An answer to the anti-fluoride critics – in one image

Posted on July 24, 2014 | 16 Comments

Undeserved-Reputations-Fluoride-724x1024

Click image to enlarge. 

The chemical website Compound Interest, is producing a series of infograms to communicate some chemistry.  Here is an excellent one they produced on fluoride. I think it would make a great poster.

It is accompanied by some straightforward text describing the science behind fluoridation and countering a lot of the misinformation anti-fluoride propagandists promote.

Worth reading. See Fluoride & Water Fluoridation – An Undeserved Reputation?

The chemically minded may also be interested is some of their other infograms –  here are just a few examples:

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16 responses to “An answer to the anti-fluoride critics – in one image”

  1. greenbuzzer | July 24, 2014 at 2:28 pm |

    You can bluster on all you like Ken but I DON’T WANT IT IN MY DRINKING WATER . . . MY BODY MY CHOICE . . . can’t you grasp that concept?

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  2. Ken | July 24, 2014 at 2:50 pm |

    Greenbuzzer – the answer is simple. If you don’t want fluoride in your water find an alternative source – or use a relatively cheap filter. That way everyone wins.

    It is the responsible approach to take rather than insisting that everone elese be denied a safe and beneficial social health policy like coimmunity water fluoridation.

    However, good luck with that. Hamilton unfluoridated water is about 0.2 ppm F, 2 of Rotorua suburbs have 0.3 and 0.4 ppm F.

    Fluoride is a normal and natural part of our environment, as well as out body. All natural sources will contain fluoride – somtime too much (so it must be reoved or not used) or to luittle (so it needs supplementation).

    But a sensible person takes responisbility for their own foibles.

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  3. afamildura | July 24, 2014 at 5:37 pm |

    Speaking of “reputation”, here is an interesting quote that tells the other side of the story:

    “Until the 1990s, the toxicity of fluoride was largely ignored due to its “good reputation” for preventing caries via topical application and in dental toothpastes. However, in the last decade, interest in its undesirable effects has resurfaced due to the awareness that this element interacts with cellular systems even at low doses” ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009279710004631 ).

    But I guess when fluoridation is your official religion, it doesn’t matter.

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  4. Richard Christie | July 24, 2014 at 5:55 pm |

    An interesting quote Afamildura, you must be disappointed that it doesn’t support your position that fluoridation of water supplies is harmful.

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  5. Cindy | July 24, 2014 at 11:25 pm |

    what planet are any of you people on. the people I know who suffer fluoride problems are socio economically affected, they don’t have the dollars to avoid something which is making them sick why put more in the water just because it is natural? How can people with low income avoid it?

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  6. Ken | July 25, 2014 at 9:01 am |

    Ah, the “people you know!” Should we therefore ignore the judgements of the scientific and health experts? Because of your unsubstantiated claim?

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  7. designafuture | July 25, 2014 at 3:20 pm |

    In 1997 I relocated to Hamilton from an unfluoridated Taranaki town. Within weeks of moving I started to have health issues such as skin rashes and itchy scalp following showering. I also developed a nasal condition and relapsing polychondritis (inflammation of cartilage) I had tests that showed i had no allergies and the RP has no identified cause. Over the next few years I developed joint and muscle pains that were identified by my Doctor as arthritis. I also had further allergy tests in 2009 that were negative. Following a series of health issues up to two years ago, which led me to reluctantly retiring from work due to increasing mobility issues I stopped ingesting fluoridated water. Now I am no scientist but given that all my arthritic symptoms went away over the period I stopped ingesting fluoride and the itchy scalp and skin rashes also stopped but came back within two weeks of the recommencement of fluoridation I am led to conclude that I may sensitive to something in my drinking water.
    How about directing me to the scientific studies you keep referring to that proves the fluoride added to my water is safe and causes no harm to me.

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  8. Ken | July 25, 2014 at 3:47 pm |

    Design a future – what have your health professionals said about causes of your alleged conditions? Did they look for hypochondria? And why hide behind a false name if your are hoping for readers to give any credibility to your testimony?

    Oh, and did this miracle recovery take place when Hamilton stopped fluoridation (but our drinking water still contained 0.2 ppm F)?

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  9. afamildura | July 28, 2014 at 6:40 pm |

    Richard, the fact that – “In recent years, several investigations demonstrated that fluoride can induce oxidative stress and modulate intracellular redox homeostasis, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content, as well as alter gene expression and cause apoptosis. Genes modulated by fluoride include those related to the stress response, metabolic enzymes, the cell cycle, cell–cell communications and signal transduction” ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009279710004631 ) – tells me it’s unwise to put in drinking water.

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  10. Ken | July 28, 2014 at 6:46 pm |

    Af, you forgot to complete your sentence . It should have read “tells me it’s unwise to put in drinking water at high concentrations.”

    A common omission with you guys.

    >

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  11. Richard Christie | July 28, 2014 at 8:36 pm |

    Afamildura, nor does that observation doesn’t support your position that fluoridation of water supplies is harmful.

    Breathing pure oxygen is very harmful, even toxic. May we to look forward to your decision to cease to breathing?

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  12. Richard Christie | July 28, 2014 at 8:39 pm |

    Proof reading fail in comment above, please delete word ‘doesn’t’ in first sentence.

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  13. Christopher Atkinson | July 29, 2014 at 2:27 am |

    Hi Cindy and GREENBUZZER,

    How do people from lower socio economic and PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT IT IN YOUR WATER cope?

    Considering your fluoride intake from fluoridated water may be as little as a third of your total intake compaother sources – it’s in ‘unfluoridated water’, food and the air you breathe

    Perhaps the only way to avoid it is stop eating, drinking and breathing!

    And designafuture, perhaps you should get together with other F ‘sensitives’ and try this approach too.

    “Now I am no scientist but given that all my arthritic symptoms went away over the period I stopped ingesting fluoride and the itchy scalp and skin rashes also stopped but came back within two weeks of the recommencement of fluoridation I am led to conclude…”

    You do understand how silly you sound given the above? Maybe you could try removing the main components of your fluoride intake before ‘blaming’ your rashes/itchy scalp etc on fluoridated water. Kind of reminds me of the placebo effect.

    You wouldn’t be susceptible to that now would you?

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  14. afamildura | August 2, 2014 at 11:53 am |

    More interested in dose, rather than concentration, which is a common omission with you guys 😉

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  15. Ken | August 2, 2014 at 12:36 pm |

    Af, a common but incorrect claim from you guys.

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  16. Rohit Sahdev | March 9, 2019 at 9:20 am |

    Very good information. Good to know that fluoride is essential to health and that this website weighed all the arguments for and against it and formed a correct view. I was wondering if fluoride has other benefits other than to the teeth?

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