The debate about the benefits and dangers of fluoride continues, as RFK Jr. — President Trump’s pick for HHS secretary — pushes to remove it from the US water supply.
“Fluoride is an industrial waste linked to arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid disease,” RFK wrote in a post on X in November.
A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics on January 6 found another correlation between fluoride exposure and children’s IQs.
Study co-author Kyla Taylor, PhD, who is based in North Carolina, noted that fluoridated water has been used “for decades” to reduce cavities and improve oral health.
“However, there is concern that pregnant women and children are getting fluoride from many sources, including drinking water, water-enhanced foods and drinks, teas, toothpastes, floss and mouthwash, and that their total exposure to fluoride is too high and can affect the fetus. , the neurodevelopment of infants and children,” she told Fox News Digital.
The new research, led by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, analyzed 74 epidemiological studies on children’s IQ and fluoride exposure.
The studies measured fluoride in drinking water and urine in 10 countries, including Canada, China, Denmark, India, Iran, Mexico, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. (None performed in USA)
The meta-analysis found a “statistically significant association” between higher fluoride exposure and children’s lower IQ scores, according to Taylor.
“[It showed] “The more fluoride a child is exposed to, the more likely that child’s IQ will be lower than if they weren’t exposed,” she said.
These results were consistent with six previous meta-analyses, all of which reported the same “statistically significant inverse associations” between fluoride exposure and children’s IQs, Taylor pointed out.
The research found that for every 1 mg/L increase in urinary fluoride, there was a 1.63 point drop in IQ.
The World Health Organization has set 1.5 mg/L as the “safe upper limit” of fluoride in drinking water.
Meanwhile, the US Public Health Service recommends a fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L in drinking water.
“There was insufficient data to determine whether 0.7 mg/L of fluoride exposure in drinking water affected children’s IQ,” noted Taylor.
Higher levels of the chemical can be found in wells and community water that serves nearly three million people in the US, the researcher noted.
She encouraged pregnant women and parents of young children to be mindful of their total fluoride intake.
“If their water is fluoridated, they may want to replace tap water with low-fluoride bottled water, such as purified water, and limit exposure from other sources, such as dental products or black tea,” she said.
“Parents can use low-fluoride bottled water to mix with powdered baby formula and limit the use of fluoridated toothpaste by young children.
While the research was not intended to address the broader public health implications of water fluoridation in the US, Taylor suggested that the findings could help inform future research on the impact of fluoride on children’s health.
In response to this study and other previous research, Dr. Ellie Phillips, DDS, an oral health educator based in Austin, Texas, told Fox News Digital that she does not support water fluoridation.
“I join those who strongly oppose public water fluoridation and question why our water supplies are still fluoridated in the 21st century,” she wrote in an email.
“There are non-fluoridated cities and towns where the public enjoys high levels of oral health, which in some cases appear to be better than those that are fluoridated.”
Phillips called the fluoride debate “confusing” even among dentists, since the American Dental Association advocates the use of fluoride for cavity prevention through fluoridation of water, toothpaste and mouthwash — “sometimes in high concentrations.”
“[But] Biological (holistic) dentists generally encourage their patients to fear fluoride and avoid its use altogether, even if their teeth have been destroyed by decay,” she said.
Phillips encouraged the public to consider the different compounds of fluoride, the effect of different concentrations and the “extreme difference” between applying fluoride topically and ingesting it.
“Topical fluoride is beneficial, but systemic consumption poses risks,” she warned.
“Individuals must take responsibility for their oral health using natural and informed strategies.”
The study received funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Intramural Research Program.
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