[sp332]

The micro-organisms usually present in stagnant fresh water are much more harmful than low levels of chlorine or fluoride that are added to kill them. Diet Coke does not promote obesity. Pasteurized cow's milk is fairly nutritious and is much less likely to harm you than unpasteurized milk (although the regulations in the USA are too strict IMHO).

[Peaker]

I thought fluoride is put in water for its teeth/health benefits.

[bdonlan]

It is. Chlorine is what is used for disinfecting the water supply.

[46Bit]

Indeed, it's supposed to protect teeth of people unable to afford toothpaste. Whilst it actually just causes cancer. In a similar way to how X-raying everyone who wants to get on a plane protects us from non-existent terrorists.

[Pwnguinz]

Do you have a source for your first statement? Not that I'm implying you are lying. Certainly it's added as a mineral fortifier, but to protect the teeth of people unable to afford toothpaste? That is news to me.

[ams6110]

Flouride additions to water was started in the 1960s or 1970s as a public health initiative to fight tooth decay, a significant health problem. It was not added as a "fortifier" in the same way that vitamin D is commonly added to milk.

[kragen]

Fluoride is not a nutrient. It is added to drinking water for the same reason it is present in toothpaste: to convert tooth enamel from hydroxyapatite to harder and more acid-resistant fluoroapatite. For details, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_therapy http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11571 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm.

[sp332]

Oh yeah, my mistake.

[gcb]

which makes as much sense as putting soap in our milk to keep us clean.

name one person in this day and age that does not brush their theets with a fluoride tooth paste.

[Peaker]

Is the benefit only for those who don't brush? Isn't it meant to provide the body with the fluoride it needs for the teeth?

[spindritf]

> Diet Coke does not promote obesity.

I don't have a good source* on me but aspartame likely increases appetite and feeling of hunger so I don't know about promoting but it may be contributing.

* see this for example though http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2359769