FLUORIDE

The use of fluoride for "health" reasons is one of the great insanities of our times. Could it
be just by chance that the Germans and Russians both used fluoride to make prisoners
stupid and docile or that the US government faced legal action over the toxic effects in the
environment of this nuclear waste by-product?

GERMANS & RUSSIANS USED FLUORIDE TO MAKE PRISONERS 'STUPID & DOCILE
The Fluoride Deception: How a Nuclear Waste Byproduct Made Its Way Into the Nation's
Drinking Water

HEALTH EFFECTS: Fluoride & the Pineal Gland

http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/pineal/

Summation - Fluoride & Pineal Gland:

Up until the 1990s, no research had ever been conducted to determine the impact of fluoride
on the pineal gland - a small gland located between the two hemispheres of the brain that
regulates the production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps
regulate the onset of puberty and helps protect the body from cell damage caused by free
radicals.
It is now known - thanks to the meticulous research of Dr. Jennifer Luke from the University
of Surrey in England - that the pineal gland is the primary target of fluoride accumulation
within the body.
The soft tissue of the adult pineal gland contains more fluoride than any other soft tissue in
the body - a level of fluoride (~300 ppm) capable of inhibiting enzymes.
The pineal gland also contains hard tissue (hyroxyapatite crystals), and this hard tissue
accumulates more fluoride (up to 21,000 ppm) than any other hard tissue in the body (e.g.
teeth and bone).
After finding that the pineal gland is a major target for fluoride accumulation in humans, Dr.
Luke conducted animal experiments to determine if the accumulated fluoride could impact
the functioning of the gland - particulalry the gland's regulation of melatonin.
Luke found that animals treated with fluoride had lower levels of circulating melatonin, as
reflected by reduced levels of melatonin metabolites in the animals' urine. This reduced level
of circulating melatonin was accompanied - as might be expected - by an earlier onset of
puberty in the fluoride-treated female animals.
Luke summarized her human and animal findings as follows:
"In conclusion, the human pineal gland contains the highest concentration of fluoride in the
body. Fluoride is associated with depressed pineal melatonin synthesis by prepubertal
gerbils and an accelerated onset of sexual maturation in the female gerbil. The results
strengthen the hypothesis that the pineal has a role in the timing of the onset of puberty.
Whether or not fluoride interferes with pineal function in humans requires further
investigation."

Online Papers - Fluoride & the Pineal Gland:

FULL TEXT - html: Luke J. (2001). Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland.
Caries Research 35:125-128.
EXCERPT - html: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal
Gland. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford.

Articles of Interest - Fluoride & the Pineal Gland:

Fluoride & the Pineal Gland: Study Published in Caries Research IFIN Bulletin, March 2001
Fluoride & Oxidative Stress: Yet more evidence FAN Science Watch September 30, 2004

Summation - Fluoride & Pineal Gland: (back to top)

“The single animal study of pineal function indicates that fluoride exposure results in altered
melatonin production and altered timing of sexual maturity. Whether fluoride affects pineal
function in humans remains to be demonstrated. The two studies of menarcheal age in
humans show the possibility of earlier menarche in some individuals exposed to fluoride, but
no definitive statement can be made. Recent information on the role of the pineal organ in
humans suggests that any agent that affects pineal function could affect human health in a
variety of ways, including effects on sexual maturation, calcium metabolism, parathyroid
function, postmenopausal osteoporosis, cancer, and psychiatric disease.”
SOURCE: National Research Council. (2006). Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific
Review of EPA's Standards. National Academies Press, Washington D.C. p221-22.
"In conclusion, the human pineal gland contains the highest concentration of fluoride in the
body. Fluoride is associated with depressed pineal melatonin synthesis by prepubertal
gerbils and an accelerated onset of sexual maturation in the female gerbil. The results
strengthen the hypothesis that the pineal has a role in the timing of the onset of puberty.
Whether or not fluoride interferes with pineal function in humans requires further
investigation."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 177.

Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Never Studied before 1990s: (back to top)
"It is remarkable that the pineal gland has never been analysed separately for F because it
has several features which suggest that it could accumulate F. It has the highest calcium
concentration of any normal soft tissue in the body because it calcifies physiologically in the
form of hydroxyapatite (HA). It has a high metabolic activity coupled with a very profuse
blood supply: two factors favouring the deposition of F in mineralizing tissues. The fact that
the pineal is outside the blood-brain barrier suggests that pineal HA could sequester F from
the bloodstream if it has the same strong affinity for F as HA in the other mineralizing
tissues. The intensity of the toxic effects of most drugs depends upon their concentration at
the site of action. The mineralizing tissues (bone and teeth) accumulate high concentrations
of F and are the first to show toxic reactions to F. Hence, their reactions to F have been
especially well studied. If F accumulates in the pineal gland, then this points to a gap in our
knowledge about whether or not F affects pineal physiology. It was the lack of knowledge in
this area that prompted my study."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 1-2.

Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Accumulation of Fluoride in Soft Tissue of Pineal Gland:
(back to top)
"After half a century of the prophylactic use of fluorides in dentistry, we now know that
fluoride readily accumulates in the human pineal gland. In fact, the aged pineal contains
more fluoride than any other normal soft tissue. The concentration of fluoride in the pineal
was significantly higher (p <0.001) than in corresponding muscle, i.e., 296 ± 257 vs. 0.5± 0.4
mg/kg (wet weight) respectively."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 167.

Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Accumulation of Fluoride in Calcified Tissue of Pineal

Gland: (back to top)
"In terms of mineralized tissue, the mean fluoride concentration in the pineal calcification
was equivalent to that in severely fluorosed bone and more than four times higher than in
corresponding bone ash, i.e., 8,900 ± 7,700 vs. 2,040 ± 1,100 mg/kg, respectively. The
calcification in two of the 11 pineals analysed in this study contained extremely high levels of
fluoride: 21,800 and 20,500 mg/kg."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 167.
Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Analagous to Dental Fluorosis? (back to top)
"Fluoride is now introduced at a much earlier stage of human development than ever before
and consequently alters the normal fluoride-pharmacokinetics in infants. But can one
dramatically increase the normal fluoride-intake to infants and get away with it? The safety
of the use of fluorides ultimately rests on the assumption that the developing enamel organ
is most sensitive to the toxic effects of fluoride. The results from this study suggest that the
pinealocytes may be as susceptible to fluoride as the developing enamel organ."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 176.
"Alongside the calcification in the developing enamel organ, calcification is also occurring in
the child's pineal. It is a normal physiological process. A complex series of enzymatic
reactions within the pinealocytes converts the essential amino acid, tryptophan, to a whole
family of indoles. The main pineal hormone is melatonin (MT)... If F accumulates in the
pineal gland during early childhood, it could affect pineal indole metabolism in much the
same way that high local concentrations of F in enamel organ and bone affect the
metabolism of ameloblasts and osteoblasts."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 5.
"Any adverse physiological effects of fluoride depend upon the concentration at various
tissue sites. Can pinealocytes function normally in close proximity to high concentrations of
fluoride? One would predict that a high local fluoride concentration would affect pinealocyte
function in an analogous way that a high local fluoride concentration affects: i) bone cells,
since histological changes have been observed in bone with 2,000 mg F/kg (Baud et al,
1978); ii) ameloblasts, since dental fluorosis develops following fluoride concentrations of
0.2 mg F/kg in the developing enamel organ (Bawden et al, 1992). The consequences are
disturbances in the functions of bone and enamel, i.e., changes in structure (poorly
mineralized bone and enamel). If the pineal accumulates fluoride at an earlier age than in
previous decades, one would anticipate that a high local concentration of fluoride within the
pineal would affect the functions of the pineal, i.e., the synthesis of hormonal products,
specifically melatonin... The controlled animal study carried out in this study produce
compelling evidence that fluoride inhibits pineal melatonin output during pubertal
development in the gerbil."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 168-169.

Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Earlier Puberty in Animals: (back to top)

"The section on the effects of fluoride on the physiological signs of sexual maturity in the
gerbil was a preliminary, pilot study. There were not enough subjects to make any firm
conclusions so an interpretation of the data is conjectural. However, the results do suggest
that the HF (High-Fluoride) females had an accelerated onset of puberty as judged by
several indices of pubertal development in rodents. At 7 weeks, the HF females were
significantly heavier than the LF females (p < 0.004); as heavy as the HF males and LF
males. The ventral gland in the HF female developed significantly earlier than in the LF
female (p < 0.004). Vaginal opening occurred earlier in the HF female than in the LF female
(p <0.03)."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 173-174.

Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Earlier Puberty in Humans? (back to top)

"The first step in assessing a health risk by a substance to humans is the identification of its
harmful effects on animals. A health risk to humans is assessed using results from human
epidemiological studies in conjunction with results from animal studies. The Newburgh-
Kingston Study (Schlesinger et al, 1956) showed an earlier age of first menarche in girls
living in the fluoridated Newburgh than in unfluoridated Kingston. The current animal study
indicates that fluoride is associated with an earlier onset of puberty in female gerbils.
Furthermore, more research was recommended on the effects of fluoride on animal and
human reproduction (USPHS, 1991). This project has contributed new knowledge in this
area."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 177.

Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Mechanism of Action: (back to top)

"The most plausible hypothesis for the observed significant decrease in the rate of urinary
aMT6s excretion by the HF (High-Fluoride) group is that fluoride affects the pineal's ability to
synthesize melatonin during pubertal development in the gerbil. Fluoride may affect the
enzymatic conversion of tryptophan to melatonin. Although melatonin was the hormone
investigated in this project, fluoride may also affect the synthesis of melatonin precursors,
(e.g., serotonin), or other pineal products, (e.g., 5-methoxytryptamine). This would depend
on the position(s) of the susceptible enzyme(s). For some unknown reason, pineal
calcification starts intracellularly. Calcium has been demonstrated in pinealocyte
mitochondria. Therefore, it may be a mitochondrial enzyme that is sensitive to the effects of
fluoride, e.g., tryptophan-5-hydroxylase. Alternatively, fluoride may affect pinealocyte
enzymes which require a divalent co-enzyme because such enzymes are particularly
sensitive to fluoride."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 172-173.

