Major study shows fluoride in drinking water lowers children’s IQ…as map shows US neighborhoods at risk

Drinking water treated with fluoride can lower children’s IQ, according to a large-scale study that builds on a growing body of research.

The new study looked at 74 other studies that examined how the mineral affects children’s brain development.

A strong link was found between higher levels of fluoride in tap water and lower IQ scores: for every small increase in fluoride in children’s urine, there was a decrease of 1.63 IQ points.

The researchers said that while this may seem like a relatively small drop in IQ, “research on other neurotoxicants has shown that subtle shifts in IQ at the population level can affect people who fall within the high and low ranges of the population IQ distribution.” ‘

They continue: ‘For context, a five-point drop in a population’s IQ would almost double the number of people classified as intellectually disabled.’

It comes after a US government report found that hundreds of thousands of American children are drinking tap water, potentially lowering their IQ.

Robert F Kennedy Junior, who has been nominated to head the Health and Human Services (HHS), has indicated that he plans to remove fluoride from America’s drinking water because of these concerns. But there is debate about whether the risks outweigh the benefits.

Fluoride has been added to America’s water supply for decades to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities — in what has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.

Estimates suggest that fluoridation saves $6.5 billion in dental treatment costs each year and reduces the occurrence of cavities by as much as 25 percent – ​​according to the CDC.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says fluoride levels in water should not exceed 4 mg/L, warning that higher levels increase the risk of skeletal fluorosis or skeletal deformities.

However, in the last few years, more and more research has emerged showing that water fluoridation can have a number of cripplingly dangerous side effects, especially on children’s brains.

In the new meta-analysis, researchers led by Kyla Taylor of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reviewed 74 studies from around the world on the link between fluoride and IQ.

The studies took place in China, Canada, Denmark, India, Iran, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Spain and Taiwan.

In one study from Mexico, children’s IQ scores dropped as much as 7.22 after exposure to fluoride.

Based on the findings, the authors say this risk should not be ignored, and that more research into fluoride’s impact on the developing brain is warranted.

The researchers note that water and water-based beverages are the main source of systemic fluoride intake.

They also emphasize that there are areas in the US where amounts exceed recommendations.

They write: ‘It should be noted that there are regions in the United States where community water systems and private wells contain natural fluoride concentrations greater than 1.5 mg/L120, serving over 2.9 million US residents.

‘In addition, the US Geological Survey estimates that 172,000 US residents are served by domestic wells that exceed the EPA’s enforceable standard of 4.0 mg/l fluoride in drinking water, and that 522,000 residents are served by domestic wells that exceed the unenforceable standard of EPA of 2.0 exceed. mg/L fluoride in drinking water.’

To reduce the risk of moderate to severe dental fluorosis, the CDC recommends that parents use an alternative water source for children eight years of age or younger and for bottle-fed infants if their primary drinking water contains more than 2 mg/L of fluoride. .

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that water and processed beverages (for example, soda and juices) account for approximately 75 percent of a person’s fluoride intake, and the EPA estimates that 40 to 70 percent of a person’s fluoride intake. the intake comes from fluoridated drinking water.

However, an individual’s total exposure also reflects contributions of fluoride from other sources, such as food, dental products, industrial emissions and pharmaceuticals.

A 2006 report from the National Research Council (NRC) concluded that high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water could be of concern for neurotoxic effects.

And since then, studies have looked at how fluoride exposure can affect brain development.

The findings come just weeks after a top doctor urged pregnant and breastfeeding women not to drink tap water containing fluoride because the mineral could damage the fetus’ brain.

Dr. Michael Greger, author of the How Not To Die series, said that even parents who give their children formula should avoid mixing it with water treated with fluoride, which he called a “putative developmental neurotoxin.”

Speaking to DailyMail.com, he said: ‘Pregnant women, lactating women and women with babies who are fed water mixed with infant formula should try their best to use unfluoridated water.’

His comments came days after a federal judge warned that fluoride, added to water systems to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities, posed an “unreasonable risk” to children’s brains.

And just a month after a 320-page government report found that high levels of fluoride could cause children’s IQs to drop by as much as five points.

Experts say that when someone drinks water containing fluoride, the chemical enters the bloodstream and can then travel to the brain.

Hypotheses suggest that fluoride could disrupt the brain during development, leading to children having lower IQs.

It is also possible that it crosses the placental barrier and reaches a fetus, where it can also disrupt brain development.

Additionally, experts say it is possible for the fluoride to enter breast milk and be transmitted to a baby.

Dr. Greger said it’s also possible that fluoride affects brain health in adults, but more studies are needed to determine this.