Why should you get Fluoride Free water?
Although Fluoride was originally added to our water supply to help in the formation of healthy teeth and prevent tooth decay, many people are now worried about health issues associated with long-term exposure to fluoride. As a result of their concerns, they’ve begun looking for ways to eliminate the toxin from their tap water.
It is more difficult to remove fluoride from drinking water than other common compounds like chlorine and calcium, thus only a few ways will work.
Although fluoride has certain advantages, its negative impact on human health has sparked several disputes over whether or not it should be removed from drinking water. Despite the fact that both the positive and negative sides have solid evidence, it is always preferable to be cautious than sorry.
As a result, we’ve conducted extensive study on ways to minimize or eliminate fluoride from drinking water. We’ll show you how to remove fluoride from water in a variety of methods.
Why Is Fluoride in Our Water?
More than 90 years ago, dentist Frederick McKay found fluoride in Colorado Springs’ water supply. Soon after his discovery, he found that the majority of people in the Colorado Springs area had little to no dental decay.
In 1931, McKay and H.V. Churchill, head chemist of the Aluminum Mining Company of America (ALCOA), proposed that persons who drank fluoride-rich water were less likely to acquire cavities. This mineral’s beneficial effects on oral health also explain why it’s found in so many kinds of toothpaste and mouthwashes.
This finding prepared the groundwork for a fluoridated water movement a decade later, in the mid-1940s. Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first community to fluoridate its water source voluntarily. In 1945, this experiment began.
More municipal authorities began incorporating this natural mineral into their public water supply as research continued to demonstrate that fluoridation of water reduced the frequency of cavities in youngsters.
Although fluoridation is still used today, numerous experts have raised concerns about the usefulness and safety of adding this mineral to local water systems as it increases overall fluoride intake. The Cochrane Collaboration, an impartial network of academics and health care specialists, published a review of 20 studies on water fluoridation in June 2015.
While the research group confirmed that it was beneficial in preventing toothaches in youngsters, no studies have shown that it is also useful in adults. In addition, the Cochrane assessment said that early scientific studies used to persuade communities that fluoridated water was good were inaccurate.
The main problem was that this old research didn’t account for other goods with high quantities of this mineral, such as toothpaste and other dental products.
More evidence on the negative consequences of taking too much fluoride has steadily emerged since then, increasing worries among experts and health-conscious consumers.
Potential Health Hazards of Fluoride in Water
Concerns concerning fluoride’s possibly detrimental impacts on health have grown over the last few decades.
Thyroid Problems
People who take a lot of fluoride risk having their parathyroid glands destroyed. This injury might result in a constant release of parathyroid hormones.
As a result of the excessively high calcium content in the blood, bones begin to lose calcium. In those who eat high quantities of fluoride on a daily basis, lower calcium levels in the bones can increase the risk of fractures and breaks.
Neurological Issues
According to a 2017 study, pregnant women exposed to greater fluoride concentration had a higher chance of giving birth to kids with inferior cognitive abilities. Furthermore, larger quantities of this mineral have been associated with lower IQ. According to one study, fluoride is a neurotoxin that may harm children’s cognitive development.
Damage to the teeth and bones
Fluoride overuse, particularly in drinking water, has the potential to induce dental fluorosis, which affects the teeth and bones. Fluorosis creates brittle and inelastic bones and teeth, which can lead to fractures, joint damage, tooth injury, and infection.
Concerns About Your Health
Skin disorders, cardiovascular troubles, and reproductive concerns have all been related to excessive fluoride exposure. All of these difficulties, as well as proof of fluoride policy corruption, have sparked an anti-fluoride movement that isn’t going away anytime soon.
How to remove fluoride from water
Many people are attempting to figure out how to effectively remove fluoride from water because of the health risks linked with it.
To really achieve non-fluoridated water, these ions must be dealt with on a chemical level for efficient removal. To eliminate fluoride from your drinking water, use the following methods:
Distillation
Distillation is a simple and cost-effective way to remove fluoride from water. As the water heats up, the steam from the boiling water evaporates and is collected in another container. Fluoride and other pollutants are left behind throughout this procedure. When the vapors in the other container cool, they return to being pure and distilled water.
Distillation, unlike other fluoride removal methods, works in the same way as the earth’s water cycle does. It employs a natural mechanism in which water evaporates and then condenses.
Is it possible to distill water at home, though? You may either get a distiller to perform the work for you or do it yourself. Follow these steps to distill your own water at home without using big machinery:
Fill a saucepan halfway with water and place it on the heat.
Inside the saucepan, place a stainless steel bowl. Ensure that the lip is above the water’s surface.
Place an upside-down concave cover over the pot. It should be able to produce a secure seal.
On top of the lid, place an ice pack.
Heat the water to the point when it begins to boil. Steam will rise towards the chilly lid as the water develops steam. Steam will condense fast, forming droplets that will trickle into the stainless steel basin.
Continue heating the water until the necessary amount of distilled (fluoride-free) water is obtained.
What Water Filters remove fluoride? – Reverse Osmosis
Pressure is used to drive water over a permeable membrane that only enables water molecules to pass through in reverse osmosis.
Fluoride, as well as other minerals and impurities, are therefore removed from the water, leaving only pure fluoride-free water on the opposite side of the membrane. Reverse osmosis, for example, may filter out fluoride as well as other toxins such sulfates, asbestos, chlorine, detergents, cadmium, and lead.
