Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A revisit to the fluoride and babies issue

By far the biggest hit on The Holdfast Seeker is from google searches of "fluoride for babies" or "fluoride and baby dangers" or something of the sort. I get at least four or five hits on this subject a week and today already two. I thought it's time to revisit this issue since I have dug up even more information and this is very important to me.

If you haven't already read my original post, "Fluoride and Babies Don't Mix", it provides most of the info I want to convey so I won't reiterate much. The basic gist is that silica fluoride, the highly toxic compound unfortunately added to many water supplies (including mine), is toxic. And especially toxic to babies with their tiny, developing brains.

However, sodium fluoride, the less toxic compound in toothpaste, might actually help teeth since it's topically applied. The important point is there are no data that show ingested fluoride does a damn thing for your teeth. It's that simple.

The scary stuff I just found out is that because fluoride is so toxic it's used in pesticides and rodent killers and all sorts of nasty things. According to Friends of Water fluoride doesn't break down so it accumulates over time. It has become so prevalent in our environment that the background levels are four times higher than they used to be back in the 50s when it started getting added to the water supply. An adult who drinks fluoridated water is getting far more than he or she needs just because of background levels.

Any child under two who drinks fluoridated water is therefore being even more overdosed than I previously thought. This can cause serious health effects such as cancer, lowered IQ, brain damage, kidney and thyroid problems. Many government and non-government agencies are finally listening to the research out there and are warning parents not to mix formula with fluoridated water or let their children drink fluoridated water until the age of two.

For a more complete review of these agencies and their research please read my original post and advocate for the removal or fluoride in your water supply. Your teeth don't need it. Many European countries banned the use decades ago and their dental health is in many cases better than in the US.

What can you do? If you have a small child don't give them fluoride drops if your pediatrician prescribes them or mix formula with bottled water (Poland Springs has some of the lowest levels of fluoride) and please spread the word. I'm amazed at how many doctors, dentists and parents think I'm crazy when I tell them this, and then I show them the research. Many of them have realized the dangers and continue to spread the word.

Plus, do you want medicine in your drinking water? I sure don't.

9 comments:

  1. WOW! Now that's scary! It's frightening to think what we put in our bodies and the bodies of our children without giving it a second thought. Thanks for the insightful message. I will definitely be passing it along to my family and friends.

    Hugssss, Susan

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  2. Hi Kate,

    You know I just don't who and where fluoride on toothpaste started, I have been hearing about this on toothpaste advertisements that their toothpaste has more fluoride than the other one! Well what is fluoride anyway! It's just pure commercialism! I have met and talked to several people especially those who live in rural places who has the strongest and whitest teeth and they don't even use those commercialized toothpaste! Perhaps it's time for us to go natural, it's less hazardous and more economical. Thank you.

    AL

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  3. No small children but I have questioned the addition of fluoride to our water for years. Keep spreading the word.

    Judy

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  4. Scary. I wasn't aware of this. Thanks for the info. I will be passing it on.

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  5. In no way do I want to be an alarmist or engender fear, but examining everything that goes into your bodies and the bodies of your children is smart. Go as natural as you possibly can even if you must grow your own.

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  6. Hi Kate, I am living in a place that doesn't allow fluoride in the water, and my dentist insists that I have a fluoride treatment when I go to have my teeth cleaned. As a grownup, I guess it doesn't harm my teeth but helps it? I am confused about this. Thanks for this information. You are doing a great service...

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  7. Hi Kate,
    It's Rae. I am locked out of my blog thanks to blogger. I have been typing in circles all day trying to get access to my blog. They make it impossible to contact them. They reset my password and keep sending it to my email with gmail that is tied in with blogger. So how am I supposed to retrieve my password when I can't log in.

    Anyway I thought I would pass along that I am still around even though my blog is in lockdown.
    I just had to open another account to be able to read the blogs I follow.
    Hope to see you soon.
    Rae-weathervane

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  8. First of all thanks for not thinking I'm crazy. I almost always get the "you're nuts! of course drinking fluoride is good for you!" reaction when I discuss this. don't even get me started about the argument I had with my dentist when he insisted we let my baby drink our tap water.

    Sometimes being an alarmist is a good thing. Was Rachel Carson being an alarmist when she wrote Silent Spring? Sure. and look at all the wonderful changes that brought about.

    DJan: the compound used topically is sodium fluoride, not silica fluoride which is in the water supply. and there's some evidence that sodium fluoride applied topically kills bacteria that causes decay. you are lucky to have safe water.

    thanks for listening to me and spreading the word! -kate

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  9. No small children here but I will pass that information onto my secretary who has 2 adorable little grandsons and does have flouridated water. That is nasty ingredients...hard to imagine they are even putting it in the water, wow.

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