Do you ever wonder about the water restaurants use when they serve you coffee, soup, or tea? Do you sometimes find yourself drinking tap water because it is easier than buying a water filter? We all know how important water is for us, but not many take into account just how vital it is to ensure we are drinking the right kind of water. By the “right kind” of water, I mean water that does not contain sodium fluoride, a soluble, toxic salt that can be lethal to the body.
Sodium fluoride is found in many products we use on a daily basis. Toothpaste, mouth rinses, and vitamins for example, are notoriously known for containing sodium fluoride, as well as insecticides and cleaning agents.
Sodium fluoride is quickly absorbed in the stomach before it travels to calcium-rich areas of the body like teeth and bones. Shortly after ingestion, fluoride becomes hydrofluoric acid in the stomach which can corrode the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, causing discomfort, pain, and nausea.
Where our bones are concerned, fluoride builds silently in our bodies for years, contributing to bone deterioration as we age. This leads to increased fractures, particularly in the hip, and a common bone disease called skeletal fluorosis, which is commonly mistook for various types of arthritis.
Many dentists out there also advocate minimal amounts of fluoride for its anti-cavity benefits. However, ingesting even a small amount of fluoride can cause fluoride poisoning or potentially lead to dental fluorosis, a tooth defect caused by too much exposure to fluoride during childhood.
The best thing to do to lessen your ingestion of fluoride, especially here in Los Angeles is to find a good fluoride filter for your sink and shower. For drinking water, I suggest buying a reverse osmosis filter, a filtration method that rids the water of large molecules and ions, and can easily be attached to your sink. The least expensive one I have seen can be found at Costco for roughly $175. Also, change your toothpaste to a non-fluoride brand such as Kiss My Face Aloe Toothpaste.
When you go out, ask your server if the water they’re serving you is tap or purified. Also, if you can, try and cut those extra long showers or baths short too—the levels of fluoride found in tap water can be more easily absorbed through your skin as water temperature rises!
References:
http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Dental+Fluorosis
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/bone/fluorosis/index.html
http://www.holisticmed.com/fluoride/
