Can Fluoride Exposure Lead To Hypothyroidism?
Although fluoride is still used by many people, more and more people are avoiding fluoride due to the potential health risks involved. Fluoride is added to the drinking water, toothpaste, and some other products as well, and while it might help to prevent the formation of cavities, the risks most likely outweigh the benefits. One of the health issues associated with fluoride use is that it can potentially lead to a hypothyroid condition.
In fact, many years ago numerous medical doctors used fluoride to treat hyperthyroid conditions. This alone should alert you to the risks that fluoride can present to the thyroid gland. While I think it’s safe to say that most cases of hypothyroidism aren’t caused by exposure to fluoride, because of the harmful effects that fluoride can have on the thyroid gland it’s best for anyone to minimize their exposure to this toxin. This is especially true with regards to children, whose thyroid glands are still developing. So without question you need to avoid drinking tap water (not only to avoid the fluoride, but the other toxins), and you might want to consider switching to a fluoride-free toothpaste.
Why Do Dentists And Other Healthcare Professionals Still Recommend Fluoride?
But if fluoride can lead to hypothyroidism, and can cause other health issues, then why do most dentists recommend fluoride-based toothpaste and rinses to their patients? And why is fluoride still added to the water supply in the United States? The reason is because they believe it reduces the incidence of dental cavities. Of course some studies refute this, as in Europe they stopped adding fluoride to the water supply and it seems like the incidence of dental problems isn’t any greater there than it is in the United States.
The goal of this article isn’t to argue as to whether fluoride can prevent the formation of dental cavities. Even if it does do this, one still needs to weigh both the benefits and risks. In other words, even if fluoride does prevent cavities from developing, if it can lead to hypothyroidism and other health issues, then is it really worth drinking fluoridated water and using fluoride-based toothpaste? Plus, even if fluoride is effective in preventing cavities, this doesn’t mean that you can’t also prevent the formation of cavities in other ways. I’m not sure if there have been any studies comparing the use of fluoride-based toothpaste with toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride, but I can say that my family and I have been using non-fluoride based toothpaste for years, as well as drinking purified water, and we don’t have problems with dental cavities.
In summary, it of course is ultimately up to you to do your own research and then decide for yourself whether you should minimize your exposure to fluoride. Once again, I wrote this article not to convince others to stop using fluoride-based toothpastes, but just to make them aware of the potential health consequences of using fluoride. This is true with everyone, but especially someone who already has primary hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Since exposure to fluoride can cause or contribute to a hypothyroid condition, it especially makes sense for anyone who already has an existing hypothyroid condition to minimize their exposure to fluoride.