But beyond that philosophical perspective, there are also many health-related reasons why informed people might oppose fluoride.
The CDC itself is aware that mass water fluoridation is leading to a dental condition known as "dental fluorosis." In mild cases, the condition merely causes discoloration of the tooth enamel, but in more severe instances, the enamel is severely damaged. White streaks, brown stains, and pitting of the enamel are telltale signs of dental fluorosis. While the cosmetic appearance of the teeth can be restored, the damage to the enamel is sadly permanent. And in 2004, data from the CDC revealed that 41 percent of children between the ages of 12 and 15 had dental fluorosis -- a 400 percent rise from just 60 years ago.
It is almost mind-boggling how a substance that can cause so much damage to teeth is added to the water supply under the guise of dental health. Some research has also shown that fluoride can even cause bone cancer. But if that's what fluoride does to your teeth, doesn't it make you wonder what it can do to your brain?
Research shows fluoride lowers children's IQ scores
Fluoride's neurotoxic effects are nothing new; the aluminum industry's waste product has been linked to harmful neurological effects for years. But new research piloted by Dr. William Hirzy, Ph.D., a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) senior scientist who specialized in risk assessment, shows that children in the US are consuming enough of the toxic substance to noticeably reduce their IQ.
Currently, federal guidelines allow for fluoride to be added to water in amounts equivalent to no more than 0.7 milligrams per liter. But as Dr. Hirzy explains, this amount is still likely to be way too high.
“The effect of fluoride on IQ is quite large, with a predicted mean 5 IQ point loss when going from a dose of 0.5 mg/[fluoride/day to 2.0 mg [fluoride/day," he notes.
Many children consume fluoride at these levels on a daily basis, from the fluoride present in their water and other beverages, the food they eat, the toothpaste they use and the air they breathe.
According to Dr. Hirzy, the data from his team's study indicates that fluoride may not be safe in any amount.
“The significance of this peer-reviewed risk analysis is that it indicates there may be no actual safe level of exposure to fluoride," Hirzy states.
In their research, Hirzy and his team found that children with higher exposures to fluoride performed worse on IQ tests than their peers who were less exposed to the toxin. And by using two standard risk analysis techniques, both of which are used by the EPA, the team found that consuming fluoride in amounts greater than 0.05 milligrams could result in reduced intellectual capacity. This calculation was based on safety factors designed to protect even the most susceptible of children.
Another well-conducted study from China also found that children exposed to 1.4 milligrams of fluoride a day exhibited a reduction in IQ by about five points.
Comparatively, the average child in the US consumes anywhere from 0.80 milligrams to 1.64 milligrams of fluoride per day. This is well within the range to cause harm, according to both studies.
Experts feel that fluoride may be like lead and mercury, which are toxic heavy metals that have no "safe" level of exposure. Indeed, it could very well be that even the most modest amount of fluoride is harmful.
Follow more news on the dangers of fluoride at Fluoride.news.
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