html
(g) ASCD J Dent Child 2001 Jan-Feb, “Fluoride content of infant formulas prepared with deionized, bottled mineral and fluoridated drinking water http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11324405&dopt=Abstract
(h)Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2002 Aug, "Primary tooth fluorosis and fluoride intake during the first year of life," Levy SM, et al http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12147170&dopt=Abstract
(i) March 1999 Journal of the American Dental Association “Fluorosis of the primary dentition: what does it mean for permanent teeth?” by Warren JJ, Kanellis MJ, Levy SM http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10085657&dopt=Abstract
Contacts: Paul Beeber, NYSCOF, nyscof@aol.com, P.O. Box 263, Old Bethpage, N.Y. 11804 http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof http://www.enn.com/direct/display-by-affiliate.asp?id=1765
Paul Connett, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY, ggvideo@northnet.org Fluoride Action Network http://www.fluoridealert.org
We shared this news release (an abbreviated form) with public health dentists (many paid for with our on taxes) on their listserv (DPH). We thought they should know about the ill health effects of fluoride. But apparently they didn’t. Here is their reply: Subj: Re: Fluoride Can Make People Sick, Researchers Report Date: 8/29/2002 6:59:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: (Robert Weyant) To: NYSCOF@aol.com I have removed you from the DPH listserv and request that you do not attempt to re-subscribe. The intent of the list has always been to facilitate discussion among DPH professionals - not to debate fluoridation issues. My recent vote of listmembers showed overwhelming support for excluding non-DPH professionals from the list, particularly when they continue to disrupt the list's intent with postings such as these.
____________________________________________________________________________
PRO-FLUORIDATION STUDIES FAULTY, REPORTS BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
New York 10/11/2000 PRNewswire/ -- Fluoridation is based on poor science, has overstated benefits, puts children at high risk of developing dental fluorosis and may increase older women's chances of wrist fractures, reports the British Medical Journal (B.M.J.), October 7, 2000.
McDonagh and colleagues conducted a systematic review of 214 selected water fluoridation safety and efficacy studies. "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," they write.Fluoride-laced drinking water, touted as a potent cavity fighter, apparently, has little, if any, scientific support.
McDonagh, et al, write that the pro-fluoridation studies lack appropriate design and analysis. Many don't control for potentially confounding factors such as "age, sex, social class, ethnicity, country, tooth type (primary or permanent), mean daily regional temperature, use of fluoride, total fluoride consumption, method of measurement (clinical exam or radiographs, or both) andtraining of examiners," they write.
Furthermore, they report, 48% of children who live in fluoridated communities have developed dental fluorosis (white spotted, yellow or brown permanently stained teeth) due to fluoride overdose.
In another B.M.J. study, Phipps and colleagues report that older white women who lived for 20 years or more in fluoridated communities have a 32% higher rate of wrist fractures although they also report a lower rate of hip fracture. "It is reasonable to expect that concentrations of fluoride at 1 ppm (the level at which most U.S. communities fluoridate) may have discernible skeletal effects after 20 years of exposure," writes Phipps.Several studies show hip fracture increase in fluoridated areas, others a decrease, and yet some, no effect at all.
"This is clear evidence that water fluoridation is a massive andpotentially dangerous failure," says chemist and professor Paul Connett, Ph.D., St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York."When dental fluorosis occurs, it means that fluoride has poisoned an enzyme," says Connett.
"What dental fluorosis is telling us is that a child has been overdosed on fluoride. It is warning us that other, even more important enzymes, may be poisoned as well, like the enzymes in the pineal gland (which produces melatonin)," says Connett.
In a B.M.J. editorial, Hannu W. Hausen, professor at the University of Oulu in Finland, reveals there was no difference in decay rates between Finland's fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities according to a 1982 study, because he says, "In Finland, preventive dental care is provided free to all children."
"The U.S.A. is the most fluoridated country in the world. Yet, our Surgeon General announced recently that our minority and poor populations, who mostly live in fluoridated communities, still suffer epidemic proportion of oral disease," says lawyer Paul Beeber, President and General Counsel to the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. "One of the major reasons is that Medicaid doesn't pay dentists enough money to treat the poor."
"Dentists have to stop giving the illusion they are helping the poor by throwing some fluoride chemicals into their drinking water," says Beeber.
These studies caused previously neutral B.M.J. staffer Douglas Carnall to write, "I am now persuaded by the arguments that those who wish to take fluoride (like me) had better get it from toothpaste rather than the water supply.
"Contact:Paul S. Beeber, Esq., President,New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, nyscof@aol.com http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
Dr. Paul Connett, Fluoride Action Network http://www.fluoridealert.org
