At the Marc Bony Chiropractic Center, we care about your natural health. Discover the importance of drinking fluoride-free water to protect your body and well-being.
Check your water carefully to make sure it doesn't contain FLUORIDE
Fluorine is the most electronegative and reactive element and forms compounds with virtually all other elements, including the noble gases xenon and radon. Its symbol is F. Even in the absence of light and at low temperatures, fluorine reacts explosively with hydrogen.
Diatomic fluorine, F₂, is, under normal conditions, a corrosive, almost white-yellow gas that is a strong oxidizing agent. When exposed to a stream of gaseous fluorine, glass, metals, water, and other substances burn with a bright flame. It is always found in nature in compound form and has such an affinity for other elements—especially silicon—that it cannot be stored in glass containers.
Health Effects: There are a few studies on this topic (not too many). But for the sake of completeness, I’ll include a couple of paragraphs from the joint analysis conducted by the pediatric units at La Fe Hospital in Valencia, Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital in Murcia, and the Department of Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
In animal studies, pregnant rats were administered 0.13 mg of sodium fluoride/kg intramuscularly on 9 occasions, spaced between days 14–18 or 17–19 during pregnancy. The offspring exposed to fluoride on days 17–19 of pregnancy exhibited significant hyperactivity. Blood fluoride levels in the treated animals were similar to those measured in people exposed to fluoridated water.
Another study found that the offspring of rats that had been given 5, 15, or 50 ppm of fluoride in their drinking water during pregnancy and lactation had significantly elevated levels of acetylcholinesterase at 80 days of age. Acetylcholinesterase levels in the mothers were also high. Although they were not measured in this study, a likely consequence of elevated acetylcholinesterase activity would be a decrease in acetylcholine levels.
As we have already noted, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine play an important role in brain development. Changes in the concentrations of any neurotransmitter during development can have permanent neurological consequences. Two studies conducted in Chinese populations found that children had significantly lower IQs in communities with high fluoride exposure. In a community where the drinking water naturally contains 4.12 ppm of fluoride, IQ scores were significantly lower than in nearby communities with fluoride levels of 0.91 ppm (average IQ of 98 versus 105).
The difference persisted even after controlling for parents' educational level. The authors describe similar occupations, lifestyle habits, and social customs in both populations. Despite the methodological limitations of this study’s ecological design, a 7-point change in IQ has major implications for the population.
In another study, researchers examined dental fluorosis, and elevated fluoride levels were associated with a lower IQ.
In other words, the distribution of IQ scores among children in each category decreased in correlation with increasing fluoride exposure. As I have already mentioned, the information presented here is based on a study that is familiar to us and is well-regarded. But there are many others that also deserve recognition, in which a link to certain types of cancer has been found. The important thing is to look at the levels at which toxicity has been observed. These levels are inevitably exceeded by a wide margin, even when people are aware of the problem and try to keep them low.
Calculating Concentrations The first thing we need to know is where the fluoride comes from. Ever since the decision was made in the 1950s to begin fluoridating drinking water (not without significant controversy) in the U.S., this practice has spread throughout nearly the entire world without consulting the public—and, worse still, without informing them. In Spain, I haven’t been able to find any documentation on the exact percentage of drinking water that is fluoridated, but given the number of fluoridation plants in operation, it must be high—as must the percentage in bottled water and all water-based beverages (juices, soft drinks, beer, etc.).
In addition to the obvious concentrations in toothpaste (up to 3,000 ppm), mouthwash (up to 900 ppm), and fluoridated salts, many foods also contain fluoride naturally or as an added ingredient—primarily fish and vegetables. Keep in mind that the recommended maximum is 1 ppm per day. It is therefore very difficult to calculate daily fluoride intake, but we can reduce it somewhat if we know the amount listed on certain products. Marc Bony, DC www.quiropractica1.com
