June 3rd, 2009
New York fluoride opponent Beeber points out the potential hazard of accumulating fluoride from different sources.
“Just because there is 1ppm (parts per million) of fluoride in the water doesn’t mean you’re drinking that water and taking that fluoride in a vacuum. You have to look at your total fluoride intake and you will see they are in excess of 3 to 6 ppm.”
Beeber said fluoride can be found in food and vegetables grown in fluoridated areas as well as tea, sodas and bone meal. Residents in New York City (which has fluoridated tap water) also increase the amount of fluoride in the water when they boil it for cooking.
If fluoride is so bad for you, why is it still in the water?
Beeber contends that fluoride is big business and an industry by-product.
“They have an easy way (to dispose of it.) Feed it to us and we become human filters of our fluoride poison,” he added.
Beeber lives in Nassau County, New York which stopped adding fluoride to the water system more than 20 years ago. His group also helped remove fluoride from the Suffolk County water system, he said.
“If governments truly want to save money, stopping fluoridation is a no-brainer. It would save money, preserve health and teeth,” Beeber said.
WHAT CONSUMERS CAN DO
So what should you do?
Check with your local water system to find out how much fluoride is in the tap water. A quick website check of a suburban Atlanta water system showed an average of .78 ppm of fluoride, well below the danger level cited by government officials.
Nearly all tap water contains some natural fluoride, but, depending on the water system, the concentration can range from very low (0.2 mg fluoride or less) to very high (2.0 mg fluoride or higher).
Another 1.4 million people in the United States drink water from community water supplies that have a natural fluoride level ranging from 2.0 mg to 3.9 mg. Water at 2 mg or greater may put children 8 years old and younger at increased risk for severe enamel fluorosis.
For those who decide to avoid fluoride, the Fluoride Action Network offers these tips:
WATER FILTERS: One way to avoid fluoride from the tap is to purchase a water filter. The two types of filters which will reliably remove more than 90% of the fluoride are reverse-osmosis filters and activated alumina filters.
SPRING WATER: Another way to avoid fluoride from the tap is to drink spring water. Most spring water has less than 0.1 ppm fluoride.
WATER DISTILLATION: A third way to avoid fluoride from the tap, is to distill the water. The price for distillation units varies widely depending on the size. Small (counter-top) units cost as little as $200, and large units cost as much as $1,600.
TOOTHPASTE: Consider switching to a non-fluoridated alternative (which you can find at most health food stores.)
DRINKS: Minimize consumption of processed beverages such as soda and reconstituted juice which are often manufactured with fluoridated tap water. If you regularly drink wine or grape juice, consider buying only organic varieties. Many commercially-grown grapes in the U.S. are sprayed with a fluoride pesticide called Cryolite.
Be careful of drinking too much green or black tea. Tea almost always has elevated levels of fluoride – natural and otherwise.
FOOD: Minimize consumption of mechanically-deboned chicken, such as nuggets. The meat includes ground bone particles (which are high in fluoride.)
MEDICINE: Check to see if any prescription medicines you are taking contain fluorine.
Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media
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