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What Does the Evidence Say About Fluoride Lowering IQ?

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Summary
Nutrition label

89% Informative

New research suggests fluoride exposure might be riskier than assumed.

Fluoride has been added to our water to strengthen our tooth enamel, which helps prevent cavities.

Some scientists have criticized the methodology and interpretations of the new study.

Giz Asks experts share their thoughts on the latest study and the potential implications of this research.

Fluoride is present in toothpaste (1,0001,500 ppm), black teas ( 16 ppm ), foods like sardines and anchovies ( 24 mg/100 g), certain medications (e.g., Prozac , Lipitor) Over the past 50 years , fluoride ingestion has increased.

Public health agencies must re-evaluate fluoridation guidelines based on new evidence.

If you consume water from a public supply or private well that does not have fluoride, it’s important to practice good dental hygiene through the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste and mouthwash.

The findings of this study are likely to lead to an increase in the number of communities questioning whether to discontinue water fluoridation.

VR Score

94

Informative language

96

Neutral language

48

Article tone

semi-formal

Language

English

Language complexity

65

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

long-living

External references

12

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6704756/https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010856.pub3/fullhttps://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/711915#_i11:~:text=On%20the%20basis%20of%20the%20results%2C%20fluoride%20exposure%20through%20drinking%20water%20seems%20to%20be%20a%20good%20mean%20of%20improving%20dental%20health%20without%20negative%20effects%20on%20cognitive%20development%20for%20the%20fluoride%20levels%20considered%20in%20this%20study.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36214232/https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/assessments/noncancer/completed/fluoride#:~:text=%C2%A0There%20were%20not%20enough%20data%20to%20determine%20if%200.7%20mg/L%20of%20fluoride%20exposure%20in%20drinking%20water%20affected%20children%E2%80%99s%20IQ.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2828425https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2828430https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99688-w#:~:text=Ten%20studies%20were%20included%20on%20the%20meta%2Danalysis%2C%20which%20showed%20IQ%20impairment%20only%20for%20individuals%20under%20high%20fluoride%20exposure%20considering%20the%20World%20Health%20Organization%20criteria%2C%20without%20evidences%20of%20association%20between%20low%20levels%20and%20any%20neurological%20disorder.https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/water-fluoridation-and-cancer-risk.htmlhttps://www.cnn.com/2024/11/03/health/rfk-jr-fluoride-science/index.htmlhttps://slate.com/technology/2025/01/fluoride-childrens-iq-study-pregnancy-science.htmlhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37120936/

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