Canada - Fluoride phobia foolish
Fluoride phobia foolish
Mon. Aug 11 - 4:46 AM
DESPITE the sensational claims of anti-fluoride activists, Canadian children are not in danger of lowering their IQs by drinking fluoridated water.
Nor, say scientific experts who have reviewed the relevant studies around the world, are Canadians at greater risk of cancer, bone fractures or thyroid problems because of the levels of fluoride in the nation’s drinking water.
To be fair, the activists, who held a news conference Thursday in Toronto, are not making up claims that studies in places like China have found links between consuming high levels of fluoride in drinking water and lowered IQs in children. But, as Health Canada’s expert panel discussing health issues about fluoride pointed out in a report released in April, "there are significant concerns regarding the available studies, including quality, credibility, and methodological weaknesses such as the lack of control for confounding factors, the small number of subjects, and the dose of exposure."
In other words, the results of such studies must be viewed with skepticism, especially when the overwhelming body of scientific knowledge to date has suggested no such linkage.
Similarly, Health Canada’s experts say there is no credible evidence supporting claims of other serious health effects due to fluoride consumption. The Canadian Cancer Society rejects claims fluoride can cause cancer. The society prudently suggests, however, that fluoride levels be kept to the minimum required to strengthen teeth.
Fluoride consumed at levels far, far above the recommended maximum in Canada can weaken bones, but many beneficial or benign chemicals consumed daily by Canadians can be harmful if ingested at grossly-inflated levels. Under current guidelines, the amount of fluoride in Canada’s drinking water is proven to strengthen tooth enamel, reducing tooth decay.
Health Canada’s experts did recommend that the optimal level for fluoride in drinking water be lowered to 0.7 mg/L from 0.8 mg/L, but only to help reduce the incidence of a cosmetic teeth staining problem, called fluorosis.
Activists like to call water fluoridation a "60-year experiment" that has used Canadians as guinea pigs, but that long time period actually provides the strongest evidence that fluoride has worked wonders in the population. Fluoridation is backed by the World Health Organization and many nations, including Canada and the United States.
Over the decades since fluoridation was introduced, tooth decay leading to cavities – and a host of other health problems – has been markedly reduced. Concerns about fluoridation should not be dismissed, of course. Continual evaluation of the latest studies is a must. But Canadians should not be fooled by those who are using scare tactics to push an anti-fluoridation agenda. Science is firmly on fluoride’s side.
It isn't just cosmetic.
Mon. Aug 11 - 4:46 AM
DESPITE the sensational claims of anti-fluoride activists, Canadian children are not in danger of lowering their IQs by drinking fluoridated water.
Nor, say scientific experts who have reviewed the relevant studies around the world, are Canadians at greater risk of cancer, bone fractures or thyroid problems because of the levels of fluoride in the nation’s drinking water.
To be fair, the activists, who held a news conference Thursday in Toronto, are not making up claims that studies in places like China have found links between consuming high levels of fluoride in drinking water and lowered IQs in children. But, as Health Canada’s expert panel discussing health issues about fluoride pointed out in a report released in April, "there are significant concerns regarding the available studies, including quality, credibility, and methodological weaknesses such as the lack of control for confounding factors, the small number of subjects, and the dose of exposure."
In other words, the results of such studies must be viewed with skepticism, especially when the overwhelming body of scientific knowledge to date has suggested no such linkage.
Similarly, Health Canada’s experts say there is no credible evidence supporting claims of other serious health effects due to fluoride consumption. The Canadian Cancer Society rejects claims fluoride can cause cancer. The society prudently suggests, however, that fluoride levels be kept to the minimum required to strengthen teeth.
Fluoride consumed at levels far, far above the recommended maximum in Canada can weaken bones, but many beneficial or benign chemicals consumed daily by Canadians can be harmful if ingested at grossly-inflated levels. Under current guidelines, the amount of fluoride in Canada’s drinking water is proven to strengthen tooth enamel, reducing tooth decay.
Health Canada’s experts did recommend that the optimal level for fluoride in drinking water be lowered to 0.7 mg/L from 0.8 mg/L, but only to help reduce the incidence of a cosmetic teeth staining problem, called fluorosis.
Activists like to call water fluoridation a "60-year experiment" that has used Canadians as guinea pigs, but that long time period actually provides the strongest evidence that fluoride has worked wonders in the population. Fluoridation is backed by the World Health Organization and many nations, including Canada and the United States.
Over the decades since fluoridation was introduced, tooth decay leading to cavities – and a host of other health problems – has been markedly reduced. Concerns about fluoridation should not be dismissed, of course. Continual evaluation of the latest studies is a must. But Canadians should not be fooled by those who are using scare tactics to push an anti-fluoridation agenda. Science is firmly on fluoride’s side.
It isn't just cosmetic.
posted by Bill at
9:44 AM
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