By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

May 11, 2015

• Do you have a prescription for fluoridated water?
• This hazardous waste product has unwanted side effects
• Free your body – and your mind – from the toxic effects of fluoride

All sorts of chemicals are added to your municipal water supply. The majority of these compounds are to keep the water safe, so you can drink it without becoming sick.

However, one chemical is added that has nothing to do with the safety of your water. Instead, it’s intended to improve the health of your teeth. So the way I look at it, this makes it a medical treatment.

Now, if your local water plant started adding statins to your water supply without your permission, I’ll bet you would raise hell.

The choice to have medical treatment – whether for cholesterol or dental health – should clearly lie in your hands. However, these days about 70% of our water supply is fluoridated, and not nearly enough people are fighting to stop this practice.

Maybe you’ve heard too much propaganda about how “good” fluoride is for your teeth. But the truth is, fluoride doesn’t do anything to improve your dental health. In fact, it often results in something called dental fluorosis. This creates white streaks on your teeth that can turn into brown stains, pits and broken enamel.

And here’s the kicker: As recently as 2010 the CDC reports nearly half of all kids between the ages of 12 and 15 have fluorosis. I hate to imagine the state of their dental health by the time they hit middle age.

But that’s just the beginning. There are other long-term effects of fluoridation that you need to be aware of. Today I want to address the two that have me most concerned.

My first concern is your thyroid health.

You see, your body requires iodine to make thyroid hormones. Without those thyroid hormones, you can end up suffering the effects of hypothyroidism.

But fluoride competes with iodine receptors. It actually displaces iodine…preventing your body from holding on to the iodine it needs.

So the more municipal water you drink – and the more you bathe, swim and shower in it – the more fluoride your body is accumulating and the less well your thyroid is working.

In areas with fluoride levels above 0.3 mg/L (milligrams per liter of water) rates of hypothyroidism run about 30% higher than in areas that don’t add fluoride to their water. And here in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency allows up to 4 mg/L in our municipal water supplies.

This may be why we’re seeing so many cases of underactive thyroid these days.

And while millions of Americans have this problem, the majority of them don’t even know it, nor do they know if their doctor has checked for it.

It’s a silent epidemic that’s hard to diagnose. That’s because the symptoms are so general. They include…

• Fatigue
• Sluggishness
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Pale, dry skin
• Puffy face
• Hoarse voice
• Elevated blood cholesterol level
• Unexplained weight gain
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
• Muscle weakness
• Heavier than normal menstrual periods
• Brittle fingernails and hair
• Depression

What’s my other big concern?

If you’re worried about your risk of Alzheimer’s, avoiding fluoride is a must.

It turns out fluoride collects in the pineal gland and causes it to calcify. And calcification of this tiny little gland is significantly higher in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The more your brain ages, the more deposits accumulate. This causes several problems.

You see, your pineal secretes melatonin, which helps regulate sleep. Melatonin also has antioxidant properties and acts as a neuroprotector.

However, when your pineal gland is calcified, it reduces production of melatonin. This means you’re not getting its protective effects.

Even more importantly, we also see reduced melatonin levels in Alzheimer patients. In fact, decreased melatonin levels may be one of the first signs of this disease.

But that’s not the extent of it. Melatonin has a very strong influence on your circadian rhythm. When it’s low, it can throw your entire sleeping patterns out of whack. And not getting enough sleep increases your risk of Alzheimer’s, too. So it’s a double whammy.

In the meantime, it’s important that you free your body of toxic fluoride. Here are a few of my top recommendations…

• Put filters on your tap water and drink distilled water to reduce the amount of fluoride getting into your body. It’s also a good idea to switch to a natural toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride.
• Get 6.25 mg of iodine daily to help bring your thyroid function back up to par.
• There is evidence that selenium can reverse many of the negative effects of fluoride. Aim for 100 mcg daily.
• A dry sauna can help release fluoride trapped in your fatty cells. Just be sure to drink plenty of distilled water so you don’t become dehydrated.
• If you have problems sleeping, you may need to reset your circadian rhythm. The best way to do this is by taking 4 or 5 mg. of time-released melatonin each night. You only need to take until you’ve re-established your natural sleep/wake patterns.

Sources:
BMJ. “Water fluoridation in England linked to higher rates of underactive thyroid.” ScienceDaily. Feb 2015.

Mahlberg R, et al. Pineal calcification in Alzheimer’s disease: an in vivo study using computed tomography. Neurobiol Aging. 2008 Feb;29(2):203-9.

Luke J. Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland. Caries Res. 2001 Mar-Apr;35(2):125-8.

Zhou JN, et al. Early neuropathological Alzheimer’s changes in aged individuals are accompanied by decreased cerebrospinal fluid melatonin levels. J Pineal Res. 2003 Sep;35(2):125-30.

Reddy KP, et al. Protective effects of selenium on fluoride induced alterations in certain enzymes in brain of mice. J Environ Biol. 2009 Sep;30(5 Suppl):859-64.