Should We Be Drinking Fluoride? — Dr. Frank Zelko

How important is fluoride for preventing cavities? And is it safe for us and our kids? Dr. Frank Zelko joins the show to tackle these questions. Dr. Zelko is a professor at the University of Hawaii and has a PhD in environmental history. He is currently working on a book about the history of water fluoridation and the latest research regarding its efficacy and health effects. Expect to go on a fascinating historical journey, and learn about the latest science so you can make your own decision about your drinking water. You can learn more about Dr. Zelko at manoa.hawaii.eduAquaTru (Water Purifiers)Get $100 off any AquaTru systemPlantPaper (Non-Toxic Tree-Friendly Toilet Paper)Get 10% off PlantPaperNADS (Men's Organic Cotton Underwear)Use code STEVEN for 15% off NADSGround News (Transparent News)Get 40% off the Vantage SubscriptionSupport the Podcast Directlypatreon.com/somethingdiffpodTimestamps:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:01:33) – Environmental History(00:04:21) – Becoming interested in water fluoridation(00:08:25) – My introduction to Frank(00:11:17) – Colorado Brown Stain(00:18:26) – Alcoa & indentifying fluoride(00:21:41) – Naturally occurring fluoride(00:25:41) – Cavities in the 1930s(00:28:06) – The sweet spot(00:30:54) – Fluoride waste & preliminary research(00:35:28) – Fluoride toxicosis symptoms(00:44:11) – Dentistry & carries(00:52:55) – Early health studies(00:56:14) – Adding fluoride to the water(01:00:31) – The Florida phosphate industry(01:06:30) – The push for fluoridation(01:17:19) – Scientific pushback & conspiracy theories(01:25:52) – Suppression of anti-fluoride research(01:28:32) – Parallels & pendulums(01:31:01) – More recent studies on fluoride(01:35:37) – The efficacy of fluoridation on cavities(01:41:43) – The fluoridation for low-income argument(01:42:40) – Where we’re at now(01:44:41) – Should we be filtering our water?(01:50:55) – Toothpaste(01:55:08) – Tea & other recommendations(01:58:42) – Politics & fluoride debates(02:06:27) – Vaccines & serious diseases(02:10:55) – PFAs, microplastics, & fire retardants(02:13:59) – Where to find Dr. Zelko