Many people are becoming aware of the risks associated with fluoride exposure. More and more people are buying fluoride-free toothpaste, and many people drink purified water in order to avoid fluoride that is put into the water supply, along with other chemicals. As I’ll discuss in this article, fluoride can have a negative impact on thyroid health, plus can lead to other health issues.
There is a lot of controversy regarding fluoride use, as most dentists still tell their patients to use fluoride-based toothpaste, plus most dental facilities of course use fluoride during their patient’s regular cleanings. On the other hand, most biological dentists are opposed to fluoride, and consider it to be a toxin.
Can Fluoride Induce Hypothyroidism?
In the past, some medical doctors used fluoride as a treatment for hyperthyroidism, which should give you an idea as to how it can affect thyroid health. So based on this information hopefully you can understand how consuming fluoride can potentially lead to a hypothyroid condition. This of course doesn’t mean that most hypothyroid conditions are caused by fluoride consumption, but this is something that can’t be overlooked. I’ve written articles in the past which spoke about environmental toxins, and how they can potentially lead to a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid disorder. Well, even though fluoride has been considered safe by many healthcare professionals for years, if you do some research, you’ll also find plenty of information which shows how fluoride is harmful to your health.
Our family doesn’t use fluoride-based toothpaste, and this includes my two young daughters (ages 4 and 6). Some reading this might think this will increase our risk of developing dental cavities, and perhaps this is true. On the other hand, I’ve been on fluoride-free toothpaste for many years, receive regular dental check-ups, and my teeth have been fine. And the same thing goes for the rest of my family. So whether fluoride is necessary in toothpaste and in the water supply to prevent dental cavities is up for debate. Just keep in mind that most of Europe doesn’t have their water supplies fluoridated, yet their teeth is no worse than those people in the United States, at least according to the World Health Organization.
Is There Too Much Fluoride In The Water?
In fact, a number of months ago there was an article published in USA Today which questioned whether there was too much fluoride in the water supply. The article claimed that too much fluoride in the water is responsible for causing spots on some kids’ teeth. Here is a direct quote from this article:
“About 2 out of 5 adolescents have tooth streaking or spottiness because of too much fluoride, a surprising government study found recently. In some extreme cases, teeth can even be pitted by the mineral — though many cases are so mild only dentists notice it.”
The truth is, although there is a division amongst many healthcare professionals as to whether fluoride is safe or not, there have been many chemicals like fluoride which were once thought to be safe, but were later found out to be harmful. So while it’s ultimately up to you to do your own research so you can come to your own conclusions, if you think fluoride is safe simply because it’s being added to the water supply and because most dentists have been recommending fluoride-based toothpastes to their patients for years, just remember that it can take decades before the true effects of certain toxins are known. This isn’t always the case, but frequently it is.
By the way, I’m not denying that fluoride can prevent tooth decay, or at least reduce the likelihood of developing cavities. Even though many people seem to do fine using flouride-free toothpaste and drinking purified water, fluoride might reduce the chances of developing cavities. However, even if this is true, if it can lead to hypothyroidism and other health issues, then it’s probably best to minimize one’s exposure to fluoride.
In other words, I’m not going to deny that cavity prevention is a potential benefit of fluoride. Radioactive iodine has some benefits as well, but it also has some serious risks. So one can’t just look at the benefits, as the risks also need to be considered. This obviously is common sense, but seems to be overlooked by many dentists, who don’t even want to hear about the potential risks of fluoride. So even if fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t risks involved as well.
In summary, fluoride can potentially cause hypothyroidism, and can lead to other health issues as well. So even though fluoride might help to prevent tooth decay, one needs to consider the potential risks involved. The goal of this article isn’t to convince you not to use fluoride, but instead to encourage you to do some of your own research so you can make an informed decision. Obviously you can’t believe everything you read on the internet, but I’ve included the link to an interesting article below regarding fluoride, which was written by Dr. Joseph Mercola:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/01/paul-connett-interview.aspx
