Fluoride Bone Health Consequences: Fluoride And Bone

Everyday we are exposed to powerful fluoride molecules in our water and foods, which could have consequential effects on our health. These effects are considered to be very similar to toxic heavy metals that also accumulate in our bone tissues. Fluoride is thought to have many different health consequences, however its effects on bone health are thought to be the among the most toxic.

Our exposure to fluoride is not a natural one, considering this is not an essential mineral. Fluoride exposure and potential health consequences for tissues like our bones is mostly because of human intervention. Fluoride salts have been added to the municipal water supplies of most nations because of antimicrobial effects. Because of this, there is also some food chain accumulation which effects some foods.

Your highest exposure per concentration is usually from standard toothpastes. Many newer toothpaste companies have decided to develop a fluoride free alternative toothpaste. Especially considering how popular this has become in the natural health industry.

Many studies initially pointed to some benefits of fluoride for dental carries or microbial infections, in the form of sodium fluoride. However, there is accumulating evidence that fluoride can cause bone diseases. This includes bone cancer. Water fluoridation is thought at least be partly responsible for many incidences of skeletal fluorosis. Recently there has been an alarming jump in bone cancer rates in some regions of the world. This has prompted some public health concern around fluoride and water fluoridation.

Here the effects of this human addition to the food chain will be considered, with particular attention to the health effects of fluoride on bone health.

How Does Fluoride Influence Bone Health

Many initial studies linked fluoride to health benefits, including as an antimicrobial or water disinfectant. However, fluoride quickly became linked to health consequences including bone cancers.

This is because fluoride can form reactive free radicals that can potentially damage tissues within the body. Fluoride can also cause oxidative stress and sap the body of important antioxidants that keep cancers in check. In particular, fluoride exposure generates dangerous superoxides and reactive oxygen species.

Fluoride can build up in body tissues, just like a heavy metal. This includes bone tissues, where fluoride can cause cancers. Studies have found that fluoride can stimulate unusual bone growth through activation of bone growth signalling in cells. These include important signalling G proteins that are heavily involved in cell cycles and are implicated in cancers.

Many studies show that fluoride can induce bone tissue growth. A lot of this may be unchecked or unregulated bone growth signalling, as evidenced by images of fluoride rich bones from fluorine intoxication. This could be a big influencing cause or risk for bone cancers.

Bone tissue concentration of fluoride is widely recognised as a marker of acute fluoride toxicity. Teeth accumulation of fluoride is known as dental fluorosis and acute skeletal fluorosis can cause gastrointestinal issues or death in some cases. Skeletal fluorosis can also encourage bones to be more fragile. This is because of how fluoride can induce bone growth without proper mineralization. Skeletal fluorosis is endemic in regions with well water that contains a high fluoride level.

Evidence Fluoride Can Cause Bone Cancer

If allowed to accumulate in the body, as with all toxins, fluoride can be a cause of cancer. There are many studies that show how fluoride could cause bone cancers with some controversy.

For example, one study involving around 90 individuals showed that there was an association between water fluoridation and osteosarcomas. This is a form of unusual bone cell growth or bone cancer. It is likely that a combination of fluoride free radicals and unchecked bone growth are responsible for this. Research also suggests that males may also to be more susceptible to fluoride induced bone cancers.

Another study found similar results, indicating that fluoride may be linked to osteosarcoma. Again, this study showed this effect may be more prevalent in males. Water fluoride exposure was also linked with bone cancer in one heavily populated area of North America.

Studies in a lab have identified that fluoride can cause oxidative stress in bone cells that are important for bone growth. This can trigger oxidative and inflammatory build up over time which can be responsible for bone cancers. A different study concluded that sodium fluoride treatment of human bone cancer cells enhanced cell growth and could encourage cancerous growths. Studies also found that excessive fluoride causes skeletal lesions.

Fluoride And Bone Fragility

Studies also suggest that regular fluoride exposure can make bones more fragile. This is because of how fluoride may encourage bones to grow without proper mineralization.

One study concluded that skeletal fluorosis, or chronic fluoride exposure, is a huge risk factor in the development of bone fractures. X-ray analysis of patients with fluoride related bone changes appear with osteoporosis or osteosclerosis symptoms.

Patients with skeletal fluorosis can experience bone cell dysfunctions, causing impaired bone resorption where minerals are less quickly resorbed. This would of course lead to heightened bone fragility and the formation of abnormal bone. The quality of bone formed in fluorosis is therefore lower and more prone to fracture, presenting one key consequence of fluoride for bone health.

Another major consequence of fluoride exposure for bone health is reduced blood concentrations of key bone minerals, possibly from fluoride chelation of minerals in the intestines. This makes important bone minerals less absorbable and could also put the body at increased risk of bone fragility.

Fluoride And Spinal Health

Fluorosis can cause clinical issues of the joints and spine. Some of these include back pains, spinal stiffness and limited range of motion. Some patients with skeletal fluorosis have bony outgrowths. This really highlights the potential dangers of fluoride exposure for our bone health.

In the worst cases, fluoride can affect our bone in such as way that the spine become crippled and therefore causes neurological disabilities. It is estimated that about 10% of people with skeletal fluorosis suffer from neurological complications. Sometimes this isn’t just biochemical interactions but throughout actual physical issues within the spinal cord from odd growths.

Summary

We are exposed to powerful fluoride molecules in our water and food each day. Originally fluoridation was introduced to discourage dental carries and infection. Fluoride could have health consequences, including for our bones, which is evidenced by recent research.

Fluoride ions are reactive and form free radicals in the body that could potentially damage tissues such as our bones. This may lead to bone cancers, with lab studies confirming an inflammatory response within bone cells. Some controversial studies have found links between water fluoridation and bone cancer rates, particularly in males.

 Fluoride exposure is also linked with unusual bone growths. This may be because of highly unregulated activation of bone growth signalling cycles.

Clinical manifestations of this have confirmed that some individuals suffer from osteoporosis symptoms or weakened bones. Fluoride can induce bone growth without proper mineralization, leading to bone weakness. Skeletal fluorosis patients can also have odd bone or spinal growths, which can lead to neurological disorders.

Research shows that fluoride may have bone health consequences including weaker bones, deformed bone tissue and risk of bone cancer from free radicals.

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