A reverse osmosis system, commonly known as the Reverse Osmosis systems, may be purchased for your house, similar to distillation. The water filtration system, which is usually put beneath the kitchen sink, purifies both drinking and cooking water. Whole-house filters are also available, which are placed at the home’s main water line.
While it is feasible to put together a reverse osmosis system at home, it is frequently more expensive than purchasing one. There are a few drawbacks to reverse osmosis. While fluoride, germs, and pesticides are removed, calcium, iron, and other substances that may be good to your health are also removed.
Activated Alumina
Aluminum oxide in the form of activated alumina is permeable and solid. The EPA supports it as a feasible alternative for cleaning water since it effectively absorbs fluoride and other pollutants from water.
Only water with a pH of less than 8.5 will pass through these alumina filters. The pH of the water should be between 5 and 6 for fluoride elimination. Contaminants are absorbed into the activated alumina granules when water travels through the filter, resulting in purer water.
Although there is equipment available for purchase, the activated alumina filtration system is a difficult procedure best left to water treatment specialists. Small filtering alternatives, such as water bottles, or a home filter system, are available.
Bone Char Carbon
One of the oldest ways for removing fluoride from water supply is to utilize bone char (BC) carbon filters. It comes in the form of water filter cartridges and can remove around 90% of the mineral content from water.
This is another fluoride-removal treatment that is difficult to use at home. It’s also worth noting that bone char is created by heating animal bones to extremely high temperatures.
Vegans, on the other hand, may not be able to use this option to get filtered water.
Water Filter Pitcher
This is one of the most often used systems in homes for removing fluoride and other pollutants from water. The water pitcher, unlike other systems, is incredibly simple to use and requires no installation. All you have to do to use it is fill it with water and place it in the refrigerator.
The reservoir, filter, and pitcher are the three basic components of the water filtration pitchers. Water first enters the reservoir before passing through the filter. The filter then collects any pollutants, allowing pure water to flow down to the pitcher.
Because of the collected pollutant, the filter becomes blocked after lengthy use. As a result, you will need to replace it in order for it to function properly at all times.
Overall, if you live in a tiny house with limited room and find installing a permanent system challenging, this is an excellent alternative.
Deionizer
Another successful method for removing fluoride from water is deionization. It is often used to remove minerals from water and ionized salt.
You’ll need to add ion-exchange resin to the system to remove fluoride with this method. Keep in mind that not all deionization systems can do this, so make sure to double-check before you buy.
You can also add a deionizer to any other water filtration system you have in your home. All you have to do now is acquire the deionization cartridge and install it to your existing filter system.
This system’s best feature is that it not only removes fluoride but also softens hard water and removes other impurities.
Overall, this is the most effective method to remove fluoride from drinking water. The reason for this is that it is simple to integrate into your existing home filtration system.
Clean The Water With Tulsi Or Holy Basil
Tossing some leaves may not appear to be the most obvious solution, especially if you’re trying to figure out how to effectively remove fluoride from water. You may, however, extract the component from the liquid if you use tulsi or holy basil.
Experts demonstrated that Tulsi could reduce excessive fluoride levels in water to tolerable levels. To use this plant, soak the leaves for a couple of hours in fluoridated water.
Tulsi is an excellent choice if you want to learn how to remove fluoride from water for free. Even if it isn’t free, it is less expensive than a water softener.
What Will Not Remove Fluoride from Water
Many people believe that certain procedures will eliminate fluoride from water, however, they are unsuccessful.
Because boiling water kills bacteria and other microorganisms, some people may assume that heating tap water kills fluoride. However, because the vapors escape and leave the mineral behind when the water boils, this approach actually increases fluoride concentration.
Simple household water filters, such as those that connect to a faucet or come with a pitcher, are unable to extract minerals such as fluoride. They’re more for eliminating apparent pollutants and enhancing the flavor of filtered water than anything else.
Others prefer to buy bottled water rather than use filtration procedures. Bottled water, on the other hand, is not a responsible alternative and certainly not one we suggest due to the large amount of trash created by plastic bottles.
Should You get rid of fluoride from Your Water?
Even while there is evidence that fluoride is beneficial to your teeth, too much of the substance can cause major health problems. If there is an undesired concentration of the mineral in your drinking water, you can make an informed decision to have it removed.
When studying how to remove fluoride from water, consider employing tried-and-true technologies like distillation, BC carbon, reverse osmosis, and activated alumina.
Other Ways To Limit Fluoride Consumption
The liver only removes about 45 percent to 60 percent of the fluoride we consume, so the remainder builds up in our bodies. People are concerned about the long-term health hazards as a result of this buildup process. After all, fluoride is classified as a neurotoxic by the FDA.
While we’re on the subject of how to cheaply remove fluoride from water, we should also take a look at some other strategies to reduce our fluoride consumption or fluoride intakes.
Stop Using Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride is found in most toothpaste products to help promote healthy teeth and prevent tooth decay. Even if you don’t swallow your toothpaste, some of it will inevitably end up in your stomach, and some fluoride will still dissolve through the thin skin beneath your tongue.
Stop Using Activated Charcoal To Reduce Fluoride Levels
To remove Fluoride from water, far too many individuals use charcoal filters. Unfortunately, charcoal is ineffective. Activated alumina, as we’ve discussed multiple times, is a far more effective option.
Stop Boiling Water As A Filtration Method
Some people claim that boiling tap water reduces fluoride levels effectively. This is just not the case, and boiling water will not remove fluoride in tap water.