Fluoride & Pineal Gland - Discussion: (back to top)

"Fluoride is now introduced at a much earlier stage of human development than ever before
and consequently alters the normal fluoride-pharmacokinetics in infants.
But can one dramatically increase the normal fluoride-intake to infants and get away with it?
The safety of the use of fluorides ultimately rests on the assumption that the developing
enamel organ is most sensitive to the toxic effects of fluoride. The results from this study
suggest that the pinealocytes may be as susceptible to fluoride as the developing enamel
organ. The possibility of a species difference between humans and gerbils does not allow
the extrapolation of the gerbil data to humans. However, if increased plasma-fluoride levels
cause a decline in the levels of circulating melatonin during early human development,
significant physiological consequences may have already occurred. Changes in plasma
melatonin concentrations are serious functional disturbances because melatonin has many
functions in the organism. The pinealogists have not completely unravelled the mechanisms
by which the pineal gland performs its tasks in the brain. The neurochemical phenomenon
elicited by melatonin in CNS are unclear.
The first step in assessing a health risk by a substance to humans is the identification of its
harmful effects on animals. A health risk to humans is assessed using results from human
epidemiological studies in conjunction with results from animal studies. The Newburgh-
Kingston Study (Schlesinger et al, 1956) showed an earlier age of first menarche in girls
living in the fluoridated Newburgh than in unfluoridated Kingston. The current animal study
indicates that fluoride is associated with an earlier onset of puberty in female gerbils.
Furthermore, more research was recommended on the effects of fluoride on animal and
human reproduction (USPHS, 1991). This project has contributed new knowledge in this
area.
I do not intend to discuss the relative merits of the claims made by the anti-fluoridationists
that chronic ingestion of low levels of fluoride has harmful effects on human health, i.e.,
increases the risk of cancer, affects the immune system, and hastens the aging process.
These claims could be associated with the effects of fluoride on the pineal because the
gland has been linked to oncogenesis, immunocompetence, and, in recent years, to the
process of aging.
In conclusion, the human pineal gland contains the highest concentration of fluoride in the
body. Fluoride is associated with depressed pineal melatonin synthesis by prepubertal
gerbils and an accelerated onset of sexual maturation in the female gerbil. The results
strengthen the hypothesis that the pineal has a role in the timing of the onset of puberty.
Whether or not fluoride interferes with pineal function in humans requires further
investigation."
SOURCE: Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland.
Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford. p. 176-177.
[ http://www.garynull.com/Documents/Dental/Fluoride/fluoride13.htm ]
Another concern is fluoride's effect on the pineal gland, a small but powerful structure
located between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. The pineal gland secretes
melatonin, a hormone that affects such functions as sleep cycles, jet lag, hybernation in
animals, immunity, and the onset of puberty. Jennifer Luke, Ph.D., found that the pineal
gland attracts fluoride, and, thereby, interferes with melatonin's functions.(180) In autopsy
studies she discovered extremely high concentrations of fluoride in the gland, averaging
9,000 ppm, going up to 21,000 ppm in some cases.(181) And in an accompanying study of
fluoride-treated Mongolian gerbils (the animal considered most favorable for studying effects
on the pineal gland) Luke found lower levels of melatonin and earlier onset of puberty.
This research is highly suggestive. People with insomnia could be suffering as a result of
fluoride's interference with melatonin production. Currently more than half the population of
the United States suffers from some form of sleep disturbance.(182) Sleep deprivation
promotes reduced immunity. Sleep-challenged people are more likely to suffer depression,
stroke, or heart disease than their well-rested peers. Numerous studies have correlated
insufficient melatonin production with an earlier-than-usual onset of puberty.(183, 184)
This recalls the 1955 Newburgh-Kingston study, which produced some extremely puzzling
results that scientists have yet to explain. One was the finding that girls in fluoridated
Newberg were reaching menstruation five months earlier on average than the girls in
unfluoridated Kingston. This raises the question, does fluoride contribute to the alarming
rates of early puberty that we are seeing?(185) Premature menstruation is associated with a
variety of ills, including breast cancer and obesity. A 2001 study published in the American
Journal of Public Health reveals that early maturation nearly doubled the odds of being
obese.(186)
Fluoride Deposition in the Aged Human Pineal Gland
Jennifer Luke

http://www.icnr.com/jluke/fluoridedeposition.html

School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Royal London Hospital

Original Paper
Caries Res 2991;35:125-128

Copyright © 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Presented by permission of the author.

