Does Fluoride In Drinking Water Leads To Depression?

The Link between Fluoride in Drinking Water and Depression

Fluoride in drinking water may trigger depression and weight gain, warn scientists. Fluoride is a substance that helps shield your teeth against cavities; this is why dentists provide you with fluoride treatment after they clean your teeth or why our toothpaste have this substance. The U.S. government has begun incorporating little amounts of fluoride into their drinking water, which was made a national policy during 1951 so that the prevalence of cavities will decrease.

Although, despite the fact that about 400 million of people around the world receive water with fluoride (mostly in the U.S and some parts of Australia and South America), the process has been always controversial. Today, a study done by Prof. Stephen Peckham at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom suggests that fluoride present in drinking water is, in fact, more unsafe than we thought, which can result in increasing underactive thyroid – which is associated with fatigue, depression and obesity.

Fluoride can be a cause of depression and weight gain, and it’s advisable to stop putting it into drinking water to avoid tooth decay, according to scientists.

A study conducted of 98% GP practices in England has found out that increasing prevalence of underactive thyroid were about 30% prone in areas where there is great fluoridation.

It could simply mean that about 15,000 people are experiencing needless thyroid problems, which later can lead to aching muscles, fatigue, depression and weight gain.

Just last year, the Public Health England has released a report stating that fluoride was an “effective and safe” means to improve dental health.

However, latest research conducted at the University of Kent in the UK stated that there’s an increase in the number of cases of underactive thyroid in areas with high fluoride like the North East and West Midlands of England.

According to Prof. Stephen Peckham, who is the lead author at Centre for Health Services Studies, there is increasing concern for people living in those areas. He also stated that the difference between Manchester which doesn’t have fluoridates and West Midlands, which has, was very striking, for the number of cases in the West Midlands was nearly double. He said that having underactive thyroid is not a good thing to have and that it might result in other long-term health issues. He suggests that that Council should think again about adding fluoride to drinking water and that there are other alternatives in improving dental health.

In England, about 10% of the total population lives in regions where their drinking water supply is added to 1 mg of fluoride per litre. Researchers have compared areas to records of 7935 general practices, which cover about 95% of the population in England in 2012-2013.

The rate of the underactive thyroid was at a minimal 30% more probable in practices situated in areas that have fluoride levels exceeding 0.3 mg/l.

Fluoride is a mineral that can be naturally found in water at various quantity, depending on the area and can also be found in particular food and drinks, which includes fish and tea. It fights tooth decay by making enamel resilient from bacteria.

However, earlier studies have shown that it prevents iodine production, which is vital for a healthy thyroid.

The thyroid gland, found in the neck helps by regulating metabolism rate, as well as many other systems of the body.

An underactive thyroid can result in aching muscles, depression, fatigue and weight gain and is more common among women as compared to men, about 15 in 1000 women.

Researchers suggest that the council should think about regarding policy on adding fluoride to the drinking water supply in the effort to boost the dental health of the nation.
But, Public Health England stated that earlier evidence significantly showed that adding fluoride to water is safe.

The Director of Dental Public Health in England, Dr. Sandra White, said that Public Health England reviews the evidence in water fluoridation on a regular basis. She also said that, the overall evidence amassed over the years of research suggests that adding water to drinking water supply is an effective and safe public health measure, and displays no relation to that of reduced thyroid function.

There are other experts who suggest that the study might have been twisted by population bias, which is denied by the authors.

According to Professor David Coggon, who is the, Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Southampton, it is possible that the noted relation is an effect of the other means which the regions with high fluoride vary from the rest of the nation. He also said that there are significantly more demanding epidemiological techniques by which the research team could have used to test their ideas.

The research was published in the BMJs Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.