How to Remove Fluoride from Water: A Quick Guide
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There are a lot of horrors lurking in our waters, and one of these horrors is fluoride. Are you also wondering how to remove fluoride from water? Then worry no more, because that’s what we are going to find out today.
In this article, we are going to discuss what fluoride is, why it’s in our waters, the negative effects of drinking fluoride to our overall well-being, and of course, how to remove it from our water.
Let’s get started!
What Is Fluoride?
Before moving on to further topics, it is important to know what we are dealing with first. What is fluoride and why is it unsafe to drink? You may have already heard about fluoride, particularly in toothpaste commercials. That’s because fluoride, which comes from fluorine, is a common ingredient added in dental products. Apparently, it can effectively reduce tooth decay to up to 40% and can prevent cavity formation.
If this is the case, then, fluoride is not so bad, after all. In fact, it can even save us from hundreds of dollars for dental expenses, right? So, why are we trying to get rid of it from our drinking water?
Unfortunately, it is because too much fluoride in our system can cause serious damage to our health. We’re going to talk more about the negative effects of fluoride on our health later on, so just keep on reading.
Why Is it in Our Water?
For now, though, let us investigate why this substance is in our water. As what we have mentioned above, fluoride helps in preventing tooth decay. Tooth decay, in the United States alone, is one of the biggest health concerns. Hence, the government decided it would be best to add a controlled amount of fluoride into our municipal waters.
The problem is, the negative effects of fluoride consumption are said to outweigh its dental benefits—such as what was proven in this study. Another problem is the fact that you can also ingest fluoride from other sources, not only in the water you drink.
We believe that this is the culprit as to why we consume more fluoride than intended by the government health agencies. That’s because fluoride is not only found in our drinking water. You can also ingest fluoride elsewhere, without even knowing so!
Where Else Will You Get Fluoride?
Here are just some of the products that contain fluoride aside from dental merchandise and drinking water:
- Tea – Surprisingly, tea has five times more fluoride than soda!
- Teflon or Non-Stick Pans – The non-stick component of your frying pan apparently has fluoride in it, and using it to cook your dinner may transfer its fluoride content to your food.
- Fruits and Vegetables – Fluoride-based pesticides are commonly used on fruits and vegetables, especially non-organic ones. In fact, it is so bad that traces of fluoride can also be found in wine.
- Processed Meat – Processed meat comes from animals that have eaten grains sprayed with fluoride-based pesticides.
- Food and Drinks – Finally, any food and drink that used fluoridated water have fluoride in them. That includes the food being served at your favourite restaurant, your favourite bottled beverage, and practically every other product in your grocery list, really.
Fluoride is everywhere, that’s why we need to curb down our consumption of it wherever and whenever we can. Don’t worry; we’ll be discussing how to remove fluoride from water in a short while.
The Negative Effects of Drinking Too Much Fluoride
Anyway, now that we are very much aware of the role of fluoride in our daily lives, and how challenging it can be to reduce fluoride consumption, let’s now talk about its negative effects in our body. We all need some motivation to reduce fluoride intake, after all.
Here are some of the consequences of ingesting too much fluoride:
- Dental Fluorosis. Here’s something interesting. Fluoride prevents tooth decay, but apparently, too much fluoride can cause teeth discoloration, especially in children.
- Skeletal Fluorosis. If you think that skeletal fluorosis is only a discoloration of the bone (like what happens in our teeth), then you are gravely mistaken. Skeletal fluorosis can cause serious pain and damage to our bones and joints. It will also increase the risk of fractures, and finally, significantly decrease mobility.
- Thyroid Problems. Too much fluoride may also cause thyroid problems, more specifically, an ailment called hyperparathyroidism.
- Decreased IQ. Various researches have investigated the effect of too much fluoride on child development. Sadly, too much exposure to fluoride can lower a child’s IQ and decrease cognitive ability.
There are still a lot of other health issues caused by too much fluoride exposure aside from the ones we have listed above. Due to the lack of space in this article, though, we have chosen not to enumerate them all anymore. After all, you already get the picture: too much fluoride is bad for your health.
How to Remove Fluoride from Water
So, here’s the million-dollar question: how do you remove fluoride from your drinking water? The answer is actually very simple: take control of the water you drink. We understand, though, that this is easier said than done. Hence, we’re going to help you out by giving you solid advice.
What you can do is to invest in your own water filtration system at home. There are various water filter systems, which are very easy to install, that you can simply attach to your kitchen faucet, and voila! You’ll already enjoy fluoride-free water.
Our Favourite Pitcher
What’s more is that you’ll also get to save a lot of money by not buying bottled drinking water anymore. Not to mention being able to help the environment by using less plastic bottles.
By installing your own water filtration system, you will be able to drink water straight from your faucet. It’s really convenient, right? Just make sure to get one with filters that strain fluoride because not all water filters do!
Our Favourite Faucet filter
PUR FM2500V Classic Faucet Mount Filter
Final Thoughts
Fluoride exposure is a sad reality that we have to deal with. However, minimizing our fluoride consumption is not impossible. It’s challenging, yes, but certainly doable. All you need to do is be aware of the various sources of fluoride and consciously avoid them.
In fact, filtering fluoride from your drinking water is already a huge step towards a healthier future with less fluoride exposure! We hope that you have found this article helpful. Stay healthy!