Key Words
Calcium, Distribution, Fluoride, Human pineal gland, Hydroxyapatite, Pineal concretions

Abstract
The purpose was to discover whether fluoride (F) accumulates in the aged human pineal
gland. The aims were to determine (a) F-concentrations of the pineal gland (wet),
corresponding muscle (wet) and bone (ash); (b) calcium-concentration of the pineal. Pineal,
muscle and bone were dissected from 11 aged cadavers and assayed for F using the
HMDS-facilitated diffusion, F-ionspecific electrode method. Pineal calcium was determined
using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Pineal and muscle contained 297±257 and 0.5±0.4
mg F/kg wet weight, respectively; bone contained 2,037±1,095 mg F/kg ash weight. The
pineal contained 16,000±11,070 mg Ca/kg wet weight. There was a positive correlation
between pineal F and pineal Ca (r = 0.73, p<0.02) but no correlation between pineal F and
bone F. By old age, the pineal gland has readily accumulated F and its F/Ca ratio is higher
than bone.

The pineal gland is a small organ situated near the centre of the brain. It is intimately related
to the third ventricle. It is composed of pinealocytes and neuroglial cells amongst which
ramifies a rich network of capillaries and postganglionic nerve fibres. The pineal gland is a
mineralizing tissue. Its calcified concretions range from a few micrometres to several
millimetres in diameter. The larger ones are identifiable on skull X-rays, cranial CT and MRI
scans. The concretions are composed of hydroxyapatite (HA) [Angervall et al., 1958; Earle,
1965; Mabie and Wallace, 1974; Galliani et al., 1990; Bocchi and Valdre, 1993] whose
chemical composition, morphology, and unit cell dimensions are similar to HA in bone and
teeth [Mabie and Wallace, 1974; Bocchi and Valdre, 1993]. The pineal (calcified and
uncalcified) has a high trace element content (zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, strontium
and copper) in humans [Krstic, 1976; Michotte et al., 1977] and in rats [Humbert and Pévet,
1991, 1996]. Michotte et al. [1977] suggested that, within the pineal, there are areas which
are heavily loaded with calcium and which attract trace elements, even though these
calcium-rich areas are not yet identifiable as concretions. Calcium is distributed throughout
the pinealocytes: in the mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, cytoplasm, and nucleus [Krstic,
1976, 1995; Welsh, 1984; Pizarro et al., 1989, Lewczuk et al., 1994].

Fluoride does not accumulate in brain. Of all tissues, brain has the lowest fluoride
concentration [Jenkins, 1991; Whitford, 1996; Ekstrand, 1996]. It is generally agreed that the
blood-brain barrier restricts the passage of fluoride into the central nervous system. The
human pineal gland is outside the blood-brain barrier [Arendt, 1995]. It is one of a few
unique regions in the brain (all midline structures bordering the third and fourth ventricles)
where the blood-brain barrier is weak. Cells in these regions require direct and unimpeded
contact with blood [Rapoport, 1976]. Therefore, pinealocytes have free access to fluoride in
the bloodstream. This fact, coupled with the presence of HA, suggest that the pineal gland
may sequester fluoride from the bloodstream.

The purpose of this study was to discover whether fluoride accumulates in the aged pineal
gland. Its objectives were to determine (a) the fluoride concentrations of the pineal gland
(wet), corresponding muscle (wet) and bone (ash); (b) the pineal concentrations of calcium
and HA.

Materials and Methods

The pineal glands and corresponding bone and muscle samples were dissected from I I
aged cadavers (7 females and 4 males) in the Anatomy Department, UCL. The mean age
was 82 years (range 70-100).

Preparation of the Samples

The pineal glands were blotted dry with tissue paper, weighed to the nearest milligram,
homogenized in I ml double-distilled water using an agate pestle and mortar and sonicated
for 10 min. Each pineal was divided into two portions that were analysed separately. Muscle
samples weighing about 100 mg were treated likewise. Bone samples were cleaned of any
adherent soft tissue with a razor blade, dried overnight at 110'C in an oven, and ashed (in
porcelain crucibles with no fixatives) at 550-600°C in a muffle furnace for 8 h. Bone ash was
pulverized into a fine powder using an agate pestle and mortar. Bone solutions were made
by dissolving known weights of bone ash in 3 ml 2 M HC104. Bone solutions were analysed
for fluoride in replicates of six and the mean fluoride concentrations in bone were calculated.

Determination of the Fluoride Concentrations

The homogenized pineal, homogenized muscle and bone solutions were assayed for
fluoride using the HMDS-facilitated diffusion, F-ion-specific electrode method originally
described by Taves [19681 and modified by Whitford and Reynolds [1979]. The protocol
was further modified for use with the pineal glands. The concentration and volume of the
base trap were increased to 0.5 M NaOH and 100 µl, respectively; the strength of the
acetate buffer was increased to 50 µl 2 M acetic acid and the volume of the analysed
solution was adjusted to 150 µl with double-distilled water. Diffusion time for pineal and
muscle was 3 days; for bone 18 h.

Standards: pineal: 1,000, 2,500 and 5,000 nmol F; muscle: 5, 50 and 500 nmol F; bone: 10,
50, 100 and 500 nmol F.

