Fluoride has now been recognised as having potentially harmful side effects when consumed in large quantities. As a result, many of us are concerned about the levels of fluoride in our unfiltered drinking water and are looking for safe ways to filter it out, using natural treatments such as lemon.

 We have heard that lemon can remove fluoride from our water but is this really the case?

Firstly, why would we want to use lemon to remove fluoride from water?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the negative effects that over consumption of fluoride can have on our health, stating that fluoride in drinking water has caused ‘tens of millions of dental and skeletal fluorosis cases worldwide over a range of years’. These cases contribute to bone deformities, tendon and ligament calcification and increases in bone hardness and density.

The International Association of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) has suggested that fluoride can contribute to an even wider range of health issues including:

• Acne and other skin problems
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Reduced fertility
• Neurological issues which could cause ADHD
• Decreased cognitive functions
• Bone cancer
• Cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure and heart failure

All over the world local authorities have added fluoride into our water supply and manufacturers have mixed it into our toothpastes and bottled water. It is only natural that we would want to take back control of what we are drinking.

Many of us would rather use a natural element to treat Fluoride as opposed to adding unnecessary chemicals into our water that could cause us more problems in the long term. This is why lemon is such an appealing solution for removing fluoride.

Lemon is often added to water as it does have many health benefits, such as:

• Lemon is rich in Vitamin C, boosting our immune systems
• It helps to increase the PH of our body, keeping us in a healthy alkaline state
• Lemon is a diuretic that helps to flush toxins out of our body
• It contains antioxidants which help to slow the ageing process
• It helps to improve digestion
• Lemon improves the flavour of your water, making you more likely to drink more

Does Lemon Remove Fluoride from Water?

Unfortunately, lemon juice or rind cannot remove fluoride from water before we drink it.

One study, reported in the Microchemical Journal, did find that the leaves of the lemon tree can help. When lemon leaves are ground up and treated in a specific process, they will effectively absorb fluoride by up to 70%, making our water much safer to drink.

Whilst this is a fantastic natural option these treated and ground up lemon tree leaves are not readily available in most countries.

To date, there has been no concrete research carried out to demonstrate that lemon juice or lemon rind will specifically remove fluoride from water despite its other well-known health benefits.

However, this doesn’t mean that lemon can’t help us in the fight against fluoride.

Vitamin C (found in lemon juice) is an essential building block for bone health and development. And according to the Save Institute it can be used to help to reverse both osteoporosis and fluorosis.

Vitamin C helps our body to flush out toxins and specifically, fluoride. In a study where children were given 750mg of vitamin C each day, they had a dramatic increase in the amount of fluoride that was excreted through urine. This means that the vitamin C in lemon can help our bodies to flush out fluoride if we have consumed too much.

So, what can I use to remove fluoride from my water before I drink it?

Whilst it’s great that lemon can help us to remove the fluoride that is already in our body, we can also take steps to reduce the amount of fluoride that we consume.

The first step is to choose a water filter that can safely remove fluoride. By also choosing a filter that avoids stripping the water of its healthy minerals we can still reap the benefits from our drinking water.

Filters made with natural elements such as zeolite are a great choice. Zeolite is a crystal formed from volcanic ash which has a natural honeycomb structure. A 2018 study found that this structure can absorb heavy metals and other contaminants. Impressively, it reduced fluoride by up to 98%.

Invigorated Water filters have been designed to optimise your health. The filters remove toxins such as fluoride using zeolite and other scientifically proven elements. Filters are available for when we are on the go or at home, in a variety of sizes and styles.

And once we have our safely filtered, fluoride-free water we can add some lemon to give our health an extra boost!