ALTERNATIVES:MINIMISING YOUR FLOURIDE EXPOSURE

Although you can’t eliminate your exposure to fluoride entirely, you can minimise your risk of overdosing.

To help avoid fluoride toxicity:

Eat foods low in fluoride, like milk, eggs, red meats (not organs), produce with a protective rind (watermelon, lemon, banana, coconut), fruits packed in their own juices (pineapple) and those canned in non fluoridated or low fluoridated countries

Take adequate amounts of vitamins B6 and C

Supplement with calcium and magnesium salts to help decrease fluoride absorption from the stomach and assist in elimination

Maintain good general and dental health with varied vegetables (lightly cooked or raw), fresh fruits, pulses and little sugar

For dental health, maintain adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus, as well as magnesium, strontium, molybdenum, vanadium and zinc (Fluoride: The Great Dilemma)

If possible, avoid moving to areas that presently fluoridate water supplies, which in the UK include much of Birmingham, Newcastle, all of Warwickshire, parts of Carlisle, Coventry, Doncaster, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Wolverhampton and isolated areas elsewhere

Avoid the following drugs, which contain fluoride: Prozac (fluoxetine), Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), Diflucan (fluconazole, Flixonase or Flixotide (fluticasone), Stelazine (trifluo perazine, Fluanxol or Depixol (flupenthixol) or Floxapen (flucloxacillin)

Contact your local water authority for analysis figures of your water’s fluoride content, or the National Pure Water Association for more information: 12 Dennington Lane, Crigglestone, Wakefield, WF4 3ET (Tel: 01924 254433)

Use fluoride free toothpaste, like Tom’s, Tea Tree, Sarakan, Kingfisher, Natural Propolis, Weleda, Aloedent and others, available from health food shops

Install a water purification system that removes fluoride, by contacting: Ecowater, Mill Road, Stokenchurch, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 3TP; Fresh Water Filters Co Ltd, Carlton House, Aylmere Road, Leytonstone, London, E11 3AD; or Crouch Water Softener Services, 631 London Road, Westcliffe on Sea, Essex, SSO 9PE.

To test for fluoride poisoning:

Contact Biolab Medical Unit, 9 Weymouth Street, London, W1N 3FF, for a test on fluoride sensitivity and white cell depression; or the British Fluoridation Exposure Group from PO Box 5484, Leicester, LE3 3WH, and Dr Peter Mansfield, Templegarth Trust, PO Box 6, Louth, Lincs, LN11 8XL, for a test measuring 24 hour urine output of fluoride.

Before taking the test, avoid all fluoridated water (use distilled, other non fluoridated or low fluoride water), fluoridated drinks (tea), fluoride rich food (ocean fish, gelatine, chicken skin), fluoridated toothpaste and any other source of environmental fluoride, like cigarette smoke and industrial pollution

If symptoms are caused by fluoride, they should diminish markedly within days or weeks, and will arise again once re exposed to source of fluoride (Professor AK Susheela, October, 1998)

If symptoms persist, consult a physician for possible alternative problems.