The controversial fluoride debate has been raging on for quite some time. It seems that today is the day for those who have been passionately fighting for the right to have fluoride removed from water supplies declare a victory.
Today, the government decided to lower the recommended amount of fluoride added to drinking water for the first time in more than 50 years. They have finally admitted that the decrease is due to people already receiving too much of a daily intake of fluoride. Because fluoride is present in many sources, people are inadvertently poisoning themselves and causing health problems.
Perhaps the government’s change of heart is because after years of protests, the medical community recently admitted they were wrong about fluoride altogether. Recent medical studies that have come out, indicate that fluoride has been shown to reduce fertility, damage bones, and reduce IQ, especially in children. Despite all of this evidence, for years, the media, the government and the medical establishment refused to acknowledge the inherent dangers of this chemical. All of that changed today.
The final rule was issued Monday, four years after it was first proposed. The long-awaited regulation advises towns and cities to maintain fluoride levels at 0.7 milligrams per liter — setting the level at the lowest end of the government’s previous recommended range, which was between 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter.
Will It Make a Difference?
Although this minor victory should be celebrated, this harmful mineral is still present in many sources that we ingest and begs the question if it will really make that much of a difference. Not only do we have fluoride present in our municipal water supplies and our toothpastes, but we also ingest this harmful mineral from processed foods made with fluoridated water, bottled drinks, teflon pans, and even mechanically deboned chicken. As well, infant formula even has fluoride added to it. I believe that the fight against fluoride should carry on until all products that have fluoride in them be removed from our food sources: toothpastes, infant formulas, etc.
Continue to stay vigilant with this fight and understand how prevalent it is by learning about the many sources of fluoride. As well, continue to make a point to filter the fluoride out of your water. Even though it has been lowered, it does not mean that it isn’t harmful.
On a side note, would it be far-fetched to wonder with all the changes the government is making with fluoride, do you think we could convince them to stop adding cancer-causing pesticides to our food sources? Here’s to wishful thinking.