Just when you thought that the water in London and the rest of the UK may be safe to drink, the government health department is once again urging local councils to add fluoride to the drinking water.
Why Does the UK Government want to add Fluoride to the Drinking Water?
The government asserts that adding fluoride to all the drinking water in England and Wales would significantly improve the dental health of children.
A national report published by Public Health England (PHE), asserts that a study conducted on the dental health of children of between 5 years of age (with baby teeth) and 12 years of age (with adult teeth) shows that:
- 45% fewer children aged 1-4 were admitted to hospital for tooth decay in areas where there is fluoride in the drinking water
- Levels of general tooth decay were 15% lower for 5year olds
- Levels of general tooth decay in 12 year olds were 11% lower
According to the study, the impact in more deprived areas was even more significant.
The report also states that there was a significant reduction in bladder cancer and kidney stones in the areas where the drinking water is fluoridated.
What is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that is found in trace quantities in water, soil, plants, and animals. Fluoride is also naturally found in bones. The fluoride that is naturally found in water takes the form of calcium fluoride (CaF2).
Why is it Controversial to Add Fluoride to Drinking Water?
The fluoride that governments add to water is an artificial fluoride that is also found in pesticides.
While the Dental Health communities worldwide argue for fluoridation of drinking water as a means to combat tooth decay, other medical and water purity organisations argue that it is not healthy and that to medicate a whole population against their will is unconstitutional and draconian.
The National Pure Water Association (NPWA) argues that any such drinking water fluoridation scheme would contravene “generally accepted principles of medical ethics†and would also violate the EU Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine.
Natural fluoride is good for bone and tooth health, but can be toxic in large doses; just one teaspoon o f fluoride can kill an 11stone adult and a mere 300grams will kill a child weighing 1st 6lb child.
Artificial fluoride is much stronger than the natural version, thus it takes 50 times less artificial fluoride to be lethal.
Drinking Water Fluoridation has been linked to:
Cancer
A study done by the New Jersey Department of Health in the U.S. in 1992 found that there is a very strong link between fluoridated drinking water and an increase in bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in young males. The report stated that the rate of osteosarcoma occurring in areas where the drinking water is fluoridated is between 3-7 times higher than in non-fluoridated areas.
Low levels of the artificial fluoride can also interfere with the male hormone testosterone.
Dental Fluorosis
While fluoride is added to drinking water to prevent tooth decay, too much artificial fluoride in drinking water can lead to dental fluorosis, which presents as an unsightly mottled effect caused by white and brown spots appearing on the teeth.
Kidney Problems
The journal Urological Research published a study that found that the occurrence of urolithiasis (kidney stones) was 4.6 times higher in areas where the drinking water is fluoridated.
Osteoporosis
While bone exposed to fluoride is denser, bones exposed to artificial fluoride in the drinking water are weaker than normal, and less elastic. Studies have linked this to more occurrences of hip fracture.
Skeletal Fluorosis
Skeletal Fluorosis is a crippling disease that presents as muscle weakness, pains in the bones and joints, and gastrointestinal disorders. The spine becomes completely rigid in the most extreme cases.
It seems that soon the only way to avoid drinking fluoridated water in the UK will be to invest in a home water cooler or an office water cooler, or both to make sure. Alternatively one should buy a water filter for the tap.
Buy bottled water cooler or mains water cooler from Living-Water.
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