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Manager's Corner: Fluoride
by
Kathleen Boehning,
A
series of articles published over the last few years in Townsend
Newsletter,
a magazine for doctors and patients examining medical alternatives, and
a new
book Fluoride Deception, by award-winning investigative
reporter
Christopher Bryson, have pushed me to take a stand. Bryson, who covered
the
Guatemalan army abuses for the BBC and NPR, won the Project Censor
award for
the first linking of the Manhattan Project to fluoridation of public
water. In his
2004 book, Bryson unearths and debunks quite possibly the biggest myth
of the
twentieth century by exposing the most fraudulent global “abuse of
power and
the manufacture of state sponsored medical propaganda [linking fluoride
to
better teeth … with] a secretive group of powerful industries, all of
which
faced extensive litigation for fluoride pollution, collaborated with
officials
from the National Institute of Dental Research to launder fluoride’s
public
image.” Fluoride
has been recognized as a toxic industrial pollutant since the dawn of
the
Industrial Revolution. Workers exposed to fluoride developed a array of
problems of their neurological systems, including olfactory and
cognitive function,
breathing difficulties and a host of bone and arthritic conditions. The
fluoride we apply to our teeth is literally scraped of the smoke stacks
of
phosphate fertilizer manufacturing plants. It’s the life-blood of
industry, used
to produce high octane gas, to smelt aluminum, steel, to make computer
circuit
boards, pesticides, ski wax, Teflon, carpets, waterproof clothing,
bricks,
packaging for burgers and microwave popcorn and more. Every year over
500,000
tons are released into our waters and land and more then 155,000 tons
into our
air. Fluoride
is a key component of numerous pharmaceutical drugs like Prozac,
Cepro, Lipitor, Crestor and Lescol.
In an
article in the January 2004 Archives of Internal Medicine,
cholesterol lowering
statins were linked
to aggressive and violent behavior. One of the child mass murderers of
Columbine was on a fluoride-based compound, the anti-depressant Luvox.
In
areas where there is fluoridated water, children have 15–19-point lower
IQs.
These children run the risk of increased uptake of lead, as noted by
Dr.
Masters, president of the Foundation for Neuroscience and Society.
Animal
studies have shown it causes impaired learning and memory abilities as
well as
impaired motor ability. Girls in fluoridated areas are starting their
menses
earlier, as studies indicate it affects the pineal gland. The pineal
gland
produces melatonin, and this hormone controls the onset of menses as
well as
sleep. Studies have also shown that fluoride disrupts testosterone and
sperm
function. Those living in highly fluorinated areas have higher rates of
hip, wrist
and other bone fractures. Dr.
Hirzy, vice president of Chapter 280 of the National Treasury Employees
Union,
which consists of scientists, lawyers and engineers at the EPA
headquarters in
D.C., says their union has been at odds with the EPA’s position of
fluoridation. They are linking it to cancer, gene mutations, kidney
disease,
neurotoxicity and bone pathology. Yet their voices are not heeded by
the agency
that is supposed to be there to protect our environment and our health. The
effect of fluoride on the thyroid has been known since the 1930s. Too
much can
cause either hypo- or hyperactive thyroid conditions. According to the
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 66% of the national population is
being
fluoridated via their community drinking water. This doesn’t take into
account
the absorption via showers, baths and pools, nor food sources.
Considering that
most Americans eat non-organic food, buy frozen and bottled food and
juices, as
well as consume numerous medications every day, Americans are ingesting
more
than 1 ppm, the level considered safe for fluoridation. At that level,
fluoride
has been shown to disrupt enzyme functions and to cause genetic and
chromosomal
damage — yet, people are commonly ingesting up to 20 ppm daily and
more. It is
no wonder that obesity and thyroid dysfunction, ADD and violence, are
so pervasive
in this country. In
study after study around the world, fluoride has not delivered on its
promise
of reduced dental caries. Research shows either no difference or only
slight
reductions between nonfluoridated and fluoridated communities. Is the
possible
0–6% reduction in dental caries worth the incredible risk of future
health
decline? I think not, especially when there is a completely natural
plant sugar
that has been shown to reduce the bacteria that causes caries. Xylitol
is found
in birch and beech bark, as well as berries, corn, plums, mushrooms and
lettuce.
In one study done with 288 children over a seven year period, there was
a 59%
reduction in caries even though five years had lapsed since the
treatment
ended. Studies have shown that chewing xylitol gum reduced the
incidence of otitis
media due to its anti-bacterial ability. We have been carrying a
variety of
xylitol toothpaste, mouthwash, gum and breath mints for a while. We
will still
carry Tom’s of For
those who are concerned about the fluoride presently in your body,
studies have
shown that calcium carbonate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and vitamin E
can help
in the removal of this toxic trace mineral. Cilantro is also a
detoxifier of
heavy metals. We sell a product called Metal Flush and another
by
Quantum Herbals called Poisons Removal. |
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