Fluoride lowers the IQ of kids

 There is increasing evidence emerging from the scientific community which suggests that mass-medication in the form of water fluoridation is in fact having a serious and adverse effect on the public’s health. A recent report from the US National Research Council ¹ concluded that adverse effects of high fluoride concentrations in drinking-water may be of concern. Animal studies have shown Fluoride may cause neurotoxicity, including effects on learning and memory ^2,3. Recent experiments where the rat hippocampal neurons were incubated with various concentrations of sodium fluoride showed that fluoride neurotoxicity may target hippocampal neurons.

Fluoride readily crosses the placenta exposing the developing brain, which is much more susceptible to injury caused by toxicants than is the mature brain, may possibly lead to damage of a permanent nature ⁴

In a study conducted by Tianjin Medical University in China, a comparison in the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was measured between 60 children living in a high fluoride area and 58 children living in a low fluoride area. The IQ of the 60 children living in the high fluoride area was lower than that of the 58 children living in the low fluoride area. 21.6% of the children in the high fluoride area were retarded compared to 3.4% of retarded children living in the low fluoride area ⁵.  

In a study at Tokyo University Medical School, water fluoridation was linked to Down syndrome. The study found that - as well as the aging of mothers - the number of excess Down syndrome births caused each year by water fluoridation was estimated to be several thousand cases throughout the world ⁶.

In the most recent meta analysis of 27 eligible epidemiological studies found that children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low fluoride areas ⁷. The conclusions of the study “support the possibility of an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on children’s neurodevelopment.”

Some of the other adverse health effects of fluoride include lowered levels of collagen synthesis, depleted energy reserves and lowered immunity, irritable bowel syndrome,thyroid disorders, Skeletal fluorosis, Osteosarcoma, Osteoporosis and bone fractures as well as Alzheimer's disease.

1            NRC (National Research Council). 2006. Fluoride in drinking water: a scientific review of EPA’s standards. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC

2            Chioca LR, Raupp IM, Da Cunha C, Losso EM, Andreatini R. 2008. Subchronic fluoride intake

induces impairment in habituation and active avoidance tasks in rats. Eur J Pharmocol

579:196-201

3            Mullenix PJ, Denbesten PK, Schunior A, Kernan WJ. 1995. Neurotoxicity of sodium fluoride in rats. Neurotoxicol Terator 17:169-177.

4            U.S. EPA. 2011. EPA and HHS announce new scientific assessments and actions on fluoride/agencies working together to maintain benefits of preventing tooth decay while preventing excessive exposure

5 Lu, Y; Sun, ZR; Wu, LN; Wang, X; Lu, W; Liu SS (May 2000) “Effect of High Fluoride Water on Intelligence in Children” , Fluoride (Journal) Volume 33, No 2, pp 74 – 78.

6 Takahashi, K (May 1998) “Fluoride-Linked Down syndrome Births” , Fluoride (Journal) Volume 31, No 2, pp 61 – 73.

7            Choi AL, Sun G, Zhang Y, Grandjean P 2012. Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Environ Health Perspect :-. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104912

Your teeth, CVD and Inflammation

In a recent 8 year study published in the British Medical Journal (Cesar et al 2010) adults who brushed their teeth less than once a day were 70% more likely to suffer cardiovascular disease than those who brushed twice daily. In a subgroup analysis, poor oral hygiene was also linked to elevated C-reactive protein and fibrinogen levels indicating inflammation. The authors say their findings suggest "a possible role of poor oral hygiene in the risk of cardiovascular disease via systemic inflammation,".

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing body of scientific evidence linking dental disease, specifically periodontal disease, and cardiovascular disease through inflammation. Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and markers of low-grade inflammation have been consistently associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Periodontal disease, a chronic infection of the tissue surrounding the teeth is one of the most common chronic infections and is associated with moderate inflammation, such as raised concentrations of C reactive protein and other inflammatory biomarkers. The theory is that oral infections and the associated inflammation might add to the inflammatory burden of the individual and result in increased levels of cardiovascular risk. A little bit of extra inflammation on topic of someone who is already at risk with underlying inflammation, appears to be the straw that breaks the camels back.

The study authors suggest that periodontal disease seems to be associated with a 19% increase in the risk of future cardiovascular disease. This increase in relative risk is more prominent (44%) in people aged under 65. Interestingly the relative risk benefits of cholesterol lowering drugs is in the same order of magnitude, around 20% to 40%. Shouldn’t we recommend cleaning your teeth instead of drugs. Don’t get confused between relative risk and absolute risk. Both these process save only one life in 100, around 1% absolute risk. But tooth brushing is a lot cheaper and no negative side effects.

The message from this research is the need for good oral hygiene and that CVD is an inflammatory disease not a cholesterol imbalance.

Reference:
De Oliveira, Cesar, Richard Watt, Mark Hamer, Toothbrushing, inflammation, and risk of cardiovascular disease: results from Scottish Health Survey. BMJ 2010;340:c2451