Fluoride Patent

[the all-encompassing egg]

All the times my mother and father took me to the dentist. All the fluoride treatments I received. I am outraged! I remember being 3 years old, having two nurses holding me down, one on each of my shoulders and having the dentist drill my little teeth into oblivion...without the use of any anesthetics! I was too young they said! Obviously not too young to be subjected to the use of fluoride, which I'm sure only worsened my problems. For going to the dentist every 6 months, from ages 3 to 17, you think I would have had less dental problems than my friends who never went, but I had more. Furthermore, I've also read how the use of fluoride can and does lower IQ! (I need to find the article to post it, still looking.) Buy a Brita, buy natural toothpaste- I use Burt's Bees, if you have the money then buy water filters for your shower and sinks. It's worth it, and you might think it a luxury to have a filter on the shower but your skin absorbs chemicals just as though you have ingested it. These things are very important to know if you don't want to be a 'zombie!' That is why it is so important that we all do our homework on this, and beyond that, that we share the information we obtain.

...

From Patent #5,807,541 "NSAID/fluoride periodontal compositions and methods" (15 Sept 1998), filed by the pharmaceutical company Sepracor:

A method for preventing dental caries [cavities] by administering fluoride and, at the same time controlling periodontal bone loss precipitated by the fluoride, by providing a combination of fluoride and NSAID is disclosed.

...

We have found that fluoride, in the concentration range in which it is employed for the prevention of dental caries [cavities], stimulates the production of prostaglandins and thereby exacerbates the inflammatory response in gingivitis and periodontitis.

...

Thus, the inclusion of fluoride in toothpastes and mouthwashes for the purpose of inhibiting the development of caries [cavities] may, at the same time, accelerate the process of chronic, destructive periodontitis.


Read it here: http://www.whale.to/a/fl6.html (this is a great site, btw)
And read the whole patent here: http://www.thememoryhole.org/health/fluoride-patent.htm

 

[Justin]

We have found that fluoride, in the concentration range in which it is employed for the prevention of dental caries [cavities], stimulates the production of prostaglandins and thereby exacerbates the inflammatory response in gingivitis and periodontitis.

Ack. I didn't know about that part. Well that is just awful. I avoid all fluoride (unless it's in the municipal water and they're not telling anyone - which would not surprise me).

 

[the all-encompassing egg]

Wouldn't surprise me either! Get a Brita! ;)

 

[Justin]

I don't drink the muncipal water, even filtered. :) Sorry I wasn't more clear. I do shower in it and don't have a filter on the shower head...

 

[the all-encompassing egg]

It's good to get a filter on the shower head as well. I've found them for $100 or so. Why? Well, here's a good reason.

"Taking regular showers could pose a health risk and even result in permanent brain damage, it has been claimed. Scientists believe that breathing in small amounts of manganese dissolved in the water may harm the nervous system. The damage may occur even at levels of the naturally occurring metal normally considered safe, say the US researchers. Although manganese levels in public water supplies are monitored, regulators have not considered the long-term effects of inhaling vaporised manganese while showering, they claim." From: http://www.kottke.org/order/science

 

[Justin]

I've also read how the use of fluoride can and does lower IQ! (I need to find the article to post it, still looking.)

Here are a couple links relating to the effects of flouride on the brain:

http://www.mercola.com/2002/feb/2/fluoride_safety.htm

http://www.taxtyranny.ca/images/HTML/Fluoride/Articles/TruthaboutFluoride.pdf

 

[John Chang]

Wouldn't surprise me either! Get a Brita! ;)

NO. Brita (and Pur) filters will NOT remove fluoride!!! Only steam distillation or reverse osmosis will. Brita/Pur only does carbon filtration, and very little at that. You'll get great tasting fluoridated water out of Brita. Mmm mmm good.

Make sure the water you're drinking has been through an RO filter or a distillation process.

 

[treesparrow]

It may also useful to note if you have or can get access to fluoride free water, avoid drinking black and green (health?) tea. They contain higher parts per million rates than fluoride contaminated water supplies. See also,

www.mercola.com/2000/sep/10/green_tea_fluoride_thyroid.htm

Concentrating on just the fluoride in water issue perhaps diverts away from the fact of the long term mass consumption of tea in parts of the world (e.g. in the UK for around 260 years) and the damage to health and mental abilities that have probably ensued and is still ongoing.

