Water -

The Truth About Tap Water

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
August 06 2007 | 79,153 views

Most tap water in the United States is laced with fluoride, a toxic industrial chemical that has been widely promoted as being healthy for the public.

In reality, however, fluoride is a poison that may harm your health. Consider this:

• The American Dental Association admits that fluoride is harmful to the development of teeth
• Fluoride is used in rat poison
• Ninety percent of the fluoride used to fluoridate U.S. water systems comes from the fertilizer industry and may contain trace amounts of various heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic
  

The only states where less than 25 percent of the tap water is fluoridated are Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Montana, and New Jersey. The others fluoridate from 25 percent to over 75 percent of their water supplies.

Countertop and pitcher filters typically only filter out particulate matter, not fluoride. You can remove fluoride from your drinking water using a reverse osmosis filtering system.

Too Much Truth July 24, 2007

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Fluoride has been added to the U.S. water supply for over 50 years to prevent dental decay. What you may be surprised to learn is that studies have found no difference in rates of tooth decay in countries that use fluoridated water, compared with those that don’t.

It turns out that any benefit of fluoride in preventing the spread of cavities results from a topical application -- not from ingesting it.

Meanwhile, swallowing fluoride -- from your tap water, toothpaste, processed foods, or beverages -- is not a wise practice. This chemical:

• Accumulates in your bones, making them brittle and more easily fractured, and in your pineal gland, which may inhibit the production of the hormone melatonin, which helps regulate the onset of puberty
• Damages tooth enamel (known as dental fluorosis) and may lower fertility rates
• Has been found to increase the uptake of aluminum into the brain and lead into blood
• Inhibits antibodies from forming in the blood
• Confuses the immune system, causing it to attack the body’s tissues. This can increase the growth rate of tumors in people prone to cancer

Recognizing this very poor risk-to-benefit ratio, many European countries have banned fluoride altogether.

Yet, here in the United States, fluoride is added liberally to water supplies, and is even sold as “nursery water” to give to babies.

Earlier this year, the American Dental Association finally capitulated to the facts and issued a warning about giving fluoridated water to infants under 1 year old… but nursery water, which is essentially fluoridated water, is still on the shelves and, believe it or not, is advertised as being “a first step to your baby’s good health!”

If you are just finding out about the dangers of fluoride and want to know more, The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson is an excellent resource. You can also review What Your Dentist Isn't Telling You About Fluoride for more information on the dangers of fluoride.

Now, if you’d like to do something about the fluoride in your drinking water (for those of you who live in the United States), running out to stock up on bottled water will not protect you. Like tap water, bottled water is often tainted with fluoride (not to mention other chemicals like chlorine).

Right now, the best way you can provide pure, fluoride-free water to your family is by using a reverse osmosis filter, which you can install in your home.

Although a distillation unit will also remove fluoride from your water, I personally do not recommend drinking distilled water, unless you are using it for short-term detoxification purposes.

Distilled water has the wrong ionization, pH, polarization, and oxidation potentials, and if you drink it for too long it can drain your body of necessary minerals.