Harvard study confirms fluoride lowers childrens IQ

[Meerie]

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2012/07...ldrens-iq/

"Harvard University researchers’ review of fluoride/brain studies published this months in EHP concludes “our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children’s neurodevelopment. Future research should include detailed individual-level information on prenatal exposure, neurobehavioral performance, and covariates for adjustment.”

The stuy by Anna L. Choi, Guifan Sun, Ying Zhang, Philippe Grandjean was submited December 30, 2011 and published online July 20, 2012 in Environmental Health Perspectives, a US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ journal (here).

“The children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ than those who lived in low fluoride areas,” write Choi et al."

and later in the article:
"New York City Legislation is pending to stop fluoridation. Many communities have already stopped."

Let's hope it gets stopped everywhere!

[zenmaster]

Background: Although fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in animal models and acute fluoride poisoning causes neurotoxicity in adults, very little is known of its effects on children’s neurodevelopment.

Objective: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to investigate the effects of increased fluoride exposure and delayed neurobehavioral development.

Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Water Resources Abstracts, and TOXNET databases through 2011 for eligible studies. We also searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, as many studies on fluoride neurotoxicity have been published in Chinese journals only. In total, we identified 27 eligible epidemiological studies with high and reference exposures, endpoints of IQ scores or related cognitive function measures with means and variances for the two exposure groups. We estimated the standardized mean difference (SMD) between exposed and reference groups across all studies using random effects models. We conducted sensitivity analyses restricted to studies using the same outcome assessment and having drinking water fluoride as the only exposure. Cochran test for heterogeneity between studies, Begg’s funnel plot and Egger test to assess publication bias were performed. Meta-regressions to explore sources of variation in mean differences among the studies were conducted.

Results: The standardized weighted mean difference in IQ score between exposed and reference populations was -0.45 (95% CI -0.56 to -0.35) using a random-effects model. Thus, children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low fluoride areas. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses also indicated inverse associations, although the substantial heterogeneity did not appear to decrease.

Conclusions: The results support the possibility of an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on children’s neurodevelopment. Future research should include detailed individual-level information on prenatal exposure, neurobehavioral performance, and covariates for adjustment.

ehp link: Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

[Parsons]

Googling "Harvard Fluoride" yields not a single mainstream media outlet having a single story on this. This was published July 20th and its impossible to find the actual study online or anything about it on a news site(except maybe the newspaper for a single town in California).

Its frickin ridiculous how corrupt the media is, and this is a perfect example of how far that corruption has gone. Harvard is arguably the most high-profile educational institution in the country and when they publish a story about how fluoride is lowering our IQ's, it should make the news.

[zenmaster]

Before ppl go ape-sh!t, the study is about *high* doses of fluoride. Remember, trace amounts exist naturally. The city of Sante Fe has naturally occuring flouride at .5 ppm (for example). It should be apparent that toothpaste is much, much more of a concern than the regulated amounts in water supply (< .7 ppm). Take a look at the amounts in the study yourself - mg/L is roughly equivalent to PPM.

[Meerie]

does anyone have info if fluoride can be taken in thru the skin, when showering, for example?
Ok, maybe the additional fluoride in the tap water is not exceedingly high but I guess the problem is that it accumulates in the body over the years...
and I doubt that everyone in the US prepares their coffee or tea with bottled water.
A lot of people may drink the tap water, and not mineral water from bottles, simply because they are poor or they do not know any better.
There was another article that stated that there are plans to add fluoride to mineral water, if I can find it I will link it.

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Apparently it can be absorbed thru the skin:


http://www.healthcarealternatives.net/re...uoride.htm


http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissio...ehp-14.pdf

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Guys in the US, don't take baths then! take brief showers, to minimize exposure to the fluoride

[AnthroHeart]

You said US Meerie. They don't fluoridate water in Germany?

