Positive Health Online

The fluoridation of our water supply is about as contentious an issue as you can conceive. Should we remove fluoride from our water or not?

Although half a century has elapsed since adding fluoride to drinking water became normal practice, the debate around whether the process is ultimately good – or terribly bad – has barely lowered in volume or intensity.

Over the last few years there has been considerable concern regarding the proposed introduction of fluoride into the public water supply throughout the UK.

Why is Fluoride Added to Water in the First Place?

Fluoride is a mineral naturally present in soil, water, plants – even animals in trace amounts. The long-raging debate, however, is not about this fluoride but artificial fluoride – a toxic waste product from industrial processes.[1] The difference is significant: the lethal dose of artificial fluoride is 50 times smaller than natural fluoride.

In the 1930s, scientists discovered that small quantities of fluoride naturally present in water could offer teeth a measure of protection by strengthening enamel against decay, and thus the idea of adding fluoride to the public water supply was born.

Although a series of studies were conducted to assess whether fluoridating water could cause harm, research appeared to indicate that the dangers were small. Naturally enough, medical and dental health bodies – having been impressed by fluoride’s ability to combat tooth decay – championed the compound, and in time the process was normalized, spreading outward from the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the first city in the world to fluoridate its drinking water in 1945.

In addition to preventing tooth decay and cavities, proponents of water fluoridation claim that it saves money, citing the cost of water fluoridation vs the cost of dental fillings. Moreover, they state their belief that it is a safe and effective practice, endorsed by countless health organisations for the best part of 70 years. Of course, this tells only half the story.

Side Effects of Fluoride in Drinking Water

While many people agree that fluoride when applied topically can aid in the formation of tooth enamel, overexposure to fluoride is possible when administered via drinking water,

It is generally accepted that ingesting large amounts of fluoride long-term can lead to severe skeletal fluorosis.[2] Susceptibility to this debilitating bone disease varies from population to population, although it is a major problem in India, where water has an unusually high naturally occurring fluoride content.

Fluoride in the UK water supply is capped at one part per million (1ppm) parts of water, whereas in India the concentration has been shown in certain areas to reach 38.5ppm.

Critics of water fluoridation have pointed out that although the artificial fluoride content of tap water is low, there is no way to determine how much water a person will drink on any given day. What’s more, studies in India and China have documented skeletal fluorosis at comparatively low levels – between 0.7 and 1.5ppm.

In addition to skeletal fluorosis, it is widely accepted that over-exposure to fluoride during the first eight years of life can cause dental fluorosis [3] – also known as mottled teeth.

According to a 2019 study[4] published in JAMA Pediatrics, high fluoride exposure during pregnancy correlates with lower IQ scores among young children, particularly boys. The study results compelled co-author Christine Till, an associate professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, to state that women should reduce their fluoride intake during pregnancy, calling it a "no-brainer" and "a low-hanging-fruit recommendation to [protect] the safety of the foetus."

Some go as far as to claim that water fluoridation is a form of under-the-radar mass medication, hence why many councils in Britain steadfastly refuse to introduce fluoride to their local water supply, flying in the face of vested interests and government backing.

Which UK Cities Have Fluoridated Water?

Around 10% of the UK population, comprising 5.8 million people, are given artificially fluoridated water through the mains supply. Areas include Birmingham, Cumbria and the Humberside, and Tyneside. Your local water supplier will be able to tell you how much fluoride is in your supply, and whether any is added artificially.

Interestingly, the average number of decayed, extracted or filled teeth in Birmingham – a city of one million people – is higher than the national average, despite the water being fluoridated.

What About Other Countries?

There are 25 countries that currently put fluoride in their tap water: United States, Brazil, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, Spain, Vietnam, Ireland, Argentina, South Korea, New Zealand, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Libya, Brunei, Serbia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Guyana.

Dosage levels in the US, where 194.2 million people are exposed to fluoride, have been reduced to 0.7ppm, and the same is true for Canada and the Republic of Ireland.

Worries about fluoridation of water are not confined to Britain. In recent times, countries such as Germany, Sweden and Switzerland have been phasing out the policy of fluoridating water. In fact, less than 2% of Europe’s population is served fluoridated water through the tap.

As far back as the 1970s Dr Arvid Carlsson, a Nobel Prize winning scientist, said that fluoride is a drug and should not be added to tap water. He successfully quashed two attempts to fluoridate water in Sweden.

Most European countries do not add fluoride to drinking water. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland have all rejected water fluoridation.

As people become more informed, many are unwilling to take risks with their health by drinking – or being forced to drink – water they consider harmful to their long-term health.

https://www.water-for-health.co.uk/products/energy-plus-under-sink-water-filter

How Can Fluoride be Removed from Water?

Fluoride can be removed from water using a high-quality water filter. Water for Health supply a range of water filters that remove up to high levels of fluoride, along with high levels of removal of other contaminants such as hormones and microplastics. The Energy Plus, Energy Plus Lite and Whole House systems remove >99% of fluoride and the HD-24 Whole Home Structuring Unit with Contamination Removal removes >92% of fluoride.

Sarah or Roddy would be happy to discuss which system would be most suitable for your needs and to answer any questions you may have. Just give them a call on 01764 662 111.

Sources:

1. Sauerheber R. Physiologic conditions affect toxicity of ingested industrial fluoride. J Environ Public Health. 2013;2013:439490. doi: 10.1155/2013/439490. Epub 2013 Jun 6. Erratum in: J Environ Public Health. 2017;2017:4239182. doi: 10.1155/2017/4239182. PMID: 23840230; PMCID: PMC3690253. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3690253/
2. Aneez Joseph, Remya Rajan, Jinson Paul, Kripa Elizabeth Cherian, Nitin Kapoor, Felix Jebasingh, Hesarghatta Shyamsunder Asha, Nihal Thomas, Thomas Vizhalil Paul, The continuing crippling challenge of skeletal fluorosis – Case series and review of literature, Journal of Clinical and Translational Endocrinology: Case Reports, Volume 24, 2022,100114,ISSN 2214-6245, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecr.2022.100114.
3. National Library of Medicine. 2023. Fatima C. Niazi; Tom Pepper. Dental Fluorosis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585039/
4. Green R, Lanphear B, Hornung R, Flora D, Martinez-Mier EA, Neufeld R, Ayotte P, Muckle G, Till C. Association Between Maternal Fluoride Exposure During Pregnancy and IQ Scores in Offspring in Canada. JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Oct 1;173(10):940-948. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1729. PMID: 31424532; PMCID: PMC6704756. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31424532/