 

[Mike]

Recently purchased this portable RO filter and have started to use it. Seems to work well. I got the 75gal/day (didn't have the 150 out yet), but if you are going to buy one I would recommend paying the extra $10 for the 150/day since it should be twice as fast.
http://thewaterexchange.net/reverse_osmosis.html

 

[the all-encompassing egg]

Thanks for the heads up! I will check out that link Mike! :D

 

[monkee]

Furthermore, I've also read how the use of fluoride can and does lower IQ! (I need to find the article to post it, still looking.)

You can find the link on sciencedirect.com. There are plenty of scientific journals about fluoride

 

[the all-encompassing egg]

Wow, green tea too, eh? What about white tea? All teas?

I find it fascinating how much a 'good' food can be harmful to you. It's really a choice, isn't it? I'm constantly rethinking how I eat because of all the new information I come across. I did my first liver cleanse 2 weekends ago and man, was it disgusting. 200+ little 'stones' of pure cholesterol came out of me! One the size of a peanut. And no I haven't had any liver or gallbladder problems, this was purely for prevention, better health and curiosity. And now the more I read about liver health, the more I can sense my body needs more.

For those who are curious about better health, there's a great site, curezone.com. I'm not sure if anyone has heard of it, it's quite large and has a ton of information on it. You have to do research though, because some posts are just people who think they know what they're doing, but for the most part it's great. People finding their way to better health.

Also,

Foods that Heal: http://curezone.com/foods/
Foods that Kill: http://www.curezone.com/foods/foods_that_kill.html

Something worth thinking about.

Thanks for all the links everybody! :D

 

[Zadius Sky]

Not sure if this was discussed, but it's related to this trend of fluoride. If you go to a Dollar store in US, they sell toothpaste, but found that it has too much fluoride.

Warning is shown in this link:

hXXp://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_dollar_stores.htm

 

[ScioAgapeOmnis]

From hXXp://www(D)prevention(D)com/article/0,,s1-1-74-112-7054-1,00.html
Top Bottled Water Brands & Their Fluoride Levels

The EPA recommends 4 mg/L (equal to 4ppm) as a safe daily limit.

Propel Fitness Water .02
Aquafina .05
VeryFine Fruit20 .06
Calistoga .07
Dasani .07
Evian .10
Poland Springs .10
Dannon .11
Naya .14
Store Brand Bottled Water .16
Saratoga .20
Crystal Geyser .24
Perrier .31
Volvic .34
Dannon Fluoride To Go .78

These numbers are the ppm levels (assuming they are accurate, which might not be the case either).
For comparison,

Most dentifrices today contain 0.1% (1000 ppm) fluoride, usually in the form of sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP)

Fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride in a water supply to an optimal concentration of between 0.7 to 1.2 ppm. In non-fluoridated communities, adding fluoride to school water supplies (at higher than optimal levels) results in significant cavity reduction. This is especially beneficial for individuals living in poorer communities, who have a high burden of dental caries and less access to dental care and alternative fluoride resources.

I wonder where the studies are that show "significant cavity reduction" etc? Anyway, bottled water has less fluoride, but still has fluoride. Additionally, a TON of food has fluoride in it, so you have to consider what you eat big time, otherwise a water filter will not be nearly as effective if you receive fluoride in many other ways.

hXXp://www.nofluoride.com/consumption.htm
hXXp://www.prevention.com/water/fluoride_results

So if "1 ppm" is supposed to be the "healthy limit" (seems to be an arbitrarily chosen value with absolutely no evidence to support this assertion, and possibly 0 fluoride is the healthiest amount - never mind that it is in big contrast with the quote at the top of my post that the EPA recommends 4ppm - so which is it? Perhaps neither!), then we're getting more than 1 just from food alone. Never mind the insane amount in toothpastes, and of course, bottled water, and all the juices. I wonder, does organic food have fluoride? Perhaps organic food combined with a good Reverse Osmosis filter (or bottled water with very little or no fluoride) is a good solution? Can also squeeze your own fruit juice from real natural fruits, which would be the healthiest drink. Plenty of cheap "juice makers" available to help in that department.

And while we're at it, we might wanna get the fluoride we're already filled with out of our system

A: Recommend daily ingestion of Goldenseal root, as well as vinegar and garlic in moderation, along with up to an hour per every two days of light aerobic exercise.

