On this interview, Paul Connett, Ph.D., cofounder of and scientific adviser for the Fluoride Motion Community (FAN), gives an annual standing replace for 2022. As long-time readers of this article will know, we have supported and promoted FAN for over a decade.
Fluoride is likely one of the many pointless boundaries to optimum well being, and we have been preventing all this time to teach individuals in regards to the dangers of fluoridated water, and to finish water fluoridation as soon as and for all. Throughout Fluoride Consciousness Week, I’ll match your donations greenback for greenback, so please take into account making a tax-deductible donation right this moment.
Fluoride Lowers IQ
Based on Connett, the science was conclusively resolved in 2017, when the primary of the Nationwide Institute of Environmental Well being Science (NIEHS)-funded research got here out. This examine, the so-called Bashash examine,1 confirmed what many earlier investigations had proven, specifically that ingesting fluoridated water lowers IQ in kids.
“It was a really placing examine,” Connett says. “It was a really, excellent examine. It needed to be, to get NIEHS funding. It was based mostly on particular person measurements of publicity in pregnant girls, and particular person measurements of consequence.
They measured the fluoride ranges of their urine, 3 times, as soon as in every trimester. Urine stage is an excellent measure as a result of it provides you a measure of whole publicity, whether or not it comes from toothpaste, water or meals.
They discovered a powerful affiliation between the pregnant lady’s publicity to fluoride and lowered IQ in kids, and so they’d taken care of dozens of confounding variables. It was 4 to 5 IQ factors for a 1-milligram per liter improve of fluoride.
In truth, the vary for that 4 to 5 IQ level reducing was the identical vary that you just get for pregnant girls in america when it comes to fluoride ranges. So, that was essentially the most placing factor. The common stage of their urine was 0.87 elements per milligram (i.e., 0.87 milligrams per liter).”
Kids’s IQ Is Being Decimated
Whereas on the subject of IQ, there’s now proof suggesting that pandemic measures akin to masks carrying and isolation have triggered a median 22-point drop in IQ amongst infants born in the course of the pandemic.2 Usually, solely 16% of kids are born with an IQ decrease than 85. Most are between 85 and 115. In the course of the pandemic years, virtually all of the infants they examined scored under 85, scoring a median of simply 78!
A four- to five-point loss for each 1-mg per liter improve in fluoride in moms’ urine was surprising, so that actually says one thing in regards to the hurt these countermeasures have accomplished. Compound that with fluoridated water, and a few kids may very well be taking a look at a 27-point loss in IQ, which is just staggering. That is principally the distinction of going from the extent of genius to common, or from common to imbecile.
The pandemic restrictions have been clearly an aberration, though it is not unattainable that they’re going to attempt to implement them once more sooner or later. But when we low cost the influence they’ve had, fluoride tops the checklist of environmental components that rob kids of intelligence, and has been doing so for the final 75 years. Connett notes:
“Chris Neurath, our science director, estimates that extra IQ factors are being misplaced in America from fluoride than brought on by every other issue, together with untimely start and publicity to steer. Fluoride, right this moment, is inflicting extra lack of IQ factors than lead.”
When the Bashash examine was revealed, Connett thought the combat was over. However he was fallacious. Water fluoridation continued unabated in lots of locations. Just a few years later, a Canadian examine got here out (Until, 2020), displaying the IQ distinction between kids who have been bottle-fed in a fluoridated neighborhood, in comparison with those that have been bottle-fed in a non-fluoridated neighborhood was 9 factors.
Bureaucratic Inertia and Revenue Motives Put Kids at Threat
So, the science3 displaying water fluoridation is hurting our youngsters is there. As famous by Connett, what we have been doing for the final a number of many years is to attempt to push again the political forces that refuse to confess the error and cease their endorsement of water fluoridation.
“One of many shocks I’ve had, over the previous few years, since 2017, is to find that there actually are individuals on the market who imagine a small profit to tooth, if it exists, truly warrants this threat to the mind,” Connett says. “[They believe] that lowering tooth decay is extra vital than defending kids’s brains.
And sadly, it contains the U.S. surgeon normal. It contains essentially the most highly effective individuals in public well being in England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, america and Eire.
When individuals ask me, ‘Why do they fluoridate the water? Why do they take these dangers with a purpose to scale back tooth decay?’ I’ve needed to say, ‘Properly, you’re asking me to provide you with a rational clarification for irrational conduct.’ It is simply not rational … there is not any scientific clarification for this apply.
The one factor I can provide you with is … cash … All the foremost universities in america are benefiting from authorities cash subsidizing dental analysis. And in the event you say that fluoridation is one of the best factor since sliced bread, this cash retains rolling in.
