Fluoride Is Not an Essential Nutrient
In the 1950s, dentists believed that
fluoride was a “nutrient.” A nutrient is a vitamin or mineral that is
necessary for good health. Dentists believed that fluoride ingestion
during childhood was necessary for strong, healthy teeth. A “fluoride
deficiency” was thus believed to cause cavities, just like a deficiency
of calcium can cause osteoporosis, or a deficiency of vitamin-D can
cause rickets.
It is now known, however, that fluoride is not a nutrient. As acknowledged by the CDC, the fluoride content of a tooth has little bearing on whether or not the tooth will develop a cavity. According to the CDC:
SOURCE: CDC. 2001. Recommendations for using fluoride to prevent and control dental caries in the United States. Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Review 50(RR14):1-42.
In short, people can have perfect teeth without consuming fluoridated
water or any other fluoride product. As with teeth, no other tissue or cellular process requires fluoride. Accordingly, it is now accepted that fluoride is not an essential nutrient.
SOURCE: European Commission. 2011. Critical review of any new evidence on the hazard profile, health effects, and human exposure to fluoride and the fluoridating agents of drinking water. Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER), page 4.
SOURCE: Cheng KK, et al. 2007. Adding fluoride to water supplies. British Medical Journal 335:699-702.
SOURCE: National Research Council. 1993. Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride. National Academy Press, Washington DC. p. 30.
SOURCE: National Academy of Sciences. 1989. Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th Edition. Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, National Academy Press. p. 235.
SOURCE: Food & Drug Administration, October 1990. [See letter]
SOURCE: U.S. Public Health Service, May 10, 1966. [See letter]
SOURCE: Food & Drug Administration, August 15, 1963. [See letter]
Some commentators have cited a 1997 report from the Institute of
Medicine (IOM) as demonstrating that fluoride is an essential nutrient.
The IOM report, however, does not do so — a fact confirmed by both the
President of the Institute of Medicine (Kenneth Shine), as well as the
President of the National Academy of Sciences (Bruce Alberts). In a
jointly authored letter on November 18, 1998, Alberts and Shine unequivocally stated:
It is now known, however, that fluoride is not a nutrient. As acknowledged by the CDC, the fluoride content of a tooth has little bearing on whether or not the tooth will develop a cavity. According to the CDC:
“The prevalence of dental caries in a population is
not inversely related to the concentration of fluoride in enamel, and a
higher concentration of enamel fluoride is not necessarily more
efficacious in preventing dental caries.”
SOURCE: CDC. 2001. Recommendations for using fluoride to prevent and control dental caries in the United States. Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Review 50(RR14):1-42.
Excerpts from the Scientific Literature:
“Safe, responsible, and sustainable use of fluorides
is dependent on decision makers (whether they be politicians or parents)
having a firm grasp on three key principles: (i) fluorine is not so
much ‘essential’ as it is ‘everywhere,’ (ii) recent human activities
have significantly increased fluorine exposures to the biosphere, and
(iii) fluorine has biogeochemical effects beyond bones and teeth.”
SOURCE: Finkelman RB, et al. 2011. Medical geology issues in North America in O. Selinus, et al. (eds). Medical Geology. Springer Publishing.
“Fluoride is not essential for human growth and development.”
SOURCE: European Commission. 2011. Critical review of any new evidence on the hazard profile, health effects, and human exposure to fluoride and the fluoridating agents of drinking water. Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER), page 4.
“Fluoride is not in any natural human metabolic pathway.”
SOURCE: Cheng KK, et al. 2007. Adding fluoride to water supplies. British Medical Journal 335:699-702.
“[F]luoride is no longer considered an essential factor for human growth and development…”
SOURCE: National Research Council. 1993. Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride. National Academy Press, Washington DC. p. 30.
“These contradictory results do not justify a
classification of fluorine as an essential element, according to
accepted standards.”
SOURCE: National Academy of Sciences. 1989. Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th Edition. Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, National Academy Press. p. 235.
Statements from U.S. Government Agencies:
“In summary, FDA does not list fluorine as an essential nutrient.”
SOURCE: Food & Drug Administration, October 1990. [See letter]
“The United States Public Health Service does not say that sodium fluoride is an essential mineral nutrient.”
SOURCE: U.S. Public Health Service, May 10, 1966. [See letter]
“Sodium fluoride used for therapeutic effect would be
a drug, not a mineral nutrient. Fluoride has not been determined
essential to human health. A minimum daily requirement for sodium
fluoride has not been established.”
SOURCE: Food & Drug Administration, August 15, 1963. [See letter]
The Institute of Medicine Report (1997)
“Nowhere in the report is it stated that fluoride is
an essential nutrient. If any speaker or panel member at the September
23rd workshop referred to fluoride as such, they misspoke. As was stated
in Recommended Dietary Allowances 10th Edition, which we published in
1989: ‘These contradictory results do not justify a classification of
fluoride as an essential element, according to accepted standards.’” [See letter]
Fluoride is a poison. Fluoride was poison yesterday. Fluoride is poison today. Fluoride will be poison tomorrow. At Annual Town Meeting the Poster Boy for town wide fluoridation Mr. John Columbus was able to stand up long enough to praise fluoridation and the health that it has blessed him with. Many people in town including those who lavish praise on the poison that is in our water supply have not taken the time to become informed on the issue of water fluoridation. Many see it as a political issue as the State of Massachusetts is very much behind water fluoridation. From a health perspective you are wise to avoid fluoride and other toxins that are in our every day lives. When in doubt get it out.
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