Thanks to the advice of scientists and governments, a vast number of countries around the world put fluoride into the drinking water of its citizens. Countries that support and actively pursue fluoridation of water include Canada, Australia, Columbia, Ireland, the United States, the Philippines, and, of course, New Zealand. It is estimated that 355 million people around the world, or about 5.7% of the population in the world, get artificially fluoridated water from their taps to drink, and yet only a few choose to use ultra violet sterilisation in order to get the fluoride out of the water that they are drinking.
Why Use Fluoride?
It is true that a small amount of fluoride can be found in naturally flowing water, but it isn’t enough to do what scientists and doctors want it to do, which is to help keep the teeth strong and healthy. Cities and governments insert fluoride into a town’s water supply in order to help their residents stay free of tooth decay. To ensure that the fluoride works properly, a specific level of the compound needs to be put into the water. By drinking this water, low levels of fluoride go into the saliva, which reduces the rate of tooth decay and helps to prevent cavities as well. But is it safe?
The Dangers of Fluoride
A number of scientific studies have proven that having too much fluoride in the water can be harmful to your health. A study in one journal overwhelmingly demonstrated that rats that drank a small amount of fluoride had lesions in their brain that were similar to those seen in patients with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. In the United States, the New Jersey Department of Health discovered that bone cancer was found in male children at a much higher percentage in areas where water was heavily fluoridated. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has also confirmed that there are bone cancer causing effects that can appear when low levels of fluoride have been used in animal testing.
In the United Kingdom, a toxicologist discovered that prenatal deaths were 15% higher in areas where the water was fluoridated than it was in areas where there was no fluoride added to the water.
What can you do to avoid the fluoridated water that comes out of your faucet? The easiest way to eliminate it is to use some form of home water purification device which is designed to take the dangerous chemicals, include fluoride, out of the water that you are drinking. While there are lots of different purifiers out there, only a few can actually take the fluoride out of the water that you drink. Most reverse osmosis systems, activated alumina deflouridation filters, and distillation filters will do the trick. While each uses a different process to remove it, they’re effective systems to help you keep your family safe. If you’re unsure as to whether or not the filtration system you’ve chosen helps to remove fluoride from the water, be sure to check with the company before you’ve made your final purchase.
