How bad are fluorides for health really?

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what fluorides really do with your health? Are fluorides some danger, or exclusively a blessing? Fluorides occur naturally in food, water, but also as an addition in e.g. toothpaste, salt and again water. This article is mainly about what side effects can bring fluoride and in what amounts of consumption they occur.

As a supplement, I recommend my article about the Dangers of tap water.

Table of contents

1. What is fluoride?
2. What does the WHO say about fluoride?
3. Side effects and dangers of fluoride
4. How much fluoride per day is healthy or dangerous?
5. Storage gland and fluoride
6. How, consume less fluoride?
7. Conclusion

1. What is fluoride?

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs in nature and, for example, is naturally in food. However, it is also used to enrich tap water, food and, so most, most, toothpaste are used.

It strengthens the enamel and makes it more resistant to caries.

Sounds good, right?

But, and that is the uncomfortable in this mineral, it also does something else in our body.

So the question is how much fluoride is good for us?

2. What does the WHO say about fluoride?

A normal toothpaste typically contains between 1000 and 1500 ppm fluoride. A pea -sized amount of toothpaste has about 0.25 g. With a concentration of 1450 ppm, this amount contains about 0.36 mg fluoride.

Interesting, isn't it? 

However, the daily recording should be under 1.5 mg/l and 10 mg overall in adults in order to avoid negative effects such as fluorosis. This is the official Guide value of the WHO.

But, as with caffeine Also, this is the absolute maximum value. Other studies have found that concentrations from 0.5 mg/l could be questionable

3. Side effects and dangers of fluoride

Too much of a good thing can be harmful.

Fluorosis is the discoloration of the teeth, and just a sign of too much fluoride. 

There are even more serious long -term consequences.

Skeletal fluorosis affects the bones, leads to pain, damage, lighter breaks and sometimes to change the bone structure.

The impairment of the thyroid function, which is responsible for our hormonal balance and possible cognitive impairments in children were also demonstrated in studies.

4. Storage gland and fluoride

A danger that you hear again and again in connection with fluoride affects the impairment of the pineal gland.

The pineal gland is a small organ in the brain that plays an important role in regulating the sleep-wake rhythm. She produces the hormone melatonin that Day-night rhythm influences the body and thus ensures healthy sleep.

In addition, the pineal gland is involved in the regulation of some endocrine functions and plays a role in controlling sexual maturity.

There are discussions and studies that indicate that fluoride could have an impact on the function of the pineal gland. The main concerns relate to Fluoride's ability to accumulate in the pineal gland and potentially impair their function.

In crystalline form, fluoride can be deposited as a calcium fluoride in the pineal gland, which could theoretically influence melatonin production.

A study by Jennifer Luke (1997) For example, the hypothesis has set up that a high fluoride absorption leads to increased accumulation of fluoride in the pineal gland and possibly impair melatonin production. This could in turn influence the sleep-wake rhythm and other processes regulated by melatonin.

5. How much fluoride per day is healthy or dangerous?

Let's come back to the maximum amount of Fluriod per day. The WHO specifies 10 mg per day, the lowest values ​​from studies are 0.5 mg/l. 

As a rule, the truth is always in the middle. 

The Institute for National Health For example, there are 3-4 mg per day for adults.

3-4 mg sound much more realistic than 0.5 and 10, especially when we take a look at the quantities in food such as water, tea, coffee, potatoes, oatmeal, meat and cheese.

Suppose you drink 2 liters of tap water, a coffee and a cup of tea a day. Then you traveled around 2.3 mg of fluoride. Your food and the number pasta in the morning and evening also have fluorides.

You can easily reach the value of 3-4 mg per day. However, it is difficult to achieve much more than 4 mg per day.

6. How to consume less fluoride?

The most important thing is to stay informed. Use fluoride consciously, check the label of your toothpaste and maybe consider one To buy water filters, if your drinking water is fluoridated, what it is always.

In this way you can already avoid the artificial fluoride additives and naturally only take up fluoride.

7. Conclusion: How bad are fluorides for health really?

At the end of the day the decision is with you.

Too much fluoride demonstrably seems to have clear dangers to our health. Avoid artificial fluorides or added fluorides in water, salt, toothpaste and possibly even food and only use natural fluorides make the most sense.

So use a water filter, salt and toothpaste without fluorides. You already avoid the largest artificial fluoride sources.