Determination of the Concentration of Total Calcium in the Human Pineal Gland

The acid digests, which remained in the Petri dishes following the separation of fluoride from
the pineal glands, were wet-acid ashed to decompose the organic component. The acid
digests were placed in clean glass tubes and I ml conc. HN03 was added. The tubes were
heated slowly to 50°C and maintained at 50°C for 30 min in a fume cupboard. The
procedure was repeated using I ml 60% HC104. Two millilitre of double-distilled water was
added to each tube and the volumes were measured. Calcium concentration was
determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Statistical Methods
Results were expressed as means ± SD. Differences between the groups were tested for
significance using unpaired Student's t-test. Differences were regarded as statistically
significant when p<0.05.
Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to test association between pineal fluoride and
pineal calcium; and pineal fluoride and bone fluoride.

Fig. 1. The relationship between the calcium and fluoride contents of ten aged human pineal
glands.

Results
The aged pineal gland weighed 112±52 mg (56-198 mg). Pineal had a significantly higher F
concentration than muscle: 297 ± 257 (14-875) vs. 0.5 ± 0.4 (0.2-1.5) mg F/kg wet weight
(p<0.001). Bone contained 2,037± 1,095 (838-3,711) mg F/kg ash weight. The mean
coefficient of variation between the replicates of F contents of bone solutions was 2.5 ± 1. 1
%. There was no correlation between pineal F and bone F. The pineal gland contained
16,000±11,070 (4,600-37,250) mg Ca/kg wet weight. Pineal fluoride and pineal calcium
were directly correlated: r = 0.73, p < 0.02, n = 10, slope= 0.02 (fig. 1). Assuming
stoichiometric HA, the pineal contained an estimated 40,000 ± 27,700 mg HA/kg wet weight
(11,600-93,200 mg HA/kg). The estimated F concentration of pineal HA was 9,000 ± 7,800
mg/kg (650-21,800 mg/kg). Figure 2 shows that the F/calcium ratio was higher in pineal HA
than in corresponding bone HA.

Discussion
This study has added new knowledge on the fate and distribution of fluoride in the body. It
has shown for the first time that fluoride readily accumulates in the human pineal gland
although there was considerable inter-individual variation (14-875 mg F/kg). By old age, the
average pineal gland contains about the same amount of fluoride as teeth (300 mg F/kg)
since dentine and whole enamel contain 300 and 100 mg F/kg, respectively [Newbrun,
1986]. Unlike brain capillaries, pineal capillaries allow the free passage of fluoride through
the endothelium. If there had been a bloodbrain barrier in the pineal, it would have
prevented the passage of fluoride into the pinealocytes and the pineal fluoride content would
have been similar to or lower than muscle. This was obviously not the case: the fluoride
concentration of the pineal was significantly higher (p<0.001) than muscle. The high fluoride
levels in the pineal are presumably due to the large surface area of the HA crystallites both
intra- and extracellularly. In addition, the pineal has a profuse blood flow and high capillary
density; pineal blood flow (4 ml/min/g) is second only to the kidney [Arendt, 19951.

The extent of pineal calcification also varied between individuals: ranging from 4,600 to
37,250 mg Ca/kg wet weight. One of the aged pineals had very little precipitation. This
supports the age independence of pineal calcification and agrees with previous studies
[Cooper, 1932; Arieti, 1954; Tapp and Huxley, 197 1; Hasegawa et aL, 1987; Galliani et al.,
1990]. The estimated fluoride concentration of pineal HA was 9,000 ± 7,800 mg/kg. The
F/Ca ratio was higher in pineal HA than in corresponding bone (fig. 2). The extremely high
level of substitution in the crystal structure of pineal HA by fluoride illustrates the readiness
with which fluoride replaces the hydroxyl ion in the HA crystal. By old age, pineal HA has a
higher fluoride content than other biological apatites. Unlike pineal concentrations of
magnesium, manganese, zinc and copper, which, although very high, were generally within
the limits found in bone and teeth [Michotte et al., 1977].

Fig. 2. A comparison of the F/Ca ratio in aged pineal HA and corresponding bone ash (µg
F/100 µg calcium). Calcium content of bone determined stoichiometrically.

There was no corTelation between pineal fluoride and bone fluoride. Therefore, unlike bone,
pineal fluoride concentrations are not indicators of long-term fluoride exposure and body
burden. Pineal fluoride, however, was significantly correlated with pineal calcium.

The methodology used in this project was accurate because the F values obtained for bone
and muscle agreed with literature values. For example, the mean fluoride concentration of
bone from elderly subjects was 2,000 mg/kg ash weight which agrees with previous studies
using bone from subjects of a similar age [Ebie et al., 1992; Charen et al., 1979; Zipkin et
al., 1958]. In this study, muscle contained 0.5 mg F/kg wet weight, a typical fluoride
concentration for soft tissue [WHO, 1984]. The pineal and bone were treated differently
during sample preparation (the pineal was wet-acid ashed, bone was dry ashed) which may
somewhat obscure a direct comparison of the fluoride contents of pineal HA and bone.
However, it is unlikely that there would be a significant analytical error.