I think it might help to do some research on Goldenseal root. It has been recommended twice by the C's - one time for fluoride removal help, another time for a dog that had health problems (together with some vitamins). But it seems to be an all-around healthy and helpful thing to eat based on the little research I just did. Also, I have read some stuff about "Virgin coconut oil" and that it's supposed to also be a very healthy thing to help with all sorts of stuff, and just overall boost energy and metabolism among other things. Also might help to do some research and consider that as well.

Having said all that, it is very easy to get carried away and get obsessed and become a health-freak and spend all your time worrying about it all - but as the C's say, body not important. I think best approach is do what is reasonable, and doesn't take much of your time from more important activities.

 

[Keit]

It's good to get a filter on the shower head as well. I've found them for $100 or so. Why? Well, here's a good reason.

"Taking regular showers could pose a health risk and even result in permanent brain damage, it has been claimed. Scientists believe that breathing in small amounts of manganese dissolved in the water may harm the nervous system. The damage may occur even at levels of the naturally occurring metal normally considered safe, say the US researchers. Although manganese levels in public water supplies are monitored, regulators have not considered the long-term effects of inhaling vaporised manganese while showering, they claim." From: http://www.kottke.org/order/science

Manganese in drinking water: Study suggests adverse effects on children's intellectual abilities
_http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/udq-mid091510.php

This press release is available in French.

A team of researchers led by Maryse Bouchard, adjunct professor at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Health, Environment and Society (CINBIOSE) of the Université du Québec à Montréal and a researcher at Sainte-Justine University Hospital, and Donna Mergler, professor emerita in the Department of Biological Sciences and a member of CINBIOSE, recently completed a study showing that children exposed to high concentrations of manganese in drinking water performed worse on tests of intellectual functioning than children with lower exposures. Their results are published in the prestigious scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives, in an article entitled "Intellectual Impairment in School-Age Children Exposed to Manganese from Drinking Water".

Manganese: toxic in the workplace but harmless in water?

The neurotoxic effects of manganese exposure in the workplace are well known. This metal is naturally occurring in soil and in certain conditions is present in groundwater. In several regions of Quebec and Canada and in other parts of the world, the groundwater contains naturally high levels of manganese. Does it pose a danger? What effect might it have on children's health? This is the first study to focus on the potential risks of exposure to manganese in drinking water in North America.

The study, carried out by researchers at the Université du Québec à Montréal, the Université de Montréal and the École Polytechnique de Montréal, examined 362 Quebec children, between the ages of 6 and 13, living in homes supplied by with groundwater (individual or public wells). For each child, the researchers measured the concentration of manganese in tap water from their home, as well as iron, copper, lead, zinc, arsenic, magnesium and calcium. The amount of manganese from both tap water and food was estimated from a questionnaire. Finally, each child was assessed with a battery of tests assessing cognition, motor skills, and behaviour.

Lead author Maryse Bouchard explains, "We found significant deficits in the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children exposed to higher concentration of manganese in drinking water. Yet, manganese concentrations were well below current guidelines." The average IQ of children whose tap water was in the upper 20% of manganese concentration was 6 points below children whose water contained little or no manganese. The analyses of the association between manganese in tap water and children's IQ took into account various factors such as family income, maternal intelligence, maternal education, and the presence of other metals in the water. For co-author Donna Mergler, "This is a very marked effect; few environmental contaminants have shown such a strong correlation with intellectual ability." The authors state that the amount of manganese present in food showed no relationship to the children's IQ.

What next?

So what can be done about it? Some of the municipalities where the study was conducted have already installed a filtration system that removes manganese from the water. According to one of the other co-authors of the study, Benoit Barbeau, NSERC Industrial Chair in Drinking Water at the École Polytechnique de Montréal, "A viable alternative solution is home use of filtering pitchers that contain a mixture of resins and activated carbon. Such devices can reduce the concentration of manganese by 60% to100% depending on filter use and the characteristics of the water."

In Quebec, where the study was conducted, manganese is not on the list of inorganic substances in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks Regulation respecting the quality of drinking water. "Because of the common occurrence of this metal in drinking water and the observed effects at low concentrations, we believe that national and international guidelines for safe manganese in water should be revisited." the authors conclude.