Fluoride in Water - Is It Healthy or Dangerous?
Fluoride in water (or in toothpaste or anywhere else, for that matter) is one of those hotly debated topics in the health world where you can find several people who believe it's excellent for your teeth and body, while others would rather drink a bottle full of bleach (literally!).
Fluoride's Potential Benefits
- May help prevent tooth decay by killing bacteria
Fluoride's Potential Dangers
- While it can kill cavity-causing bacteria, it may also harm other parts of your mouth or body in the process
- Fluoride is not an essential nutrient and can be extremely toxic in high doses
- Several studies show little to no evidence that fluoride actually helps prevent cavities
Whenever anything stirs up this much emotion, I tend to assume that both arguments must have at least a small amount of truth to them.
My first question is always the same (and yours should be too): "How does _____ affect me, and what would change if I did or didn't start/stop doing it?"
In this case, there seems to be a mountain of evidence and critics staging a revolt against fluoride, and, on the flip side, the biggest potential benefit is preventing cavities?
This tells me that the risks, even if they turned out to be completely unfounded and false, aren't worth such a small reward. I brush my teeth 2-3 times per day, as I'm sure you do too, so I see no need to go out of my way to ingest what could be a harmful toxin.
Of course, the final decision is up to you. Do a few quick searches on the topic of fluoride in water, if for no other reason than to see how two different people can believe so firmly in two completely different truths (seriously, these Fluoridians really go at it!).
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Most people have no idea how harmful fluoride is, but really just industrial waste. There are many great natural alternatives where toothpaste is concerned.