A new report from the U.S. government links higher level of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. It’s the first time a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” an acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride, AP reported.
The report, which comes from the National Toxicology Program, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, was based on an analysis of previously published research conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico that determined “drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter is consistently associated with lower IQs” in children, AP reported.
“Since fluoride is such an important topic to the public and to public health officials, it was imperative that we made every effort to get the science right,” Rick Woychik, director of the National Toxicology Program, said.
The report concluded that IQs were between 2 and 5 points lower in children who were exposed to higher levels of fluoride. The reseach didn’t provide any information about what higher levels of fluoride exposure did to adults. According to the report, about 0.6 percent of the U.S. population, or about 1.9 million people, are exposed to water systems with naturally occurring fluoride levels at 1.5 milligrams or higher.
“The findings from this report raise the questions about how these people can be protected and what makes the most sense,” Ashley Malin, a University of Florida researcher who studied the effect of higher fluoride levels in pregnant women on their children, said.
Fluoride, a mineral that naturally exists in water and soil, was discovered by scientists to help prevent cavities and strengthen teeth by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear more than 80 years ago, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Therefore, “the addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century,” AP reported.
Federal health officials have recommended a fluoridation level of 0.7 milligrams per liter of water since 2015, while the World Health Organization recommendation is 1.5. The federal government decided to lowered the level of fluoride in drinking water in 2015 from the recommended range of 1.2 five decades prior “to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids,” AP reported.
But more research raised questions regarding the neurological effects in people exposed to high levels of fluoride so the National Toxicology Program started working on a review in 2016 based on available studies to determine if new fluoride-limiting measures were needed.
“I think this (report) is crucial in our understanding” of this risk, Malin said calling the study “the most rigorously conducted report of its kind,” AP reported.
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