Hidden toxin causes arthritis

If you think X-rays are never wrong, think again. For many people suffering with chronic arthritis, they can be very wrong.

That’s because there’s a condition that looks just like osteoarthritis on X-ray films. Even the symptoms perfectly mimic the pain and swelling of osteoarthritis.

But this condition is completely different from osteoarthritis. It’s not caused by the overuse of the joints. It’s not caused by age. And it’s not caused by injury.

The cause of this condition is a common toxin.

It’s true! This toxin is one of the most overlooked causes of arthritis. In fact, it’s far more common than you might think. That’s the bad news.

The good news is you can reverse this condition. And, when you do, your arthritis pain will go away.

The reason this condition is so common is because the toxin is so common. The condition is skeletal fluorosis. And the toxin is fluoride.

That’s right! The mineral your dentist claims will save your teeth and bones is a toxin to your joints.

Most people don’t realize fluoride is a toxin. A toxin is a chemical that can kill you or cause disease. Fluoride can do both. It takes just five grams of sodium fluoride to kill an adult. Smaller doses, such as those from toothpaste use and drinking water, can cause many serious health problems – including severe joint pain.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services admits that too much fluoride causes “chronic joint pain” and “arthritic symptoms” (DHHS 1991). How much is too much fluoride?

Many studies have found that taking over 5 mg daily can cause arthritic symptoms and the early stages of skeletal fluorosis. That’s about how much you get from your tap water every day.

A large-scale study from China found that the incidence of osteoarthritic symptoms increases in areas with elevated fluoride levels. The researchers examined over 7,000 individuals from six regions. They found that the higher the level of fluoride in the water, the higher the rate of osteoarthritis was in the area.

Another study, this one from Switzerland, looked at workers who had occupational exposure to fluoride.  They found that the higher their bone fluoride levels were, the frequency of joint pain and stiffness increased. This joint pain resulted in disability in some cases.

So How Can You Tell If Fluoride Is Causing Your Arthritis?

Doctors will tell you the best way to diagnose fluorosis is by testing for it. There are 3 tests your doctor can use (any of them will work fine).

1. A blood test called a serum sialic acid to GAG (glycosaminoglycans) ratio, or alternatively a serum sialic acid to serum seromucoid ratio. A ratio less than three in either test suggests fluoride poisoning.

2. A simple blood level for fluoride can also work. If you have a persistent elevation of serum fluoride above 0.04 mg/L (normal is less than 0.01 mg/L), you have fluoride poisoning.

3. Since urine can concentrate fluoride up to 50 times more than blood, urine testing is another way. With this test, a fluoride level over 8 mg/L in a 24-hour collection indicates fluoride poisoning.

However, testing isn’t necessary. You can just take steps to decrease your fluoride load. Here’s how you do it.

What You Can Do

First, avoid all sources of fluoride. This includes most tap water and toothpaste. Use a natural toothpaste that doesn’t have fluoride. You can find these online and in most health food stores.

For drinking water, consider drinking bottled water. Most brands of bottled water contain very little to no fluoride. For instance, Smartwater, Aquafina, and Dasani all contain 0.0 ppm of fluoride. These and many others are excellent sources of fluoride-free drinking water.

The only way to remove fluoride from water supplied by your city or county is to use a reverse osmosis filter. This can be a little pricey. But if you have arthritis and nothing else is helping, a whole-house water filter might be something worth considering.

When you avoid fluoride, your body will eventually excrete all the fluoride it has. This can take weeks or months. But there’s a way to get rid of it even faster.

Second, take iodine. Taking iodine will immediately increase your body’s removal of fluoride. One study found that taking just one dose of iodine (12.5 mg) will increase fluoride excretion by 78%. I’ve seen iodine work in people who found it hard to avoid fluoride. Here’s why:

If you look on a periodic table, you’ll see that iodine, fluoride, bromine, and chlorine are all in the same column. That means they’re all part of the same group, and they all compete with each other for absorption in your body.

But your body prefers iodine. So if you take enough iodine, your body will absorb it and excrete the others.

So consider taking an iodine supplement, such as Iodoral. It’s available on the Internet. You may need to take up to 50 mg of Iodoral at first to get rid of the joint pain. And then reduce it to 12.5 mg daily for maintaining healthy joints.

Third, read next week’s Nutrient Insider. I’ll tell you about another shocking cause of arthritis – and how you could be pain free in 6 months or less.