Clearly, there’s additionally some huge cash going into the phosphate fertilizer {industry}, the place the fluoridated chemical compounds come from. As an alternative of treating [fluoride] as hazardous waste, it is put in our ingesting water. In order that’s one other ‘rational’ clarification, in the event you like, as to why it is occurring. However the almost certainly [reason], from my standpoint, is official inertia.”
The primary municipality to institute water fluoridation was Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1945,4 nevertheless it wasn’t till 1950 that the U.S. Public Well being Service and the American Dental Affiliation endorsed it.5 This occurred earlier than any of the trials — which have been alleged to be ongoing for not less than 10 years — had been accomplished. For a lot of many years since then little effort has been made to analysis fluoride’s dangerous results.
This modified in 2017 with the NIEHS Nationwide Institute of Environmental Well being Sciences-funded IQ research. Nonetheless, even now, the individuals accountable for this coverage haven’t been prepared to confess they have been fallacious in selling this apply for concern of shedding credibility. It might be that in the event that they have been to confess that fluoridation was a mistake, the general public would not belief them on different public well being practices.
Sadly, over time, it has solely turn into harder to confess the error. Who needs to confess authorities has been harming kids’s well being for greater than 75 years with out ever altering course? Private careers might not be at stake, however the credibility of the company is. Lack of public belief in our well being businesses may additionally have an effect on individuals’s belief in different public well being measures, together with childhood vaccinations, which they need to keep away from in any respect prices.
Warnings Are Not Being Put Out
Now that we all know there is not any safety for fetuses — that any fluoride a pregnant lady consumes goes into her growing little one, together with its mind — pregnant girls must be advised to cease ingesting fluoridated water and utilizing fluoridated toothpaste, not less than whereas they’re pregnant and probably for a while earlier than. However these warnings will not be going out. Connett says:
“We begged the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, saying, ‘We all know it may take you time to cease your assist of this coverage, however not less than warn pregnant girls to keep away from fluoridated water and inform dad and mom who bottle feed their infants to not use fluoridated water.’
However they will not do it. We wrote a number of letters to the top of the CDC, after which we requested them to hearken to consultants. We acquired consultants of a few of these IQ research.
Philippe Grandjean, Bruce Lanphear and Christine Until gave a 30-minute presentation to Dr. Karen Hacker on the CDC. This was all personal, nobody was watching besides us, and so they had no questions in any way … however they proceed to advertise fluoridation as one of the best factor since sliced bread.
In truth, they’re planning proper now to extend the variety of individuals probably getting fluoridated water by 19 million, as a result of they’re developed a pill system, just like the tablets you set into urinals, huge tablets of sodium fluoride, and these are injected [into the water supply] via a plastic tube. It is a very low-cost supply system, which is appropriate for small communities.
So, 19 million individuals who have been residing in rural areas, who’ve been protected as a result of it was too costly to place in all the same old tools, now have the fantastic advantages of those fluoride tablets. And the promotion of this new supply system is occurring on the similar time that the science is popping out [showing it’s] reducing the IQ of kids and rising signs of ADHD.”
EPA Has a Obligation to Finish Water Fluoridation
In 2016, FAN filed a petition beneath the Poisonous Substances and Management Act (TSCA) with the Environmental Safety Company (EPA), based totally on Chinese language research displaying fluoride harms the mind, urging them to finish water fluoridation. Beneath the TSCA, the EPA is required to ban makes use of of chemical compounds proven to pose an unreasonable threat to the well being of the American individuals, together with susceptible subsets.
“Dr. Philippe Grandjean did a threat evaluation utilizing the Canadian examine and the Mexico Metropolis examine — the Bashash6 and Inexperienced7 research — and estimates the extent of fluoride in moms’ urine related to a one-point IQ loss in offspring is 0.2 ppm. The common in america is about 0.8 to 0.9 elements per million in a fluoridated neighborhood.
0.7 ppm is the advisable stage to place within the water. I am speaking in regards to the stage in a mom’s urine, which is roughly the identical stage. In Canada, they measured it as 0.91 ppm. So, if 0.2 ppm lowers IQ by one level, 0.8 ppm would decrease the IQ by 4 IQ factors; 0.9 ppm would decrease it by 4.5 IQ factors. The connection is linear.”
Replace on FAN’s Lawsuit Towards the EPA
When the EPA rejected FAN’s petition, FAN filed a lawsuit in opposition to them. The trial started in June 2020. Main consultants and scientists testified on FAN’s behalf. The EPA, in the meantime, used consultants from Exponent, a consulting firm that does the soiled work for Dow, DuPont and different chemical corporations. They’ve defended dioxins, PCBs and RoundUp, simply to call a number of.
