By now, the evidence had become impossible to ignore. More than 75 human studies have examined the relationship between early-life fluoride exposure and IQ scores. Most—though not all—found an inverse association.
I’m sure I don’t actually know anything more about this than you do.
But it does seem I go to different information sources. When I look at your source FAN, I was not impressed, and have arrived at different conclusions - I’ll continue buying the fluoridated toothpaste, especially since we live off our well water, and it’s meager treatment system which does not add fluoride.
Besides I know all about know-nothings attacking serious science with empty, but oh so tastily emotional rhetoric - gets the sheople in our nation every time it seems. What ever happened to love of education, critical thinking and honest constructive debate?
For starters to be clear, about who’s being exposed to high levels of fluoride, and why:
According to the NTP report, about 0.6% of the U.S. population — approximately 1.9 million people — are on water systems with naturally occurring fluoride levels of 1.5 milligrams per liter or higher. It’s important enough that I’ll repeat it: These high levels are naturally occurring and not the result of artificial water fluoridation programs. So let’s make this crystal clear: This study does not provide evidence against current community water fluoridation practices.
Of particular concern in these drafts was a hazard assessment in which the authors state that fluoride is “presumed to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans,” regardless of exposure level. This assessment was later removed after the peer review committee found that the report fell short of providing a clear and convincing argument to support this claim.
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ADA (American Dental Association) reaffirms support for community water fluoridation
The long-awaited report, which follows two previous drafts in 2019 and 2020, summarizes the available literature about a possible relationship between fluoride exposure, neurodevelopmental and cognitive health and IQ. The report’s authors acknowledge the findings are limited to fluoride exposures that are more than double (≥1.5 mg/L) what the CDC recommends for community water fluoridation (0.7 mg/L).
Dr. Kumar added that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine panel previously raised concerns such as inconsistent application of risk of bias criteria, inadequate statistical rigor and selective reporting of non-significant study results, all of which persist in the latest report.
For more information on community water fluoridation and ADA advocacy, visit ADA.org/fluoride.
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Next we might ask, who is this Fluoride Action Network?
An so on and so forth.
Not sure that was ever supported by corporate interests, but anyway. My first reaction was to “75 studies”, a number, not a percent of all studies. Then, if you check those, which almost no one does, you will likely find that 74 of the studies reference the data from one study, so the number is meaningless.
How to do your own research:
I’m got humbled a long time ago, by realizing the difference between fact-checking, doing homework, and doing research. I’m too lazy, chaotic, and easily distracted for serious research, so I focus on homework and fact checking that’s within my skill set.
Oh and it’s not like established science is ignoring the fluoride issue.
Oh and go figure, it’s more complicated than we are lead to believe.
A 2006 report from the National Research Council (NRC) concluded that high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water may be of concern for neurotoxic effects.5 This finding was largely based on studies from endemic fluorosis areas in China that had limitations in study design or methods. …. (source)
Application
An association indicates a connection between fluoride and lower IQ; it does not prove a cause and effect. Many substances are healthy and beneficial when taken in small doses but may cause harm at high doses. More research is needed to better understand if there are health risks associated with low fluoride exposures. This NTP monograph may provide important information to regulatory agencies that set standards for the safe use of fluoride. It does not, and was not intended to, assess the benefits of fluoride.
Something like this:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2828425
Results Of 74 studies included (64 cross-sectional and 10 cohort studies), most were conducted in China (n = 45); other locations included Canada (n = 3), Denmark (n = 1), India (n = 12), Iran (n = 4), Mexico (n = 4), New Zealand (n = 1), Pakistan (n = 2), Spain (n = 1), and Taiwan (n = 1). Fifty-two studies were rated high risk of bias and 22 were rated low risk of bias. Sixty-four studies reported inverse associations between fluoride exposure measures and children’s IQ.Analysis of 59 studies with group-level measures of fluoride in drinking water, dental fluorosis, or other measures of fluoride exposure (47 high risk of bias, 12 low risk of bias; n = 20 932 children) showed an inverse association between fluoride exposure and IQ (pooled SMD, −0.45; 95% CI, −0.57 to −0.33; P < .001).
In 31 studies reporting fluoride measured in drinking water, a dose-response association was found between exposed and reference groups (SMD, −0.15; 95% CI, −0.20 to −0.11; P < .001), and associations remained inverse when exposed groups were restricted to less than 4 mg/L and less than 2 mg/L; however, the association was null at less than 1.5 mg/L. …
It’s nice to know the scientists are working on it. Worth noting is that fluoride added to drinking water is kept at or below 0.7mg/L.
So to be clear scientists are not saying fluoride is totally safe. They are saying it is safe when used within the regulated limits.
Plus they continue to study the problem, and sure it is a problem, but then our society is rather casual about what it adds to air and water, when it’s economically convenient, that is likewise a problem impacting kids health worth more attention that it gets.
Hmmm, at least I don’t see lots of claims about autism, which I thought was being waved around back in da day, simply that high concentration’s are correlated with lower IQ scores.
And from a precautionary principle policy most of the west European countries have rejected water fluoridation including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.
"You will likely find "
How unscientific.
At least you recognized that. It doesn’t make your 75 studies any more worth my time.
By comparison, much better review of the landscape, including the IQ studies and Europe
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your pseudo intellectual ****”. Its not worthy of my time