Towven.com – On Saturday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. entered yet another scientific controversy by stating that if Donald Trump wins Tuesday’s presidential election, his administration would recommend that fluoride be eliminated from the nation’s water systems.
The Trump White House will recommend that all water utilities in the United States remove fluoride from their public water on January 20.
Kennedy, a previous independent presidential candidate, posted on social media that fluoride is an industrial waste linked to thyroid disease, arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ decline, and neurodevelopmental issues.
Prior to entering politics, Kennedy practiced environmental law. Trump has indicated that he will be in charge of a health portfolio in his new administration.
Trump said Kennedy would “have a big role in health care” and have “some views that I happen to agree with very strongly” during a rally in Michigan on Friday.
What is fluoride?
Naturally occurring fluoride can be found in rocks, water, and some foods. The CDC states that the mineral may also be a byproduct of some industry.
Why is fluoride a contentious topic?
Due to a potential concern that elevated fluoride levels could impair children’s cognitive development, a federal judge in September mandated that the US Environmental Protection Agency take further steps to control fluoride in drinking water.
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Although it’s unclear if the amount of fluoride often added to water is lowering children’s IQ, US District Judge Edward Chen decided that there is enough risk to justify an investigation and that the EPA must take further steps to regulate it.
The EPA is presently examining the ruling, which did not specify what steps the agency must take. Experts also concur that further research is necessary to fully understand the effects of fluoride, not just on young children but also on the entire public, despite the politics of the topic.
“Protecting vulnerable populations from environmental toxicants is a nonpartisan matter that should remain informed by the current state of the science,” Dr. Ashley Malin, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professions, told CNN via email.
“I believe that the health effects of fluoride on young children, especially in the area of neurodevelopment, have been well examined to the point that it is now known that there is a risk to a child’s IQ.
However, given the paucity of existing research, I would contend that additional studies are required to fully comprehend the effects of long-term low-level fluoride exposure on adult health outcomes, Malin stated.
What is known about the effect of fluoride on IQ
According to a federal analysis released in August by the National Institutes of Health’s National Toxicology Program, children with greater fluoride levels have lower IQs.
The program’s conclusion was based on research showing fluoride levels in drinking water that were roughly double the US approved limit.
“The evidence of an association between fluoride exposure below 1.5 mg/L and lower IQ in children appeared less consistent than results of studies at higher exposure levels,” the review added, noting that exposure levels at lower levels were less conclusive.
Higher amounts of fluoride exposure during pregnancy have also been linked in the past to IQ decreases in offspring.
According to a 2019 study on Canadian moms and kids, male IQ decreased by 4.5 points for every additional milligram per liter of fluoride in a mother’s urine.
The study did not investigate why boys were more significantly impacted or discover such a strong correlation in female children.
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Our understanding of fluoride’s effects on health
Fluoridating community water is a cost-effective strategy to enhance oral health among Americans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Skeletal fluorosis, which is uncommon in the US and causes weaker bones and joint discomfort, can be brought on by years of exposure to fluoride levels beyond the public health advised level.
Dental fluorosis, a cosmetic condition caused by too much fluoride, can result in white dots or lines on the tooth’s outer enamel layer.
According to the American Cancer Society and the CDC, recent studies looking into the relationship between fluoride levels and cancer have not discovered any.
