Monday June 10, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Boys who drink fluoridated water are at higher risk for bone cancers as studies have demonstrated. At higher risk from water fluoridation are not the boys only and bone cancers are not the only malignancies that can be promoted or induced by fluoride, according to a new study released in Journal of Epidemiology.
K. Takahashi and colleagues from University of Tokyo in Japan looked at IARC data from nine communities in the U.S. with 21.8 million residents (mainly white) and found "optimally" fluoridated drinking water was associated with significantly increased risk of cancers in 23 types of cancer.
The communities in the study included Connecticut, Iowa, Utah, Atlanta, GA, Detroit, MI, New Orleans, LA, Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA and Los Angeles CA. The researchers said the cancer-fluoride associations were applicable not only for the whole USA, but also other countries.
Here are some details about the findings of the study:
1) In males, those who drank fluoridated drinking water were 30 to 110 percent more likely to develop a cancer of the digestive organs including oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. In females, fluoridated drinking water was associated with most cancers of these organs in 1990 only.
2) In males, cancer of the bronchus and lung was positively associated with fluoridated drinking water.
3) In females, kidney cancer and urinary bladder cancer were positively associated with fluoridated drinking water and in males urinary bladder cancer was associated.
4) Prostate cancer and ovarian cancer were positively associated with fluoridated drinking water in 1988 to 1992.
5) The incidence of bone cancer was positively associated with fluoridated drinking water in males. The increase in the risk ranged from 22 to 153 percent.
6) The incidence of brain tumors were significantly associated with fluoridated drinking water in 1978 to 1982 in makes and in 1983 to 87 in both males and females.
7) Hodgkin's diseases and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma were associated with fluoridated drinking water in females whereas monocytic leukemia was significantly correlated with fluoridated drinking water in males.
8) Overall cancer risk was 23 percent higher in males who were exposed to fluoridated drinking water and 19% higher in females.
Compared with well recognized cancer risk factors such as smoking, the researchers said fluoridated drinking water much more deserves to be considered a risk factor for a variety of cancer. They suggested that fluoride can cause some genetic problems leading to the development of all sorts of cancer.
The researchers further said that fluoride was not just associated with increased risk for a variety of cancers. Laboratory studies have provided evidence to support the observational studies. For instance, both lab studies and epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to fluoride increases the risk of bone cancer in males.
Water fluoridation was initiated in several American and Canadian communities in
1945 to prevent dental caries and in the U.S., over 75% of drinking water has been fluoridated. The side effects or adverse effects including increased cancer risk have been reported over the years.
Some studies suggested there was no association between fluoridated drinking water and increased risk of cancer. But the authors of the current study pointed out that "there are methodological problems suggesting that re-appraisal might be necessary." (As always, studies can be conducted to defend or justify fluoridation to protect the interest of the industry.)
According to the authors, the U.S. National Cancer Institute conducted research as early as in 1987 and found epidemiologic evidence of relation between increased cancer incidence and water fluoridation, but did not publish the data. The findings did prompted the NCI, the EPA and the National Institute for Dental Research to nominate sodium fluoride as a target for further research.
The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) conducted standard rat and mouse carcinogenicity studies on water fluoridation and found four out of 261 male rats (1.5%) developed bone cancer called osteosarcoma, but in 1990 it claimed that there was "equivocal" evidence of carcinogenicity in fluoride in addition to reporting that fluoride can also cause lesions in the oral mucosa, thyroid gland and uterus.
Then as always some researchers came to do some "research" to disprove the findings by other researchers. The Japanese researchers conducted their study because of the controversy on the toxicity of fluoride, in this case, its effect on the carcinogenicity in humans.
It should be noted that fluoride plays no role in human physiology and fluoride has been known to be a neuron toxin that can lower a person's IQ, damage his reproductive system, and cause skeletal fluorosis and cancer among many other diseases.
Ten things should be remembered by those who want to protect themselves from getting damaged by fluoridation according to an article by Dr. Mercola.
Studies have shown fluoride cause damage to the brain leading to lower IQ in children, and studies also show fluoride can cause a range of diseases or health conditions including increased lead absorption, disrupted synthesis of collagen, hyperactivity and or lethargy, muscle disorders, thyroid dysfunctions, arthritis, dementia, bone fractures, hypo-function of the thyroid gland, bone cancer, inactivating 62 enzymes and inhibiting more than 100 enzymes, inhibiting formation of antibodies, inducing genetic damage and cell death, increased tumor and cancer rate, disrupted immunity and damaged sperm and increased risk of infertility;
Most developed countries do not fluoridate their drinking water;
Fluoridated countries do not have few cases of dental caries than non-fluoridated countries;
Fluoride damages many tissues in the body not just causing dental fluorosis;
Fluoridation is not something that naturally occurs;
As many as 40% of American teens show visible signs fluoride overexposure;
Fluoridated drinking water is risky for infants;
Fluoride supplements have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration;
Fluoride is the only medicine added to public water;
Ingested fluoride provides no benefits to the teeth;
Disadvantaged communities are more likely to be affected by fluoride;
(reporting by Jimmy Downs)
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