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According to the Fluoride Action Network, as of July 2010, more than 3,000 professionals from around the globe have banded together in an attempt to end the fluoridation of drinking water. Why? Since the petition first began circulating in 2007 - to the chagrin of dentists everywhere - evidence continues to mount that sodium fluoride isn't something to smile about. In fact, it could actually be one of the biggest health risks of our time. And it's not just the aptly named Fluoride Action Network that thinks so. Sources such as Natural News, Prevention Magazine and even the Wall Street Journal have all questioned the merits of fluoridation of drinking water.

So why is Fluoride still being added to our water? The story begins as many stories do when well-meaning folks try to mimic something in nature and it goes horribly wrong. Way back when, people recognized the positive effects of calcium fluoride in drinking water and wanted to replicate it. Thus, Grand Rapids, MI, began adding sodium fluoride - a less expensive version of calcium fluoride - to its water supply in 1945. The key difference being that calcium fluoride is naturally occurring and sodium fluoride is not. Not to mention that sodium fluoride is a synthetic waste product of the nuclear industry and often contaminated with lead, aluminum and cadmium.

For decades after sodium fluoride was first introduced, it became synonymous with bright, vibrant smiles. That was until reports started to surface that stated otherwise. For instance, a National Research Council (NRC) panel of dentists, toxicologist and epidemiologists determined that fluoride levels in drinking water are too high and might actually damage teeth (isn't that ironic). And a recent report out of India reveals that children have been crippled and even blinded after fluoride was added to their drinking water.

Fluoride has also been cited for causing depression, creating liver and kidney damage, weakening the immune system and even promoting cancer and Alzheimer's disease. However, even as more detrimental evidence comes to light, many are still convinced of the benefits of sodium fluoride, which is slowing any widespread call for removal.

What can you do to protect yourself from sodium fluoride?

Thankfully, if you are concerned about excessive fluoride exposure there are many strategies you can take to lessen your risk. Beyond opting for a fluoride-free toothpaste, you can find other easy tools to avoid it and/or help alleviate its potential ill effects. Iodine and lecithin and careful cleansing of the liver have been touted for helping the body extract fluorides. AquaLiv, a revolutionary water filtration system based on the laws of homeopathy, is one of the only water filtrating systems available today that safely removes fluoride without stripping water of its nutrients.