Love for Life

Dr. Limeback, "GUEST VIEW: The evidence that fluoride is harmful is overwhelming", Standard Times,

May 14, 2006,

Dr. Limeback was one of the 12 scientists who served on the National Academy of Sciences panel that issued the 2006 report, "Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of the EPA's Standards." Dr. Limeback is an associate professor of dentistry and head of the preventive dentistry program at the University of Toronto.

The argument against fluoridation is strong when all the points listed below are taken together.

1. Fluoridation is no longer effective.

Fluoride in water has the effect of delaying tooth eruption and, therefore, simply delays dental decay (Komarek et al, 2005, Biostatistics 6:145-55). The studies that water fluoridation work are over 25 years old and were carried out before the widespread use of fluoridated toothpaste. There are numerous modern studies to show that there no longer is a difference in dental decay rates between fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas, the most recent one in Australia (Armfield & Spencer, 2004 Community Dental Oral Epidemiology. 32:283-96). Recent water fluoridation cessation studies show that dental fluorosis (a mottling of the enamel caused by fluoride) declines but there is no corresponding increase in dental decay (e.g. Maupome et al 2001, Community Dental Oral Epidemiology 29: 37-47).

Public health services will claim there is a dental decay crisis. With the national average in the U.S. of only two decayed teeth per child (World Health Organization data), down from more than 15 decayed teeth in the 1940s and 1950s before fluoridated toothpaste, as much as half of all children grow up not having a single filling. This remarkable success has been achieved in other developed countries without fluoridation. The "crisis" of dental decay in the U.S. often mentioned is the result, to a major extent, of sugar abuse, especially soda pop. A 2005 report by Jacobsen of the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that U.S. children consume 40 to 44 percent of their daily refined sugar in the form of soft drinks. Since most soft drinks are themselves fluoridated, the small amount of fluoride is obviously not helping.

The families of these children with rampant dental decay need professional assistance. Are they getting it? Children who grow up in low-income families make poor dietary choices, and cannot afford dental care. Untreated dental decay and lack of professional intervention result in more dental decay. The York review was unable to show that fluoridation benefited poor people.

Similarly, early dental decay in nursing infants (baby bottle syndrome) cannot be prevented with water fluoridation. The majority of dentists in the U.S. do not accept Medicaid patients because they lose money treating these patients. Dentists support fluoridation programs because it absolves them of their responsibility to provide assistance to those who cannot afford dental treatment. Even cities where water fluoridation has been in effect for years are reporting similar dental "crises."

Public health officials responsible for community programs are misleading the public by stating that ingesting fluoride "makes the teeth stronger." Fluoride is not an essential nutrient. It does not make developing teeth better prepared to resist dental decay before they erupt into the oral environment. The small benefit that fluoridated water might still have on teeth (in the absence of fluoridated toothpaste use) is the result of "topical" exposure while the teeth are rebuilding from acid challenges brought on by daily sugar and starch exposure (Limeback 1999, Community Dental Oral Epidemiology 27: 62-71), and this has now been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control.

2. Fluoridation is the main cause of dental fluorosis.

Fluoride doses by the end user can't be controlled when only one concentration of fluoride (1 parts per million) is available in the drinking water. Babies and toddlers get too much fluoride when tap water is used to make formula (Brothwell & Limeback, 2003 Journal of Human Lactation 19: 386-90). Since the majority of daily fluoride comes from the drinking water in fluoridated areas, the risk for dental fluorosis greatly increases (National Academy of Sciences: Toxicological Risk of Fluoride in Drinking Water, 2006).

We have tripled our exposure to fluoride since fluoridation was conceived in the 1940s. This has lead to every third child with dental fluorosis (CDC, 2005). Fluorosis is not just a cosmetic effect. The more severe forms are associated with an increase in dental decay (NAS: Toxicological Risk of Fluoride in Drinking Water, 2006) and the psychological impact on children is a negative one. Most children with moderate and severe dental fluorosis seek extensive restorative work costing thousands of dollars. Dental fluorosis can be reduced by turning off the fluoridation taps without affecting dental decay rates (Burt et al 2000 Journal of Dental Research 79(2):761-9).

