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In the previous article, we looked at reasons why fluoridated water, which is very common throughout the United States, is a public health problem.  In this post, we will find out how to get water that is free or nearly free of fluoride.

Information about water purification systems is everywhere, but is surrounded by a considerable amount of hype and misinformation. This makes it very difficult to determine which systems are best.

Independent research and comparisons are scarce and much of what exists is put out by the manufacturers of water filtration systems themselves. Many water purification websites offer no data about the effectiveness of their systems or how long these systems will last. You will see tables or materials that say things like “removes fluoride,” but this often means that only a fraction of the fluoride is removed.

There are only three ways to remove a substantial amount fluoride from your drinking water: reverse osmosis, special alumina fluoride removal filters, and distillation.

Reverse Osmosis uses pressure to force water through a membrane that removes pollutants. It does a good job of removing fluoride but it is expensive and not practical for a home system since it flushes water down the drain to purify the smaller amount. Reverse osmosis is used in many bottled water dispensaries at grocery stores.

Alumina fluoride removal filters are filled with treated alumina beads that filter out much of the fluoride. There is a range of effectiveness with these filters dependent upon the water pressure, age of the filter, and the level of fluoride of the water going in. The best systems implement a separate fluoride filter after the general filter.

Distillation purifies water by heating it and catching the steam. Anything that is not pure water, including fluoride, is left behind. Distillation creates the cleanest water available but systems can be expensive to buy and operate, and they generate a lot of heat. Buying distilled water by the bottle can be a fairly economical way to get clean water. Be careful when buying distilled water marketed for babies – some companies actually put the fluoride back in.

A standard Brita or Pur water filter is definitely better than nothing at all. But keep in mind that the vast majority of available water filters remove little or no fluoride. No system is perfect, but limiting your intake of toxins will help your body to handle the rest.

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