In May 2023, the U.S. Government’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) released a 6 year scientific review of fluoride and IQ. The Review contained a monograph and a meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found lower IQ with fluoride exposure, demonstrating remarkable consistency. Of the 19 studies rated higher quality, 18 found lowering of IQ.
The
NTP authors said: “We have no basis on which to state that our findings
are not relevant to some children or pregnant women in the United
States” and that “Several of the highest quality studies showing lower
IQs in children were done in fluoridated (0.7 mg/L) areas…many urinary
fluoride measurements exceed those that would be expected from consuming
water that contains fluoride at 1.5 mg/L.”
In New Zealand water
is fluoridated at a higher level than in the U.S. and Canada. The
maximum for fluoridation in those countries is 0.7 ppm (i.e. 0.7 mg/L).
The New Zealand Ministry of Health recommends that water be fluoridated
in a range between 0.7 and 1ppm. Most councils aim for the median of
0.85ppm but testing results from councils around the country has found
that many of them are often fluoridating above 0.85ppm. This is a
significant increase compared with the North American countries and
therefore we can expect that the loss of IQ in New Zealand children is
likely to be worse.
The evidence is growing stronger. Even since the NTP review was originally completed, there have been more U.S. Government funded studies published which have found harm to the developing brain.
The NTP goes on to say “Research on other neurotoxicants has shown that subtle shifts in IQ at the population level can have a profound impact on the number of people who fall within the high and low ranges of the population’s IQ distribution. For example a 5-point decrease in a population’s IQ would nearly double the number of people classified as intellectually disabled.
This means that every year in New Zealand thousands of babies have their brain development impaired directly as a result of fluoridation
