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Back in 1950, dentists came to believe that a “fluoride deficiency” was the cause of dental cavities, although a growing body of scientific literature has shown this not the case.

In this article, we’ll discuss what fluoride actually is, why it is NOT an essential nutrient and how you can avoid it.

Fluoride, the critical compound…

Fluoride is more classified as a pollutant rather than as a nutrient for human health.

Fluoride is absolutely critical, as a compound in pesticides, ceramics, aerosol propellants, refrigerants, glassware, and Teflon cookware. It is also a toxic waste byproduct of aluminum, fertiliser and iron ore manufacturing [3].

Yet, we put this in our water and add it to dental care products and some commercial food products, brainwashed by the fact that it’s essential for our teeth.

Fluoride Is Not An Essential Nutrient

No fluoride deficiency disease has ever been documented for humans [3].

According to the British Medical Journal, Fluoride is not in any natural human metabolic pathway [1]. In fact, has been critically reviewed and highlighted as not being essential for human growth and development [2].

On top of that, it has shown to cause a range of potential adverse effects including hypothyroidism, dental and skeletal fluorosis, electrolyte imbalance, cancer, and impaired cognitive development, especially in children [3].

Yes, Fluoride itself may have the potential to prevent against tooth decay when applied directly, but it is definitely not essential. I don’t think continually dumping it into our water supply is the right option either given the amount of deleterious effects that have been shown in research.

Let’s list some of these adverse effects in a little more detail.

Disruption of Bone Formation – Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals in optimal bone and teeth formation, and fluoride competes with these processes. This is also potentially amplified in individuals with calcium and magnesium deficiencies.

Dental Fluorosis – Described as a chronic metabolic bone disease caused by ingestion or inhalation of large amounts of fluoride [3]. This adverse effect usually manifests as joint pain in the upper and lower limbs, with the addition of numbing and tingling of the extremities.

Hypothyroidism – Fluoride competitively binds with iodine, an important compound in a healthy functioning thyroid. A hypo-active thyroid leads to the disruption of various metabolic processes, leading to unexplained weight gain, fatigue and mood swings.

Cognitive Impairment – Fluoride has shown to be a potential neurotoxin, with constant exposure to fluoride having a huge impact on a children cognitive development [4].

So, How Can You Protect Yourself From Fluoride? (And other nasty chemicals in drinking water)

1. Avoid or limit use of products that have sodium fluoride, which generally involves a lot of your commercial dental products.

2. Invest in a water filtration system. There are plenty of options out there from table-top filtration systems to whole house water systems – This link is the one I recommend and use currently. Keep in mind some water filtration systems will also strip out the minerals (including Magnesium and Calcium, critical for your teeth), so you may need to add in a mineral supplement in the form of a tablet or liquid.

Table top water filtration systems that I recommend include:

Zazen Water Filtration System – Safely filters out fluoride and other various heavy metals and toxins, with the added benefit of remineralising your water, no mineral supplement is needed.

Durand Filter Systems – Durand offers a range of aesthetically pleasing ceramic filters. These filters are great for filtering a range of unwanted chemicals and toxins, perfect for town water.

AquaTru Countertop Filter System – Using reverse osmosis technology, the AquaTru is said to remove 15X more contaminants than your standard pitcher filters. While it may be on the little more pricey side, you can definitely be safe with this one.

There’s a dozen filtration systems out there, and it’s always best to do your research as to what compounds they filter out, not all do fluoride.

My recommended whole-house water filtration system.

The one I recommend the most is Home Water Filtrations – Family health comes first.

This system will filter your whole house, is easily installed and can also be easily de-attached if you decide to move houses.

This is the best investment I’ve made, and if you decide to also invest, I ask that you mention it was referred by Stephen Brumwell. Full disclosure, this does give me a small kickback, although I am not an investor in the company in any way. It’s completely up to you if you choose to do this.

Summary

Fluoride is a common compound found in pesticides and is a toxic byproduct of aluminium and fertilisers.

Fluoride is not in any natural human metabolic pathway, nor is it essential to our health.

Excessive fluoride intake can lead to a disruption in bone formation, dental fluorosis, hypothyroidism and cognitive impairment in children.

Invest in a good water filtration system that filters out fluoride.

That just about covers it. As always if you have any questions or queries, feel free to get in touch.

All the best in health,
Stephen Brumwell.

References:

Stephen Brumwell

Former drinker, Nutritionist, Biohacking enthusiast, self-experimenter, research fanatic, and self-taught writer, Stephen immerses himself deep into the literature of human optimisation and better understand the nature of addiction. His goal is to help people take control of their addiction, reset their cravings, unscramble their broken brain circuitry and use actionable strategies that work ten times better than anything else.

Fluoride: The Apparent Essential “Nutrient” for our Teeth, And How Investing in Water Filtration Can Protect Us From It.