There is clear evidence that small
amounts of fluoride, at or near levels
added to US water supplies, present
potential risks to the thyroid gland,
according to the National Research
Council's (NRC) first-ever published
review of the fiuoride/thyroid
literature.' Fluoride, in the form of
silicofluorides, injected into two-thirds
of US public water supplies, ostensibly
to reduce tooth decay, was never
safety-tested.

"Many Americans are exposed
to fluoride in the ranges associated
with thyroid effects, especially for
people with iodine deficiency," says
Kathleen Thiessen, PhD, co-author
of the government-sponsored NRC
report. "The recent decline in iodine
intake in the US could contribute
to increased toxicity of fluoride for
some individuals...A low level of
thyroid hormone can increase the risk
of cardiac disease, high cholesterol,
depression, and, in pregnant woman,
decreased intelligence of offspring,"
says Thiessen.

Common thyroid symptoms Include
fatigue, weight gain, constipation,
fuzzy thinking, low blood pressure,
fluid retention, depression, body pain,
slow reflexes, and more. It's estimated
that 59 million Americans have
thyroid conditions.'* Robert Carton,
PhD, an environmental scientist who
worked for over 30 years for the US
government, including managing