Fluoride May Slightly Lower Children's IQ

Key Findings

• A new U.S. government report suggests that high levels of fluoride in drinking water may slightly decrease intelligence in children.
• The report found that children exposed to high levels of fluoride had IQ scores of 2 to 5 points lower than children exposed to lower levels of fluoride.
• The report concludes that drinking water with fluoride at twice the recommended limit may be linked with lower IQ in children.

Details

The report, conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), reviewed over 100 studies on the effects of fluoride on children's intelligence. The NTP found that some of the studies suggested that children who had higher exposures to fluoride had lower IQ scores. However, the NTP also found that other studies did not find any link between fluoride exposure and IQ.

The NTP concluded that the evidence is inconclusive but suggests that there may be a small decrease in IQ associated with higher levels of fluoride exposure in children. The NTP recommended that more research be conducted to confirm the findings.

Implications

The NTP's findings raise concerns about the safety of fluoridated drinking water. Fluoride is added to drinking water in many countries to help prevent tooth decay. However, the new report suggests that fluoride may have other, negative health effects.

The NTP's findings are not definitive, but they do raise concerns about the safety of fluoridated drinking water. More research is needed to confirm the findings and to determine the potential risks of fluoride exposure.