Is your tap water putting you at risk for a thyroid disorder?? Learn the surprising new study results showing how fluoride side effects on the thyroid.

Fluoride Side Effects on Thyroid Health (the latest research)

There's been an increase in thyroid-related disorders in recent years, and as a result a lot more discussion and ongoing research about potential contributing factors. In fact, a recent study released by the British Medical Journal shows a strong correlation between fluoride in water and an increased risk for hypothyroidism.

Unfortunately the side effects of fluoride have been studied just enough to raise questions of safety and toxicity, but not quite enough to show true cause and effect. In my opinion, this is unacceptable.

“In many areas of the world, hypothyroidism is a major health concern and in addition to other factors—such as iodine deficiency—fluoride exposure should be considered as a contributing factor. The findings of the study raise particular concerns about the validity of community fluoridation as a safe public health measure.” (source)

Fluoride has been shown to easily displace iodine in the body. Without getting too technical, this basically means that fluoride (being a bit hyperactive) says to the ?Thyroid “Pick Me! Pick Me!” while jumping up and down flailing their arms a bit, and all the poor little Iodine molecules get knocked out of the way so they can't get into the thyroid…

Could fluoride in your tap water be causing your HYPOTHYROIDISM?? Find out if fluoride is safe and how to combat any negative fluoride side effects. #fluoride #fluoridatedwater #thyroidhealth #hypothryoidism ~ For more tips for healthy living, visit TheFamilyApothecary.com

The problem with this is that the thyroid NEEDS iodine in order to create thyroid hormone. If the iodine can't get in there, then the thyroid isn't able to make enough thyroid hormone to support the body.

With approximately 20 Million (that's just those who are actually diagnosed) people in America suffering from some form of thyroid disorder, I think this is absolutely worth our time and concern to investigate further, don't you?

A little history on public water fluoridation…

Fluoridation of public water supply began in the 40's, after Dr. Henry Dean proposed that water fluoridation could prevent dental caries. He came to this conclusion during his research on fluorosis (a permanent condition of mottling/browning of the tooth enamel) caused by excess fluoride exposure, found in children whose water supply had been tainted with fluoride. He hypothesized that teeth that had succumbed to fluorosis were resistant to decay. This correlation began his petition to have fluoride added to the general public water supply. (source)

In 1945, as a result of Dr. Dean's efforts, Grand Rapids, Michigan, adjusted the fluoride content of its water supply to 1.0 ppm and became the first city to implement community water fluoridation. By 2008, more than 72% of the U.S. population served by public water systems had access to fluoridated water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers fluoridation of water one of the greatest achievements in public health in the 20th century. (source)

“In 1962, based on scientific studies showing that fluoride reduces tooth decay, the U.S. Public Health Service recommended the amount of fluoride in drinking water range from 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter. Scientists set the range by taking into account different levels of children's fluid intake according to the average annual temperature in different regions of the United States—less fluoride was added in warmer, southern climates where it was believed that people drank more water, and more was added in cooler, northern climates where it was believed that people drank less. Over the past several decades, many factors, including the advent of air conditioning, have reduced geographical differences in water intake.”(source)

So, essentially, if you drink more than the “believed” intake amount based on the perceived climate of your geographical location, you may be at an increased risk for getting more fluoride than you're “supposed” to get… anybody else feeling a little iffy about this??

Okay… but, fluoridated water prevents cavities…

Actually, it doesn't.

The FDA states that fluorine is not an essential nutrient. This means that fluoride and it's chemical counterpart fluorine are not vital to the maintenance of your health. Although they continue to make the claim that fluoride in the water supply has directly influenced the decrease in dental carries in communities, this simply is not true.

According to the World Health Organization, tooth decay has been at a steady decline regardless of whether or not public water supply has been tainted(*ehem)… I mean treated with fluoride. Check it out for yourself here…

(Thanks to Fluoridealert.org for this awesome graph depiction!!)

Here are a few of the documented side effects of fluoride and warnings from governmental agencies, that I think give us enough cause for concern and reassessment of current practices… 

Documented Fluoride Side Effects that cause concern…

Anyone else getting some red flags?! For me, it boils down to concerns about neurotoxicity (brain damage), consequences on bone health, and an increased risk in those who have altered or not-fully-developed kidney systems… and of course the newest findings that it may have a negative impact on thyroid health… although there is likely much more to be looked at.

Although fluoride is an “ionic” compound naturally found in rocks, it is NOT a nutrient and, for the most part, is not a naturally occurring part of water composition… we must at least question the safety of mass distribution of fluoride. The truth is, very limited research has been done to prove the safety of medicating the general public with fluoride.

And, of course, once we begin looking at fluoride as a “medication”, the matter of informed consent must be raised.

