Dr. Richard Sauerheber
E-mail: richsauerheb@hotmail.com

To all interested parties:

In a report to the FDA recently, the proof was provided that systemic fluoride from the blood crosses the blood-brain barrier. Also, over 30 human studies and over 100 animal studies demonstrate adverse effects of systemic fluoride on brain function and morphology, even at blood levels attained from 1 ppm fluoridated drinking water (0.21 ppm blood levels). The National Research Council was so alarmed at these findings that particular warnings were published in their 2006 textbook (1) on the adverse brain effects associated with systemic fluoride. Please understand that fluoride is an abnormal constituent of the bloodstream. FDA ruled correctly from 1963-1993 that fluoride is not a mineral nutrient, and addition into water is an uncontrolled use of an unapproved drug. The FDA maintains this position to this date. And the NRC unanimously concluded in their report that currently-allowed fluoride levels in U.S. water supplies are not protective of human health. Several NRC authors – including Ms. Theissen, have been urging other NRC members to call for a ban water fluoridation.

Please also understand that 0.21 ppm fluoride in blood is an average level in 1 ppm fluoridated cities (NRC). Prevalent use of fluoride toothpaste increases the blood level significantly, since typically 50% of blood fluoride is form drinking water and 35% is from fluoride toothpaste use. Also, vast numbers of people, such as those with diabetes who consume twice as much water as nondiabetics, and athletes and hard laborers particularly when active during hot temperatures, and kidney disease victims who cannot eliminate fluoride well, while consuming fluoridated water, assimilate substantially more fluoride and have higher blood fluoride levels. The NRC gave specific notice regarding these citizens and fluoridated water.

Animal studies prove that fluoride, at blood levels identical to that in humans consuming 1 ppm fluoridated water, exhibit gross morphologic alterations in brain intracellular organelle morphology, and accumulate significant amounts of fluoride in brain tissue, and exhibit neurologic abnormality (Mulllenix, 1995; Varner, 1998; Reddy, 2011), and Reddy found substantial changes in myelin content of brain neurons and in the morphology of spinal cord neurons caused by fluoride.

Because substantial human brain adverse effects are noticed at fluoride blood levels higher than the National average does not mean that mental effects are absent or insignificant at extant blood fluoride levels. In fact, quite the contrary. A recent study published in Fluoride demonstrated that the progressive increase in fluoride blood levels, from insignificant through 0.2 ppm to higher levels, are associated with continuous, progressive, fluoride-concentration-dependent decreases in mental IQ.

Richard Sauerheber, Ph.D.

1. National Research Council, Report on Fluoride in Drinking Water, A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards, Washington, D.C., 2006


