What's the real deal about fluoride, is it good or bad?

Everyone knows fluoride by now, mainly from its use in toothpaste or at the dentist. Few people know, however, that fluoride also occurs in drinking water and, for example, in cheap vitamin supplements. According to authorities and companies, its use is necessary for strong and healthy teeth, a so-called anti-caries effect, which means you get fewer cavities. The Nutrition Centre says the following about it:

“Fluoride is a trace element that is present in teeth and bones. It protects against tooth decay. There is too little fluoride in food and drink for good protection against tooth decay. That is why it is important to take tablets or use toothpaste with fluoride. People who use a lot of fluoride tablets for a long time can get brown spots and stripes on their teeth. Kidneys, bones, nerves and muscles can also be affected by excessive use of fluoride.”

It proves once again that the Nutrition Centre is completely unaware of recent knowledge and is mainly guided by other interests, instead of facts. The first part about protecting against tooth decay has been mentioned in scientific literature in few cases, while risks and damage are a well-known fact in science. Even scientists who used to be pro-fluoridation increasingly admit that its use entails health risks. Fluoride is a classic example of a fable that was introduced into the world by a few researchers and somehow – probably due to the actions of commercial parties – continues to exist, while it has been proven for decades that it is more harmful than good.

What exactly is fluoride and how is it made?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral. It is found on rocks that come into contact with groundwater. This results in a low concentration of fluoride in water. The natural level of fluoride in water varies depending on the type of water (groundwater or surface water), the type of rock and minerals that the water comes into contact with. It is therefore found in some concentration in all natural water supplies. For example, ocean water contains fluoride at a concentration of one part in a million, about the same as drinking water in Australia.

That is the naturally occurring Fluoride, but unfortunately not the fluoride that we find in our toothpaste. That is namely fluoride from a toxic waste product that is released during the production of, among other things, aluminum and phosphate fertilizers. This used to have to be collected and processed as chemical waste. Now it is sold to put in our toothpaste and other products. Every sensible person realizes that this is not a substance that we like to ingest and is harmful to our health.

Although there are dozens of harmful effects on our health mentioned in the literature, there are two important ones that I would like to highlight: the neurotoxic effects and the damage it causes to our thyroid gland.

Health risk 1: neurotoxic effects

Any doubts that still existed about fluoride were dispelled once and for all in 2012 when research from Harvard University showed that children who ingest extra fluoride have a lower IQ than children who only ingest it naturally. According to Choi, the researcher of this publication, increased intake causes brain damage and is not stopped by the placenta, so unborn children already suffer negative consequences from its use.

Fluoride is therefore a neurotoxic substance, a substance that can damage the brain and other organs with prolonged stress. This can cause permanent damage to our nervous system and block or amplify impulse transmission. The big problem with this is that damaged nerves regenerate with difficulty and the damage that has occurred can therefore be repaired slowly or not at all.

Health risk 2: thyroid hormone deficiency

In addition to the neurotoxic effects, fluoride can cause major problems for the thyroid gland. Fluoride competes with iodine in the body, which often results in an iodine deficiency when taken in excess. This results in the thyroid gland not being able to produce enough T3, T4, and TSH, important hormones for the thyroid gland and the rest of our body. It is not without reason that fluoride was prescribed in the early 1950s as a remedy for an overactive thyroid gland.

When people have low thyroid hormone levels, we are at greater risk of heart disease, depression and, in pregnant women, reduced intelligence of the unborn child.

Choose natural and fluoride-free dental care

At Morgen is Nu we are convinced that if you want to be healthy, you should only use products that are all natural and that have not been subject to bad production methods. This also applies to dental care. Easy and cheap alternatives are Tea Tree Oil or Dentisto, made from pure eucalyptus and clove oil. It is also easy to make toothpaste from pure coconut oil or bentonite clay and adding essential oils to it.

A new trend is brushing your teeth with activated carbon, it is good for your teeth and also makes your teeth whiter. The activated carbon is made from the carbonized materials of plants and often coconuts. The activated carbon has the property of binding active substances and making them inactive, so it attracts the impurities in your teeth and whitens teeth in a natural way. At Morgen is Nu we sell activated carbon in 100% pure powder form.

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