In conclusion, this study presented evidence that fluoride readily accumulates in the aged
pineal. Fluoride may also accumulate in a child's pineal because significant amounts of
calcification have been demonstrated in the pineals from young children [Cooper, 1932;
Wurtman, 1968; Kerényi and Sarkar, 1968; Tapp and Huxley, 197 1; Doskocil, 1984]. In fact,
calcification of the developing enamel organs and the pineal gland occur concurrently. If
fluoride does accumulate in the child's pineal (this needs verification), the pinealocytes will
be exposed to relatively high local concentrations of fluoride. This could affect pineal
metabolism in much the same way that high local concentrations of fluoride in the
developing enamel organ affect ameloblast function. Research is presently underway to
discover whether fluoride affects pineal physiology during childhood: specifically pineal
synthesis of melatonin.

Acknowledgements
I acknowledge the Anatomy Deptartment, UCL, for providing the pineal glands; Prof. Gary
Whitford, Medical College of Georgia, USA, and Gordon Hartman, University of Surrey, for
their assistance with the fluoride analysis; Nicholas Porter, The Royal Surrey County
Hospital, Guildford, for help with the determination of pineal-calcium concentrations. The
Colt Foundation, The Heinz and Anna Kroch Foundation and The New Moorgate Trust
funded the research. References
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study of calcium in the pineal body and intracranial tumours. Acta Pathol Microbiol
Scand 1958;44: 113-119.
2. Arendt J: Melatonin and the Mammalian Pineal Gland, ed 1. London. Chapman &
Hall, 1995, p 17.

3. Arieti S: The pineal gland in old age. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 1954; 13:482-49 1.

4. Bocchi G, Valdre G: Physical, chemical, and mineralogical characterization of

carbonate-hydroxyapatite concretions of the human pineal gland. J Inorg Biochem
1993;49:209-220.

5. Charen J, Taves DR, Stamm JW, Parkins FM: Bone fluoride concentrations
associated with fluoridated drinking water. Calcif Tiss Int 1979;27: 95-99.

6. Cooper ERA: The human pineal gland and pineal cysts. J Anat (Lond) 1932;67:28-
46.

7. Doskocil M: Development of concrements in the human pineal body. Folia Morphol

(Praha) 1984;32:16-26.

8. Earle KM: X-ray diffraction and other studies of the calcareous deposits in human
pineal glands. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 1965;4: 108-118.

9. Ebie DM, Deaton TG, Wilson FC, Bawden JW: Fluoride concentrations in human and
rat bone. J Public Health Dent 1992;52:288-29).

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in Dentistry. Munksgaard, Copenhagen, 1996, pp 55-68.

11. Galliani 1, Falcieri E, Giangaspero F, Valdre G, Mongiorgi R: A preliminary study of

human pineal gland concretions: Structural and chemical analysis. Boll Soc Ital Biol
Sper 1990;66: 615-622.

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calcium ions in the pig pineal gland. Folia Histochem Cytobiol 1994;32:243-249.

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740.