The matter of ethics and INFORMED CONSENT with mass public water fluoridation

Have you ever had a medical procedure where you had to sign a paper stating you understood the proposed benefits and the potential risks of what you were having done to you?

This is done for liability purposes (basically so you can't sue your doctor), but should be done in such a way that you actually do understand the potential risks involved. This should be the case with any medications you are prescribed, and it should be no different with the amount of any given substance being added to our water supply for a medicinal purpose. Am I right?

We are not able to determine the “dosage” being distributed, because it cannot be controlled on such a large scale. And, those who are not able to excrete the fluoride from their systems (those with kidney failure and young infants who have not fully developed) are at an even greater risk of developing complications from fluoride accumulating in the body.

Many pediatricians don't warn new mothers of the dangerous fluoride side effects for infants if tap water is used in formula preparation. Many will advise using bottled water, but this is an added cost that a lot of parents are unable to afford… besides the fact that some bottled waters still have added fluoride! We've got a significant problem here!

I personally feel that based on the evidence that fluoride isn't decreasing the risk of dental carries alone should warrant it being taken out of our public water supply. That's the reason we put it in there in the first place, right?

Conclusion: Public water fluoridation is an outdated practice that had a noble (albeit misguided) beginning, and it's time for us to do something about it.

Could fluoride in your tap water be causing your HYPOTHYROIDISM?? Find out if fluoride is safe and how to combat any negative fluoride side effects. #fluoride #fluoridatedwater #thyroidhealth #hypothryoidism ~ For more tips for healthy living, visit TheFamilyApothecary.com

What can you do to limit negative fluoride side effects?

Thankfully, there are ways to decrease your fluoride intake, even if you live in a community where the outdated practice of water fluoridation still exists.

{*Because fluoride exposure and treatment is very personal, I just want to remind you that this is not to be construed for medical advice. If you're concerned about your exposure to fluoride, have a discussion with your primary care practitioner and/or dentist.}

This is not a comprehensive list, just my personal recommendations, and things my family actually does for the purpose of reducing our fluoride intake based on our personal preference after discussion with our dentist.

Get involved

For starters, you can find out if the water in your community is being fluoridated. If you find out it is, you can voice your concerns to your local city council members or mayor, or contact your local environmental agency to request a fresh look at the science behind fluoridation, expressing your concerns. And, by all means, please share this article with friends and family who you feel may benefit most from this information.

Use filtered water for drinking and cooking needs

My family uses a Berkey Water Filtering System with fluoride filters, and we've been quite pleased with it. We fill it up before bed, let it filter during the night, then have fresh water waiting for us in the morning! We have the “royal” Berkey, which holds 3.25 gallons, but they do come in other sizes to accommodate your family's needs as well.

I know Radiant Life also has a similar water filtration system, which I have not personally tried, but I think is definitely a strong contender and worth checking into (you can check Radiant Life's water filtration system out here). There are other systems for water filtration, I'm just not all that familiar with them or sure that there are many others out there that will reduce fluoride content. If you know of another one, let me know!

Use fluoride-free toothpaste

Many dentists are in agreement that preventing and healing tooth decay naturally through proper nutrition and dental hygiene is a valid alternative to fluoride treatments. No fluoride needed, thank you very much… besides the fact that most toothpastes also have harmful ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate. If limiting fluoride in your oral care routine is something you'd like to consider, I recommend speaking with your dentist about your concerns.

There are really only a handful of alternatives to fluoridated toothpaste that I could recommend. I've attempted making our own toothpaste a few times, and didn't love it so much… we've found that we like Redmon Earthpaste Natural Toothpaste. It comes in several different flavors so everyone can get something they like.

We also really like and mostly use DoTerra's Natural Whitening toothpaste.

For our son we use Jack N' Jill's certified organic toothpaste, that comes in a ton of delicious flavors. He loves it!

We also request fluoride-free toothpaste at our dentist's office (who recently commented on how Great my teeth are looking, I might add! 😉 ) It's not quite as pleasant as the minty-fresh version, but it works for me! I've had several discussions with my dentist over the past year and a half or so about our choices, and it's really fun to share insight with him that he may not have heard before. Thankfully he is quite open-minded and relaxed about it… I think we may just get him the “Cure Tooth Decay” book for Christmas, although he may not appreciate it as much as we do! 😉

Be mindful of other pharmaceutical medications that contain fluoride

The pharmaceutical drugs Ciprofloxacin and Avelox (commonly prescribed antibiotics) and other medications to treat depression like Paxil and Prozac contain fluoride. Get the full list of fluoridated pharmaceuticals here.

Thirsty for more info?

I do my very best to provide fair and balanced information to help you look at both sides of an issue. My stance should be clear on the topic of community water fluoridation, but in case you are wondering about the case in favor of fluoridation here are a few more articles to reference for further pros and cons.

And some podcasts for you auditory learners! 🙂