Fluoride In Drinking Water Ruled Unacceptably Risky By Federal Judge

Since 2007, the Save Institute has consistently warned of fluoride’s hidden risks to bone health. While it’s encouraging that federal intervention is now pushing for changes, it’s disappointing that it took this long and required legal action to bring fluoride’s dangers into the spotlight. This recent ruling mandating the EPA to address fluoride exposure is a significant step towards safeguarding public health.

A Federal judge in California has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take regulatory action to address the potential negative health impacts of adding fluoride to drinking water.

Fluoride, commonly added to public drinking water in the United States, has long been a topic of extensive debate. A growing body of scientific literature has found that exposure to the chemical can reduce IQ in children and cause wide-ranging health problems in adults.

These issues include reductions in bone quality, recently confirmed by a study that used ultrasonic measurements to demonstrate the link between fluoride levels and diminished bone quality.

Judge Rules EPA Must Take Action On Fluoride

This September, Judge Edward Chen of the United States District Court of the Northern District of California issued a ruling that the EPA must address the potential neurological impacts of fluoride on Americans.

In his decision, Judge Chen wrote that “a preponderance of the evidence” indicates that current fluoride levels in public drinking water pose an “unreasonable risk”.¹

Part of the evidence he considered was a report from The Department of Health and Human Services’s National Toxicology Program, which linked higher levels of fluoride exposure to lower IQs in children.²

The court asserted that the fluoridation level currently considered “optimal” in the United States, 0.7 milligrams per liter of water, poses such a high risk to public health that the EPA must take action.

Approximately 200 million Americans have fluoride added to their drinking water at a concentration of 0.7 mg/L, but this is not the only source of exposure. Beverages and food produced with fluoridated water add to total consumption.

Countries That Don’t Fluoridate Their Water

Many countries around the world have opted against water fluoridation, favoring alternative measures for dental health or raising concerns about potential health and ethical impacts. If the U.S. were to stop fluoridating, it would join a significant list of countries that also do not fluoridate their water. Some of them include:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hungary
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Japan

But water isn't the only source of fluoride exposure. Additional exposure to fluoride may also come from:

• Fluoridated toothpaste
• Fluoride treatments at the dentist
• Residual fluoride on produce, from its use as a pesticide
• Naturally occurring fluoride in green and black tea
• Food contaminated with particles from non-stick Teflon-type cookware coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)
• Processed foods that came into contact with non-stick chemicals (PFAs) containing fluoride

Judge Chen did not specify what actions the EPA should take or how regulations should change, but he did note that the ruling requires action from the agency. The EPA has not yet issued a statement regarding its intentions.

Synopsis

A Federal judge ruled that the current standard concentration of fluoride added to drinking water poses a substantial risk to the health of Americans and that the Environmental Protection Agency must take action. Approximately 200 million Americans' drinking water contains 0.7 mg/L of fluoride.

Flouride's Danger Is Old News

Fluoride was first used as a treatment for preventing tooth decay in the early 20th century. Many municipalities around the world add fluoride to their drinking water with the intention of improving dental health.

Fluoride's effect on teeth is attributed to remineralization, a process in which fluoride integrates into the tooth enamel. When we consume fluoride, approximately half of it is excreted through urine.

Ninety-nine percent of the fluoride retained by the body becomes part of bone tissue. This increases bone mass, which has historically led to confusion in the Medical Establishment about fluoride’s true impact on bone health.

While Increasing bone may seem beneficial for those experiencing bone loss, the bone mass added by fluoride does not enhance bone strength. When it is incorporated into bone, it substitutes for hydroxyls in hydroxyapatite crystals, forming fluorapatite. The fluorapatite bone is weak and low quality, causing an increase in fracture risk.

Chronic exposure to moderate to high levels of fluoride can cause a condition called skeletal fluorosis, which causes stiffness and pain in joints and ligaments.

A 2023 study examined the effectiveness of fluoride for preventing tooth decay and found that the impact of public water fluoridation is less significant than it was before 1975. Since 1975, most brands of toothpaste have added fluoride, potentially making water fluoridation obsolete as a dental health measure.³

Synopsis

Fluoride is often added to public water to prevent tooth decay. However, 99% of the fluoride you consume is added to your bones as fluorapatite crystals. Fluorapatite bone is weak and low quality, causing an increase in fracture risk. Chronic exposure can cause skeletal fluorosis, causing stiffness and pain. Studies have questioned whether public water fluoridation is needed for dental health, since toothpaste now commonly contains fluoride.

Ultrasonic Measurement Reveals Fluoride's Degradation of Bone

A study published in the journal Bone Reports in June of 2020 associated fluoride intake with decreased bone quality.

The researchers employed a novel bone quality measurement method: passing ultrasonic sound through bone and measuring its speed to assess the bone tissue.

Researchers collected 871 speed of sound (SOS) measurements from 341 Ethiopian subjects residing in 25 communities, aged 10–70 years. Subjects received ultrasonic scans of the cortical bone of their radius and tibia.

The study found a negative association between fluoride exposure and bone quality. Higher fluoride consumption correlated with reduced quality of bone. Every additional milligram of fluoride per liter of water resulted in a reduction of the speed of sound through bone. The reduction in speed of sound indicates net bone loss, abnormal mineralization and collagen formation, or altered microarchitecture⁴.

The study's authors concluded that “more attention needs to be paid to the public health significance of elevated fluoride exposure.”⁴ With the recent ruling by Judge Chen about fluoride levels in public drinking water, the EPA may finally revise their fluoride regulations.

Synopsis

Researchers employed ultrasonic sound to assess bone quality in participants with varying fluoride intake levels. They found that every additional milligram of fluoride per liter of water resulted in a reduction of bone quality.

What This Means To You

The Save Institute has warned about the dangers of fluoride since 2007. It is gratifying that change might finally be on the horizon, but frustrating that it took so long and required the intervention of the Federal court.

Fortunately, Savers have had the Osteoporosis Hydration Protocol — part of the Osteoporosis Reversal Program — to help them avoid fluoride and safely hydrate their bodies and bones. That's one of many important strategies that the ORP provides to help you avoid bone-damaging toxins and strengthen your bones.

Making informed decisions about your health requires access to the best information available. Keep learning about the latest developments in bone health and public policy. Regulations change slowly, so it's crucial to keep up with the latest scientific studies so you can make the best choices for your bones and health.

References

¹ https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4898893-epa-ordered-address-fluoride-drinking-water-iq/

² https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/assessments/noncancer/completed/fluoride

³ https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010856.pub3/full#CD010856-sec-0044

⁴ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352187219300415