By David Liu, PHD

Wednesday sept 12, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Fluoride is a neurotoxin and more than 75% of U.S. drinking water is polluted by this element which dentists claim can help prevent caries.  Studies show that fluoride does reduce risk of caries in some cases, but increase risk of fluorosis, a more serious dental disease.

You did not vote for fluoridation.  But you and your children may suffer adverse effects of the "public deed" promoted by medical and dental organizations.  But you don't have to. There are a couple of things you can do to avoid or minimize the damage induced by fluoride.

A study in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology suggests that taking vitamin E and vitamin C can help protect against endometrial damage and oxidative stress induced by fluoride intoxication.

M. Guney of Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta, Turkey and colleagues conducted the study and found in rats fluoride treatment for 60 days significantly increased endometrial malondialdehyde but decreased superoxide dismutase, glutathionine peroxidase and catalase activities, which are signs of adverse effects.

On the other hand, vitamin E and vitamin C administration along with fluoride treatment significantly not only decreased endometrial malondialdehyde but also increased superoxide dismutase, glutathionine peroxidase and catalase activities, which are good to see.

Fluoride is toxic, particularly when the dose reaches some level and it can at least induce some adverse effects on some physiological functions including reproduction, the authors say in their report.  The current study was meant to examine fluoride-induced oxidative stress and its promotional effect on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the effect of  vitamin E and vitamin C on the fluoride toxicity.

For the study, three groups of rats were given either a placebo, fluoride preparation at the concentration of 100 mg/L and fluoride plus vitamins for sixty days.

In addition to the protective effect against oxidative stress in the rats treated with fluoride, vitamin E and vitamin C supplementation showed a histopathological protection against endometrial damage induced by fluoride.  Rats treated with fluoride had more lymphocyte and eosinophil infiltration in stroma, compared with rats treated without fluoride or with fluoride plus vitamins.

The researchers conclude "It can be concluded that oxidative endometrial damage plays an important role in F(fluoride)-induced endometrial toxicity, and the modulation of oxidative stress with vitamins reduces F(fluoride)-induced endometrial damage both at the biochemical and histological levels."

Those who want to remove fluoride from their drinking water will have to use special tap water filters which can be reverse osmosis filter systems and aluminum based filters.  Avoid the latter, which can get into your drinking water causing more harm than good.  Active carbon filters do not help get rid of fluoride.