3. Chemicals that are used in fluoridation have not been tested for safety.

All the animal cancer studies were done on pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride. There is more than enough evidence to show that even this fluoride has the potential to promote cancer. Some communities use sodium fluoride in their drinking water, but even that chemical is not the same fluoride added to toothpaste. Most cities instead use hydrofluorosilicic acid (or its salt). H2SiF6 is concentrated directly from the smokestack scrubbers during the production of phosphate fertilizer, shipped to water treatment plants and trickled directly into the drinking water. It is industrial grade fluoride contaminated with trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and radium, which are harmful to humans at the levels that are being added to fluoridate the drinking water. In addition, using hydrofluorosilicic acid instead of industrial grade sodium fluoride has an added risk of increasing lead accumulation in children (Masters et al 2000, Neurotoxicology. 21(6): 1091- 1099), probably from the lead found in the pipes of old houses. This could not be ruled out by the CDC in their recent study (Macek et al 2006, Environmental Health Perspectives 114:130-134).

4. There are serious health risks from water fluoridation.

Cancer: Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) has recently been identified as a risk in young boys in a recently published Harvard study (Bassin, Cancer Causes and Control, 2006). The author of this study, Dr. Elise Bassin, acknowledges that perhaps it is the use of these untested and contaminated fluorosilicates mentioned above that caused the seven-fold increase risk of bone cancer.

Bone fracture: Drinking on average 1 liter/day of naturally fluoridated water at 4 parts per million increases your risk for bone pain and bone fractures (National Academy of Sciences: Toxicological Risk of Fluoride in Drinking Water, 2006). Since fluoride accumulates in bone, the same risk occurs in people who drink 4 liters/day of artificially fluoridated water at 1 part per million, or in people with renal disease. Fluoridation studies have never properly shown that fluoride is safe in individuals who cannot control their dose, or in patients who retain too much fluoride.

Adverse thyroid function: The recent National Academy of Sciences report (NAS: Toxicological Risk of Fluoride in Drinking Water, 2006) outlines in great detail the detrimental effect that fluoride has on the endocrine system, especially the thyroid. Fluoridation should be halted on the basis that endocrine function in the U.S. has never been studied in relation to total fluoride intake.

Adverse neurological effects: In addition to the added accumulation of lead (a known neurotoxin) in children living in fluoridated cities, fluoride itself is a known neurotoxin. We are only now starting to understand how fluoride affects the brain. While some recent Chinese studies suggest that fluoride in drinking water lowers IQ (NAS, 2006), we need to study this more in depth in North America.

In my opinion, the evidence that fluoridation is more harmful than beneficial is now overwhelming and policy makers who avoid thoroughly reviewing recent data before introducing new fluoridation schemes do so at risk of future litigation.

Comments:

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Left by: Anonymous on Apr. 2, 2007

Subject: Graves Disease

I notice someone left a comment about several people in her neighborhood contracting Graves Disease and they thought it might be in the water. Has anyone every checked for arsenic? Just curious.

Left by: Anonymous on May. 20, 2006

Subject: fluoride

Along with all the other synthetics added to food and drink, not to mention refined sugar which did not exist one hundred years ago and our livers have not yet adapted to metabolizing it(the same goes for all the synthetics in food and drink as stated above), fluoridation is part of social and population control to keep people sick and tired or continually being slightly ill and never healthy. But keep on trying our latest drugs, though the side effects moght be worse than the original illness, we don't even care about the long term ones because we never researched it long enough to find out! The cornucopia of health problems exponentially mushrooming out of control today is because we are consuming unnatural, biologically tampered with, synthetic food products which are injected, sprayed, etc. with even more unnatural chemicals and insecticides, and finally get their sustenance from ground up creatures of their own kind. We are surrounded by synthetic and unatural materials, vapors, particulates, it goes on and on and they continue to develop more of these things everyday to make our lives easier and more convenient and to drive progress and business but it is really not doing any of that at all, it is simply just killing and making us want to kill each other, this retarded game they got us all playing. It's agri-business! Hell, most people don't even know what the hell to eat anyway and believe you me the FDA, AMA, etc. would rather you not know anyway because they would rather you obey the food pyramid which is bogus and unhealthy and promotes death and all these other products which cause death because ultimately that is the business that the power elite are in. Death. They will not give up their charade of believing people need them and are too ignorant to handle themselves and they will not change their ways despite the crumbling, unsustainable system which keeps them warm at night in their mansions. Unfortunately, I also am kept warm at night through this horrible and unescapable system of "modern life" in this insidious country steeped in lies and blood. Governments now obey the faceless machine of big business/banking who create money out of nothing and destroy everything in it's wake. Wisdom, compassion, spiritual and physical health, knowing our place in the world and universe, these human aspirations mean nothing to them. Power elite are incrementally and systematically destroying fundemental human abilities, traits, and characteristics of the higher kind. Everything is at their disposal to accomplish this goal of cultivating feelings of disconnectedness with others and environment. Oh, back to fluoride. It is a toxin, and disrupts a wide range of bodily functions at the molecular and cellular level. I brush with baking soda.

