Subscribe in a reader

Fluoride in drinking water? Good / bad....Health Canada's panel of experts think it should be lowered?

Health Canada's experts, as mentioned on the CBC, believe that fluoride levels in our drinking water should be reduced. They are particularly concerned about children's exposure to fluoride which can lead to fluorosis - a conditions where the bones become brittle. Fluoride is added to our water supplies to reduce the incidence of dental caries. Studies often site the decrease in dental caries upon the introduction of fluoride in North America's drinking water. However there is evidence (provided by the Fluoride Action Network and the World Health Organization) that tells a different tale. Please see the graph 2 on this website. In other Western countries, where the water is not fluoridated, there have also been marked decreases in dental problems. So it could be the case that we are unnecessarily fluoridating our drinking water. After all, most toothpastes contain fluoride and when you go to the dentist for your regular cleaning, they often have you gargle a concentrated mixture of fluoride.

In general, I would say that fluorosis is not something that most people should be concerned about. I'm more interested in the interaction between fluoride and its effects on the thyroid gland.

I remember listening to a few lectures on fluoride in my school days. In particular, I recall a guest lecturer/doctor from the U.S speaking about the potential adverse effects of fluoride and the thyroid gland. The theory goes that fluorine (a halogen on the periodic table of elements) can displace iodine (another halogen) in the thyroid gland. Iodine is concentrated in the thyroid gland as it is used in the important process of making thyroid hormones. That's why you'll find table salt that's been iodized.

People in areas around the Great Lakes region (including the Toronto area) and the U.S midwest live in what is famously termed the "Goiter belt." There were higher incidences of thyroid irregularities due to iodine deficiency in the soil, though I don't know the exact statistics nowadays.

If you do a search of the literature, you can find a number of studies (mainly animal models) showing how fluoride can impair the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Other researchers feel that these animals had to ingest a great deal of fluoride before noticeable impairments were seen.

So is fluoride in our drinking water a good idea? Honestly, it's hard to say. Does it help with dental caries? It probably does, but how much do we really need if we already get it from other sources. And if the graph about decreasing dental problems in Western countries without fluoridation is correct, then I would say that we can cut the fluoride concentrations in our water too.

Yours in health,
Dr. Ian Koo, ND

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need."

No comments: