Fluoride exposure linked to ‘detrimental effects’ on health of pregnant women, infants
Fluoride has long been used as a dental health tool as a means of preventing cavities and fighting tooth decay — but now a new meta-analysis suggests it could have "detrimental effects" on the health of pregnant women and infants.
Researchers analyzed various studies, concluding that exposure to fluoride "offers little benefit to the fetus and young infant."
Systemic fluoride exposure can have a harmful impact on bone strength, thyroid function and cognitive development, according to the findings, which were published in the Annual Review of Public Health.
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"Community-wide administration of systemic fluoride may pose an unfavorable risk–benefit ratio for the pregnant woman, fetus and infant," reads the meta-analysis.
Philippe Grandjean, a researcher on the study and professor of environmental medicine at the University of Southern Denmark, told Fox News Digital that "fluoride is toxic to early brain development."
"It is not dependent on the source of the fluoride," Grandjean. "In addition to fluoridated drinking water, we need to limit ingestion of fluoridated toothpaste, which by itself is great for dental health, but don’t swallow it."
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He recommended avoiding consumption of certain kinds of black tea – "especially those that are grown in fluoride-rich soils (e.g., East Africa and certain parts of China and India)."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear.
The review noted that with growing access to fluoride over the years, fluoride's beneficial effect is predominantly topical, citing that there is no need for widespread community fluoridation.
During an appearance last week on "The Story With Martha MacCallum." HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that "exposure to fluoride is dose-related."
"In other words, the more fluoride you get, the lower your IQ is going to be … the benefits of fluoride are topical," Kennedy added.
"It was originally thought that when we put it in the water back in the 1940s that they were systemic," he went on. "In other words, if you drank it, it would do something to your body to prevent growth of cavities. But that's not how it works."
The HHS secretary added that fluoride is associated with "with extreme losses in bone density."
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More than 200 million Americans, or about 75% of the population, currently drink fluoridated water.
"The entire benefit of it comes from topical application ... there's really no reason to have it in the water supply in this era where we have toothpaste and mouthwashes," Kennedy concluded.
Kennedy said he plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending the addition of fluoride to drinking water, the Associated Press reported.
Utah recently became the first state to pass legislation banning fluoride in public drinking water.
Governor Spencer Cox signed the bill into law last month, a move that was applauded by those supporting the "Make America Healthy Again" movement.
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Lawmakers in other states, including Ohio, South Carolina and Florida, have also submitted proposals to restrict local governments or water system operators from adding fluoride to water.