The decades-old controversy over fluoride in drinking water continues, with more people calling for its removal after it was linked in a new study to lower IQs in kids. A report published this week in JAMA Pediatrics showed the more fluoride kids are exposed to, the lower they tend to score on intelligence tests.
To come to that conclusion, researchers looked at the findings of dozens of studies published on the subject since 1989.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear. According to the U.S. Public Health Service, since being added to public drinking water in the 1960s, it’s reduced the average number of cavities by 44% in adults and 58% in adolescents.
Proponents of adding fluoride to water say studies linking it to lower IQ have been flawed because the data doesn’t reflect how most Americans get their drinking water.
They say many of the studies used to draw this conclusion were done in places like India and China, where natural fluoride concentrations in groundwater can soar well above the 0.7 milligrams per liter recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service.
However, critics of the practice, like President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the risk to children’s IQs is worrisome enough to end the practice entirely.
In September, a federal judge ruled the Environmental Protection Agency must strengthen its regulations on fluoride in drinking water based on the findings of the report.
