Kidney Foundation Drops Fluoridation Support

Fluoride may damage bones of kidney patients

NEW YORK, June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation
withdrew its support of water fluoridation citing the 2006 National Research
Council (NRC) report indicating that kidney patients are more susceptible to
fluoride's bone and teeth-damaging effects.

The kidney-impaired retain more fluoride and risk skeletal fluorosis (an
arthritic-type bone disease), fractures and severe enamel fluorosis, which may
increase the risk of dental decay, reports the NRC.

Fluoride is added to US water supplies ostensibly to reduce tooth decay.
Fluoride is also in foods, beverages, drugs and dental products.

The National Kidney Foundation's (NKF) former fluoridation position statement
also carried surprising cautions. The NKF advised monitoring children's
fluoride intake along with patients with chronic kidney impairment, those with
excessive fluoride intake, and those with prolonged disease. But NKF now
admits, "exposure from food and beverages is difficult to monitor, since FDA
food labels do not quantify fluoride content."

The NKF's April 15, 2008 statement goes further: "Individuals with CKD
[Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride
exposure."

"More than 20 million Americans have CKD, and most don't even know it. More
than 20 million others are at increased risk for developing CKD," NKF reports.

"There is consistent evidence that impairment of kidney function results in
changes to the way in which fluoride is metabolized and eliminated from the
body, resulting in an increased burden of fluoride," concludes Kidney Health
Australia in a paper NKF recommends reading.

NKF's fluoridation support was dropped when a lawyer, an academic dentist and
public health professional, Daniel Stockin, alerted it to NRC's findings.

"An easy way to reduce the uncontrolled flow of fluoride into our bodies is to
stop water fluoridation," says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State
Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "But it takes political will to reject
fluoridation."

The American and Louisiana Dental Associations erroneously claim the National
Kidney Foundation supports fluoridation. However, even the ADA reports that
"decreased fluoride removal may occur among persons with severely impaired
kidney function who may not be on kidney dialysis."

Chronic kidney disease is a growing health problem in the United States
occurring more often in African-American populations, says the Centers for
Disease Control.

More fluoride/kidney information here:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/kidney/index.html

References: http://tinyurl.com/6yo9ws

Contact: Paul Beeber, JD 516-433-8882 nyscof@aol.com
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

Daniel Stockin, the Lillie Center, MPH stockin2@yahoo.com 706-669-0786

SOURCE NYS Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.

/PRNewswire-USNewswire - June 9/