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https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/aug/23/fluoride-water-study>
"A US government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in
drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in
children.
The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the
first time a federal agency has determined – “with moderate confidence” – that
there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in
children. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of
fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a
potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost
during normal wear and tear, according to the US Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). 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.
“I think this [report] is crucial in our understanding” of this risk, said
Ashley Malin, a University of Florida researcher who has studied the effect of
higher fluoride levels in pregnant women on their children. She called it the
most rigorously conducted report of its kind.
The long-awaited report released this week comes from the National Toxicology
Program, part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It
summarizes a review of studies, conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran,
Pakistan and Mexico, and concludes that drinking water containing more than 1.5
milligrams of fluoride per liter is consistently associated with lower IQs in
kids.
The report did not try to quantify exactly how many IQ points might be lost at
different levels of fluoride exposure. But some of the studies reviewed in the
report suggested IQ was two to five points lower in children who had had higher
exposures.
Since 2015, federal health officials have recommended a fluoridation level of
0.7 milligrams per liter of water, and for five decades before the recommended
upper range was 1.2. The World Health Organization has set a safe limit for
fluoride in drinking water of 1.5.
The report said that about 0.6% of the US population – about 1.9 million people
– are on water systems with naturally occurring fluoride levels of 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,” Malin said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