Left by: Anonymous on May. 19, 2006

Subject: Medical mythology

Little more than 100 years ago, doctors believed that leeches could be used to suck illnesses and infection from patients. There is a long laundry list of well-intentioned but dangerous medical procedures widely accepted as factual by the medical community. Just because a majority of educated doctors put their faith in a particular practice does not make a mistake right. And just because a doctor has spent more time reading, practicing, and learning doesn't make them super-human and infaulable. They are in fact still human and still prone to make mistakes. Besides, just because they memorized a supposed fact in medical school does not make the supposed fact true.

Left by: Anonymous on May. 19, 2006

Subject:

fluoride is the main ingredient in a number of anti-depressant medications including Prozac

Left by: Anonymous on May. 19, 2006

Subject: fluoride sickness

after reading the article on fluoride,I believe that is what has caused my illness. I have Graves Disease.Which I have researched to considerable extent. Fluoride has been known to have effects on your thyroid.I also suffer with anemia. Which causes me to crave ice,so I consume mass quantities of water to curb my cravings.But what I find convincing more than ever, Is the fact that not only myself, But my neighbor across the street and my other neighbor directly behind me also has developed Graves Disease. Strange considering Graves Disease effects one in ten thousand people. how did we all three women get this disease. My neighbor directly behind me died about two years ago. She was last dignosed with Graves Disease. Also the local news showed up on my doorstep, and went up and down our street, saying our area in the neighborhood had high reports of diseases and illneses. how they knew this I still don't understand.I believe something is in our water, and it is making us sick. thank you for your article...

Left by: Anonymous on May. 19, 2006

Subject: chronic fluoride poisoning

Great synopsis of what fluoride does. Fluoridation started in our town in 1985. Immediately our horses started getting sick. We ended up loosing 6 horses ourselves from many varied symptoms caused by fluoride poisoning that were totally undiagnosed by 6 vets. They poo pooed the thought of fluoride poisoning being the cause of the varied symtoms.

Some of the symptoms were neurological, skeletal, breathing difficulties, chronic colic, thyroid problems, tendons and ligaments hardening, reproductive dysfunction, aborting, fetal monsters carried full term, pituitary problems, allergic reactions, bones thickening, teeth problems and the list goes on and on.

My suspicion of fluoride poisoning was positively scientifically diagnosed by Dr. Lennart Krook from Cornell University a world authority on chronic fluoride poisoning in animals. This diagnosis has been written and printed in the Jan/March 06 issue of the Journal of the International Society for Fluoride Research www.fluorideresearch.org. A follow up article is following in the next issue.

Thank you for printing this and all the truth of fluoride.

Cathy Justus, Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Left by: Anonymous on May. 19, 2006

Subject: Sty

Sodium Fluoride has been tested on human beings in the Dachau concentration camp and others. The result was that above a certain level it makes the people very slow in thinking and movement. SS.

