Fluoride Linked To A High Incidence Of Bone Cancer

The fluoride debate goes all the way back to 1892. Since then there have been many studies to determine how fluoride affects our health.

The ongoing debate is far from over as a recent report reveals that fluoride may have an appalling effect when ingested by young boys.

Fluoride does it do more harm than good?

As most HSI members are aware by now, nearly every public water supply in the US is treated with fluoride. For six decades this policy has been accepted as a reasonable means of preventing tooth decay. Just one problem: Fluoride isn't good for us. And it's been shown to actually HARM teeth in some cases. Even more troubling: A number of studies have linked fluoride to as many as 10,000 cancer deaths in the US each year, with a high incidence of bone cancer among men exposed to fluoride.

That bone cancer link has been confirmed by research results that have not been published. In fact, it appears that someone may have tried to bury those results.

Thankfully, only about 11% of the UKs population currently receive fluoridated water. Although I doubt those 11%, living mainly in the Midlands and north-east, are very thankful if they are aware at all.

Last month the Associated Press (AP) reported that Harvard University officials in the US have launched an investigation into a 1992 study that found no statistically significant link between fluoride intake and bone cancer (osteosarcoma). The study was conducted by a Harvard Medical School professor who received a research grant for more than $1 million from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The investigation was prompted by the recent uncovering of a 2001 thesis paper from a Harvard doctorial candidate in which data showed that boys who drink fluoridated water between the ages of five and 10 may have an increased risk of osteosarcoma. Some of the data in the student's study was taken from the 1992 study, raising the question: Did the professor of that earlier study intentionally bury or ignore data that would point to a link between fluoride intake and bone cancer?

And if that wasnt bad enough, get this: The AP reports that the professor is editor in chief of the Colgate Oral Health Report; a quarterly newsletter. Colgate-Palmolive, of course, manufactures fluoridated toothpaste.

Selective oral health reporting

There's a much larger dilemma here than the possible misuse of a government grant.

A write up of the Harvard scandal that appeared in The Observer speculated on fears of a growing recognition of the dangers of fluoride. If court decisions should ever begin to establish harm caused by fluoride, decades of litigation could be triggered throughout the US. And all of those costly lawsuits would be aimed at local governments. 'Consequently,' The Observer notes, 'scientists have been inhibited from publicising any adverse findings.'

I guess it all depends on your perception of who is in the right and who is in the wrong.

And cancer isn't the only concern. US physician and author of the Daily Dose e-Tips, Dr William Campbell Douglass II, listed a few of the other health problems associated with fluoride intake:

• In animal trials, it has been shown to enhance the brain's absorption of aluminum (the toxin shown to contribute to Alzheimer's disease)
• Several osteoporosis studies have associated it with hip fractures
• When too much is consumed, teeth can become discoloured and crumble

So how can you tell when you're consuming too much? You can't! This dental treatment, when added to drinking water arrives in an unknown dosage level. That's like your doctor saying, 'You have no choice; you must take this medication. No one knows what the dosage is, so just take a lot of it.'

Any doctor who tried that wouldn't be practicing medicine for long.

If you are concerned about the possibility of fluoride in your drinking water you may wish to invest in a reliable water filter or stick to drinking bottled water. Your local council will also be able to tell you if your water supply is fluoridated.