Facts About Fluoridation You Did Not Know

By Fluoride Action Network

98% Of Western Europe Has Rejected Water Fluoridation. This includes Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Norway, and Sweden. The predominant reason for Europe's rejection is the belief that
public drinking water is NOT the appropriate vehicle with which to deliver medication to
a population.
Fluoride Is Not An Essential Nutrient, which means that no human disease (including
dental decay) has ever been linked to a fluoride deficiency. (1)
The fluoride used to fluoridate water is an industrial waste product from the phosphate
fertilizer industry. It is an unprocessed hazardous waste, contaminated with a number
of toxins, particularly arsenic.
Fluoridation adds between 0.1 and 1.6 parts per billion (ppb) Arsenic to drinking water,
and therefore violates the EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for arsenic - which
is 0 ppb. (2)
Hydrofluosilicic acid & sodium silicofluoride, which are the chemicals used to fluoridate
91% of fluoridated water in the US, have Never Been Tested for safety and
effectiveness.
According to a November 16, 2000 letter from the EPA, "to answer your question on
whether we have in our possession empirical scientific data on the effects of fluosilicic
acid or sodium silicofluoride on health and behavior, the answer is no."
Most dental authorities are now conceding that there is little, if any, benefit from
swallowing fluoride, and that fluoride's benefits (whatever they are) come from topical
application.
When water fluoridation began 50 years ago, it was believed that fluoride needed to be
ingested in order to be effective. This is NO longer the view of the dental establishment,
which now generally concedes that fluoride's benefits are derived primarily from topical
application. (3)
According, for instance, to the US Centers for Disease Control, "Laboratory and
epidemiologic research suggests that fluoride prevents dental caries predominately
after eruption of the tooth into the mouth, and its actions primarily are topical for both
adults and children."
All fluoride products designed to be ingested (e.g. fluoride supplements) are available
by prescription only. No fluoride products designed for ingestion have ever been
approved as safe or effective by the US Food & Drug Administration. (4)
By Logical Extension Fluoridated Water Can Appropriately Be Classified As An
Unapproved Prescription Drug.
The dental community concedes that fluoride is ineffective at preventing the most
common type of dental decay - pit & fissures. Pit & fissure decay - which is the decay
found in the crevices of the chewing surfaces - accounts for upwards of 85% of dental
decay now experienced in the US. (5)
New evidence suggests that fluoridation is either unnecessary or doesn't work.
Cavities have declined at similarly impressive rates throughout the entire western,
industrialized world over the past half century.
This decline has occurred irrespective of a country's fluoridation status. Western
Europe, which is 98% unfluoridated, has experienced the SAME decline in cavities as
the heavily fluoridated US, and today enjoys the SAME low level of tooth decay. (6)
The largest dental survey ever conducted in the US found virtually no difference
in dental decay between children living in fluoridated vs. unfluoridated areas.
The study, which was conducted by the National Institute Of Dental Research (NIDR),
found that the average difference in tooth decay (0.6 tooth surfaces) between children
living in fluoridated vs unfluoridated areas amounted to LESS than 0.5% of the 128 total
tooth surfaces in a child's mouth. (7)
Five peer-reviewed studies published in the last 2 years have found that dental
decay DOES NOT increase when communities stop fluoridation. (8)
The rhetoric supporting fluoridation is increasingly centered around the notion that
fluoridation benefits the neediest in society the most. This claim flies in the face of the
experience of most US inner cities over the past 50 years.
Despite the fact that nearly all large US cities have been fluoridated for decades, dental
decay is currently rampant in virtually all poor urban areas.
One of the major dental health problems experienced in poor communities is a
debilitating condition known as "baby bottle tooth decay" which is also referred to as
"early childhood caries."
This condition, which results from excessive consumption of sweetened liquids at a
young age, is not prevented by water fluoridation. (9) According to a study in Pediatric
Nursing "Data from Head Start surveys show the prevalence of baby bottle tooth decay
is about three times the national average among poor urban children, even in
communities with a fluoridated water supply."
Fluoride Is A Very Toxic Substance, which is why it is the active ingredient in a
number of pesticides. Just 2 grams of fluoride is enough to kill an adult, and just 500
mg is enough to kill a child. (11) In the US, people have died, and many have become
sick, when faltering fluoridation equipment has pumped excess fluoride into the water.
Poor nutrition exacerbates the toxic effects of fluoride exposure, which is a further
reason why it's wrong to target poor communities with fluoridation (as poor nutrition is
more prevalent in low income communities).
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "Existing data
indicate that subsets of the population may be unusually susceptible to the toxic effects
of fluoride and its compounds. These populations include the elderly, people with
deficiencies of calcium, magnesium and/or vitamin C, and people with cardiovascular
and kidney problems." (12)
Contaminated Food Chain - Many of the processed beverages and foods sold in the
US contain elevated levels of fluoride due to the use of fluoridated water during
manufacturing, and the presence of fluoride pesticides.
Total fluoride exposure has increased substantially since the early days of fluoridation.
(13) When fluoridation first began, exposure to fluoride from sources other than
fluoridated water, was minimal.
Today that is not the case.
People now receive fluoride from a whole host of sources, including pesticide residues,
fluoridated dental products, mechanically deboned meat, fluoride air pollution, and
processed foods & beverages prepared with fluoridated water (e.g. soda, juice, beer,
cereal, etc).
It has now reached the point where most people receive the "optimal" 1 mg/day of
fluoride (which fluoridated water was designed to deliver) without ever drinking a glass
of fluoridated water.
Despite the increase in total fluoride exposure, the concentration of fluoride added to
drinking water (0.7-1.2 mg/L) as prescribed by the US Government, is still the same as
it was back in the 1940s.
Due to the increase in total fluoride exposure, there has been a major increase in the
rate of dental fluorosis found among American children. According to the US
Government, approximately 1 in 3 children living in fluoridated areas have dental
fluorosis on at least 2 teeth. (14)
Dental fluorosis is the first visible sign that fluoride has poisoned enzymes in the
body.