Left by: Anonymous on May. 18, 2006

Subject: Common Sense

It seems to me that if the toothpaste label says to not swallow then how in the world is it okay to add it to a water supply for ingestion? I've only just recently stopped using commercial toothpaste and have fortunatley not been in an area where fluoride is added to the water supply. I will admit that when I learned the connection with the Alumunum Industry and the scrubbing of smoke stacks it was like a smack up side the head... IT WOKE ME UP FOR SURE! - Tex Hexman

Left by: Anonymous on May. 18, 2006

Subject: Flouride Poisening

I worked as a glassblower for 22 years. We were always washing glass in hydroflouric acid. Never were there proper enviromental controls. I'm rather disabled these days. 6 doctors said repeat motion injuries and ignored the following. Virtually no enamil on my front teeth and obvious dental flourosis, X-Rays of my spine always coming out over bright (radioligist error I'm told). Clear calficifaction of the ligaments along the Illiac cress bone. Did I mention anemia nd low thyroid. Well never could prove anything. Even the toxicloigist on my side knew little to nothing on the subject. Am I to conclude therefore that flouride is harmless?

Left by: Anonymous on May. 17, 2006

Subject: Most Dentists Fluoride-Misinformed

Most people have faith in their own well-meaning by scientifically out-dated dentists when deciding whether or not to use fluoride. Recent research shows that most dentists haven't kept up with the scientific literature showing that swallowing fluoride has no beneficial effects.

Fluoride gets absorbed into the enamel topically only. However, the Centers for Disease Control tells us that the amount of fluoride in tooth enamel is not inversely related to less tooth decay. So why bother?

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

Fluoridation News Releases http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu

Fluoride News Tracker http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/

Fluoride Action Network http://www.FluorideAction.Net

Left by: Anonymous on May. 17, 2006

Subject: Fluoridation

Superb summary of the current fluoridation situation by one of the 12 scientists on the National Research Council panel. This article should be required reading for every decision maker in the US who has the power to end fluoridation -- as well as the two thirds of the American public that is being medicated against their will by this archaic and harmful practice. Wake up America!

Left by: Anonymous on May. 17, 2006

Subject:

Adverse neurological effects: In addition to the added accumulation of lead (a known neurotoxin) in children living in fluoridated cities, fluoride itself is a known neurotoxin. We are only now starting to understand how fluoride affects the brain. While some recent Chinese studies suggest that fluoride in drinking water lowers IQ (NAS, 2006), we need to study this more in depth in North America.

I'm Ron Eheman, I started the Fluoride Poisoning Support Group. I am Fluoride Poisoned . Dr Myra Preston has tested me before and after drinking fluoridated water and shows brain damage occuring. Why has noone ever contacted her to confirm her results?

TEST RESULTS FROM DR PRESTON

Mine are unusual as I did two tests because my fluoronated city water was making me sick. First test after staying away from as much F as possible for 2+ weeks - second test after drinking my city water for 24 hours.

Highlights:

tested positive for all four variables to be classified as CFIDS patient on both tests

Impression: RGE's QEEG prior to drinking water was abnormal. The abnormalities are primarly in the ratios to total brain activation. the prominence of slow wave activity is recorded in the delta and theta frequencies. The lack of beta activity alsorepresents an abnormal finding.

Following the exposure to water, RGE's delta activity increased, theta activity decreased... Performance on these tests declined sharply from the pre-to post water drinking... total brain function declined in the post-water drinking QEEG.

Conclusions: Extremely abnormal QEEG due to the diffuse delta and theta activity and the lack of brain activation in the beta range in the frontal and temporal regions. This pattern correlates with the patients report of severe cognitive loss. Abnormalities such as these correlate with the limbic system and immune dysfunction, the fatigue, the cognitive problems. It is important to note that the pre-water evaluationwas quite abnormal, confirming the chronicity of the patients illiness. The post-water drinking decline correlates with the patients history of fluoride poisoning. Exposure to this toxin exacerbated the neurophysiological disruption. ...

... RGE clearly exhibits diffuse brain dysfunction, which typically results from a widespread condition such as a metabolic disease including heavy metal poisoning. This indicates a neurotoxic poisoning. Fluoride is a neurotoxin that acts on postsynaptic receptors. This neurotoxic condition correlates with the disrupted brain physiology and the secondary development od Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfinction and Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Link to this article: Link: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/05-06/05-14-06/02opinion.htm or try http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.php?id=1440&title=GUEST+VIEW%3A+The+e...