[Meerie]

You said US Meerie. They don't fluoridate water in Germany?

not at all! we have excellent tap water here where I live.
It is even better tested than mineral water, and it comes from a valley in Bavaria, a natural resort.
I usually only drink tap water, I seldom buy bottled water.
I have american friends visiting these days, and told them they could drink the tap water here. they were surprised, they say where they live (West Virginia) the water is heavily chlorinated.
They always have to buy water in bottles, also for preparing tea and coffee cuz theirs tastes so horrible.

[Parsons]

You said US Meerie. They don't fluoridate water in Germany?

not at all! we have excellent tap water here where I live.
It is even better tested than mineral water, and it comes from a valley in Bavaria, a natural resort.
I usually only drink tap water, I seldom buy bottled water.
I have american friends visiting these days, and told them they could drink the tap water here. they were surprised, they say where they live (West Virginia) the water is heavily chlorinated.
They always have to buy water in bottles, also for preparing tea and coffee cuz theirs tastes so horrible.

This provides us a great opportunity to compare data with your unfluoridated region vs my region(Arizona) that fluoridates water: Is everything in your shower covered in a white powdery film/caked on dusty material if you don't clean it often enough? I stopped using any kind of soap in the shower months ago, so I know it's not because of that.

The water in my area tastes vaguely metallic and stings my eyes very badly if I get any in them taking a shower.

[Meerie]

This provides us a great opportunity to compare data with your unfluoridated region vs my region(Arizona) that fluoridates water: Is everything in your shower covered in a white powdery film/caked on dusty material if you don't clean it often enough? I stopped using any kind of soap in the shower months ago, so I know it's not because of that.

The water in my area tastes vaguely metallic and stings my eyes very badly if I get any in them taking a shower.

sorry to hear that, Parsons, that sounds rather disgusting. No the water coming out of the tap is crystal clear, and no residue in the shower...

here is a link about our water:
http://www.swm.de/english/m-wasser/quality.html

[Parsons]

No residue? Wow is there a lot of something in our water

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You posted 11:11 my time, lol

[Meerie]

And you at 2:22 AM Louisville time
(or whatever time it is I see when I am not logged in. I didn't bother to change it to European time)
but then it doesn't really matter, since it is all part of the eternal NOW:
http://funnypicturesplus.com/wp-content/...me-now.jpg

[Goldenratio]

Bottled water may or may not have fluoride in it. Some bottled water is literally tap water. Check the source that your water comes from. Not sure how readily available this information will be. Yes fluoride can be absorbed through the skin when showering. Fluroide can be removed by some aluminum type filters, though this will increase the amount of aluminum in the water. I suppose one could distill water to get rid of it, not even an RO will get rid of it.

Im glad I grew up on well water.

[Conifer16]

I stopped using normal toothpaste years ago and now use
Fluoride free toothpaste. :-) and my water in Oregon is ok depending on where we are.
In keizer there is no chlorine. In Salem Right next to Keizer
There is. But if in some places you can't drink water
Because of how bad it it than we are super good
On water.

[Goldenratio]

Fluoride toothpaste isn't necessarily bad. The benefits of fluoride to tooth enamel are topical, and as such the application of laboratory grade Fluoride in toothpaste directly to the teeth is about the best way to see benefits from it. Yes, some will still get into you through the assorted soft tissues in the mouth.

The industrial waste (literally) fluoride that goes into municipal water districts on the hand is about the absolute worst way to see any benefits from it.

[Spaced]

Hmm, I was just looking into how much fluoride my city puts into it's tap water and I am happy to discover that Montreal is one of the only Canadian cities that continues to reject water fluoridation. This article compared Montreal's water to Toronto's, which has double the standard dose of fluoride. They found there's a lot more cases fluoride induced health problems in Toronto, such as a higher incidence of osteoporosis and bone cancers, and far lower sperm counts in males. It also asks whether this is why people in Toronto are so obsessed with making money whereas people in Montreal are obsessed with making love

http://www.canadafreepress.com/medical/teeth012107.htm

[Parsons]

Wow... I think I have turned the corner on fluoride after watching this amazing scientific video!