Approximately half of the fluoride we ingest each day accumulates in our bodies,
primarily in the bones, but also in soft tissues. (15)
High levels of naturally occurring fluoride causes a crippling bone disease known as
skeletal fluorosis. According to UNICEF, skeletal fluorosis is endemic "in at least 25
countries across the globe" (16) with the problem particularly acute in India, China and
other developing countries.
Skeletal fluorosis comes in varying degrees of severity depending on the level of
exposure. The earliest symptoms are characterized by joint pain that is difficult, if not
impossible, to distinguish from arthritis.
According to a review on fluoridation by Chemical & Engineering News: "Because some
of the clinical symptoms mimic arthritis, the first two clinical phases of skeletal fluorosis
could be easily misdiagnosed [as arthritis]." The World Health Organization states that
"early cases [of skeletal fluorosis] may be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid or
osteoarthritis." (17)
It is estimated that approximately 40 million Americans suffer from arthritis, the
most common type being osteoarthritis.
Fluoride stimulates abnormal bone development. Clinical trials published in the New
England Journal of Medicine and Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (18) report that
high dose fluoride treatment increases bone mass but that the newly formed bone is
"structurally unsound" (19). Thus, instead of reducing hip fracture, the studies found
that high doses of fluoride increase hip fracture.
There is concern that "low" doses of fluoride, taken over long periods of time (e.g.
fluoridated water), may also increase the rate of hip fracture. Approximately 20 recent
studies have investigated the relationship between fluoridated water and hip fracture,
with approximately half of the studies finding an association. (20)
A 1995 study in the journal Neurtoxicology and Teratology, found that fluoride
accumulated in the brain of rats and produced age-specific behavioral deficits typical of
most neurotoxic agents. (21)
In the study, fluoride induced damage to the hippocampal region of the brain. Damage
to the hippocampal region has been linked to hyperactivity and cognitive deficits. Based
on the results, the lead author of the study, Dr. Phyllis Mullenix, has come out and
advised against water fluoridation.
Five recent peer reviewed studies from China have found an association between
elevated fluoride exposure and decreased IQs in children - an effect that would be
expected based on Mullenix's research. (22)
In the late 1990s, a British scientist discovered that fluoride accumulates to very high
levels (avg = 9000 ppm) in the crystallized tissue of the human pineal gland.
A subsequent animal study found that fluoride interferes with the pineal gland's
production of melatonin, a hormone which helps regulate the onset of PUBERTY. In
the study, animals dosed with fluoride had reduced levels of melatonin metabolites in
their urine and had earlier onsets of puberty than the controls. (23)
Up until the 1950s, European doctors used fluoride to reduce the activity of the thyroid
gland for people suffering from overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). (24) The daily
dose of fluoride which people are now receiving in fluoridated communities (1.6 to 6.6
mg/day) (25) actually exceeds the dose of fluoride which was found to depress the
thyroid gland (2.3 to 4.5 mg/day). (26)
Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) is currently one of the most common medical
problems in the United States. Synthroid, the drug doctors prescribe to treat
hypothyroidism, was the fourth most prescribed drug in the US in the year 2000.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include depression, fatigue, weight gain, muscle and joint
pains, increased cholesterol levels, and heart disease.
A recent study published in the journal Brain Research found that 1 PPM fluoride in
water facilitated the uptake of aluminum into the brain of rats, producing the type of
brain tangles (amyloid deposits) that are associated with Alzheimers disease and other
types of dementia. (27)
An epidemiological study published in the December 2000 issue of the journal
Neurotoxicology, found that fluoridated water was associated with elevated levels of
lead in children's blood. (28)
The study's findings parallel the findings of an earlier study published in the September
1999 issue of the International Journal of Environmental Studies. (29) Lead in the blood
is associated with a variety of neurological problems, including reduced intelligence,
aggression and hyperactivity.
Dozens of laboratory studies have found that fluoride is a mutagen - a classification
which frequently indicates that a substance is carcinogenic (i.e. that it causes cancer).
(30) A cancer bioassay conducted by the National Toxicology Program found that rats
dosed with fluoride had a statistically significant increase in bone tumors
(osteosarcomas), which were not found among the controls.
The initial review of the study also reported that the fluoride-dosed rats had tumors of
the thyroid, oral cavity and rare tumors of the liver; however these tumors were later
downgraded under conspicuous and controversial circumstances. According to Dr.
William Marcus, the Chief Toxicologist at the EPA's Office of Drinking Water, the
downgrading of the tumors was politically motivated and not scientifically defensible.
(31)
A recent epidemiological study conducted by a scientist from the US Public Health
Service found that female infertility was associated with elevated levels of fluoride (
>3ppm) in drinking water. The study concluded that more emphasis needs to be given
to the effects on health from total fluoride exposure - not just exposure to fluoridated
drinking water. (32)
In light of the recent research indicating health risks from low level fluoride exposure,
the Union of Scientists and professionals at EPA headquarters has voted to oppose
fluoridation (33) and has called upon Congress to issue a "national moratorium" on the
fifty year old policy. According to the Vice President of the Union, Dr. J. William Hirzy,
"In summary, we hold that fluoridation is an unreasonable risk. That is, the toxicity of
fluoride is so great and the purported benefits associated with it are so small - if there
are any at all - that requiring every man, woman and child in America to ingest it
borders on criminal behavior on the part of governments."
After years of overlooking the problems with fluoride & fluoridation, the environmental
community is finally beginning to address the issue. In September of 2001, the Sierra
Club announced that:
There are now valid concerns regarding the potential adverse impact of fluoridation on
the environment, wildlife, and human health. The Sierra Club therefore supports giving
communities the option of rejecting mandatory fluoridation of their water supplies.
To protect sensitive populations, and because safer strategies and methods for
preventing tooth decay are now available, we recommend that these safer alternatives
be made available and promoted."