The fluoride that's probably added to your drinking water by your municipal water system may be causing you long-term health problems, according to numerous studies. The latest research, which was published this month in the Journal of Water and Health, found that fluoridation could be contributing to the rise in diabetes.

Most of us drink fluoridated water every day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 74.7 percent of Americans are on public water systems which have added fluoride.

The U.S. began adding fluoride to drinking water in 1945 in an effort to combat tooth decay. Both the CDC and the American Dental Association say the practice is safe and effective, but not everyone agrees that it's safe — or even prevents cavities.

"There is no justification for water fluoridation, since a number of very large studies have shown no reduction in cavities with such treatments," says neurologist Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report.

The new study examined the links between water fluoridation and Type 2 diabetes, which has reached epidemic proportion in the United States. It found that while naturally occurring fluoride in water with no fluoride additives appeared to have a protective effect on diabetes, there was a significantly increased risk with the type of fluoride, usually sodium fluoride, that is added to community drinking water.

The CDC recommends water fluoridation at a level of 0.7–1.2 mg/L, but natural fluoride found in tea and other products can boost a person's daily intake to unsafe levels. For instance, British researchers found that some brands of tea bags contained considerably more fluoride than others, and just four cups of tea a day could contain more than the maximum amount considered safe. Since water is often fluoridated and many people use fluoride-enriched toothpaste, it can be easy to ingest more than the safe amount.

A 2015 study from England's University of Kent found that drinking water with added fluoride can wreck your thyroid, and lead to weight gain and depression. The study found a significant correlation between rates of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and levels of fluoride in drinking water.

Researchers studied the numbers of people in England diagnosed with hypothyroidism and found that areas with fluoride levels above 0.7 milligrams per liter of water (the lowest level recommended by the CDC) had at least 30 percent more cases than areas with lower levels.

When researchers compared two areas head-to-head — one that had fluoridated drinking water (West Midlands) and one that did not (Greater Manchester), rates of hypothyroidism in the fluoridated area were twice that of the unfluoridated area.

Lead author Stephen Peckham says that authorities need to consider reducing fluoride exposure, including removing it from drinking water, and skipping fluoride treatments on teeth and switching to other methods to protect teeth.

Dr. Blaylock has warned of the dangers of fluoridated water for years, and believes it can cause a wide range of diseases. "It has been shown to be a major brain toxin, even in concentrations half of that approved for use in drinking water," he tells Newsmax Health.

"Degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s are possibly linked to drinking fluoridated water," he says.

He also warns of the possibility of cancer, behavioral problems, thyroid suppression, male infertility and impotence as examples of conditions that could be caused by fluoride.

"Most concerning is that it has been conclusively shown to increase the growth of many cancers; it is a leading cause of bone cancer in young boys," he says. "In addition, fluoride increases spontaneous fractures in women, is associated with some very rare cancers — such as cholangiosarcoma — and lowers IQ. "

It's easy to get too much fluoride, he says. "In addition to the fluoride in water, one has to add in the much higher levels from many foods and black tea. Raisins and other similar dehydrated foods have high levels.

"Also, many tissues concentrate fluoride, so over time the levels can be much higher."

Tap water is the largest source of fluoride for most people, and you can remove most of it by filtering. But not all water filters remove fluoride. Two types that remove much of the fluoride are reverse osmosis and deionizers. You can purchase spring water, which usually has low levels of fluoride, or you can buy a water distillation system which removes most of the fluoride.

In addition to filtering drinking water, Dr. Blaylock also recommends supplements that protect against the harmful effects of fluoride. They include:

Vitamin C: 1,000 milligrams twice a day
Vitamin D: 2,000 IU daily
Curcumin: 500 milligrams dissolved in two tablespoons of olive oil. Take twice a day