“They tried to point out, in court docket, that none of these issues are dangerous. It is all in our creativeness. And so they tried to do the identical with fluoride, however the choose on the finish was clearly impressed with the proof … The opposite placing factor within the trial is that these industry-friendly consultants, Exponent Inc., admitted that the research we have been citing … have been one of the best research performed up to now.
And so, he mentioned, ‘I need to see three issues. I need to see this BMD evaluation revealed’ — that was by Philippe Grandjean, and it is since been revealed; 0.2 ppm in moms’ urine [results in the] lack of one IQ level — ‘I need to see the Nationwide Toxicology Program’s (NTP) last report, and I need to see if there are every other research which have taken place, which contradict what we have heard.’
Properly, he is acquired the BMD evaluation from Grandjean, however we’re nonetheless ready for the Nationwide Toxicology Program to finalize [its report]. And that is the ultimate act of politics versus science in the entire fluoridation fiasco. For 70 years, they actually have not had respectable science demonstrating advantages and positively not respectable science displaying it was protected.
They’ve averted the research displaying hurt. Lastly, we have these research. That is the ultimate act, however clearly one thing is delaying that NTP report, and we predict it is the darkish forces behind fluoridation, the dental foyer and the opposite individuals with maybe financial curiosity who can’t bear to see this apply go.
For them, defending this coverage is extra vital than defending the well being of our individuals, and that is a scary factor. When coverage is king, science is a slave, and that is what we’re seeing.”
Are We Witnessing the Battle of Two Companies?
The unhappy truth is, many if not most of our public well being businesses and regulatory our bodies are fully captured by the {industry}, which is why public well being now comes final.
Connett’s spouse is at the moment researching the position of the Nationwide Institute of Dental and Cranial Facial Analysis (NIDCR) within the fluoridation program. This company got here into existence in 1948, on the again of the water fluoridation program. As such, it grew to become the conduit for dental analysis on the taxpayer’s dime, and a whole lot of that cash was siphoned into fluoridation.
“Fluoridation was the justification for the gravy practice,” Connett explains. “My spouse has been going into that gravy practice and I’ve a hunch that what we’re taking a look at proper now’s the battle between two businesses: the NIEHS, which is worried about fluoride’s neurotoxicity, and the NIDCR, which doesn’t need to see fluoridation go down the tubes.”
The excellent news is that, since we began over twenty years in the past, highly-respected high consultants in neurotoxicity at the moment are concerned within the analysis on fluoride, and extra are becoming a member of in to have a look at the toxicity of fluoride on varied tissues. New research are popping out on a regular basis. Greater than 20 have been revealed on fluoride and IQ since 2017.
And, even when the EPA finally ends up dragging its heels for years on the subject of implementation on the federal stage, a optimistic ruling would make it far simpler to finish water fluoridation on the state stage.
How one can Keep away from Fluoride Publicity
Within the meantime, how will you keep away from fluoride publicity? Connett responds:
“I will let you know what we do. We get our water from an area spring. And also you do have corporations that ship spring water to your family. For those who can afford it, that’s one of the best ways. When you have it accomplished by an organization that does that, they may let you know the way it’s examined and you can be safe realizing that you just’re not ingesting fluoride.
I believe that is the only greatest funding. Get non-fluoridated spring water, and use that for cooking, tea, espresso, et cetera, and ingesting. The opposite factor you are able to do is, clearly, keep away from fluoridated toothpaste.
Keep away from mechanically deboned meat — patties, the place they mince up the meat utilizing a machine — as a result of fluoride accumulates in animal bone, in order that’s the place you are going to get fluoride from. If you are going to eat meat, eat complete steaks, complete chickens or no matter, not minced up. Keep away from floor meat.
The opposite factor is fish. Tinned fish, pilchards, sardines, salmon, the bones in these tinned fish are usually very comfortable [and contain loads of fluoride]. Within the sea, [natural fluoride] is 1.4 ppm, elements per million, so the fish [bones contain it].
For 20-odd years I have been making an attempt to inform individuals the fluoride ion is the poisonous factor … There’s nothing protected about pure fluoride. The one factor about pure fluoride is whenever you get it, you often get a whole lot of different minerals as effectively, together with magnesium and calcium, and so they in flip may be protecting in opposition to fluoride.
So, in the event you get 1 ppm fluoride however you get 100 ppm of calcium or magnesium, that can assist defend you in opposition to that fluoride ion being taken up.”
If you wish to get your fluoride stage examined, simply lookup labs that measure fluoride in water. They may have the ability to offer you that check, and it is sometimes fairly cheap. When you have fluoridated water, bear in mind that it’s extremely troublesome to filter out. Low-cost carbon filters will not do it. You want both reverse osmosis or distillation tools to get it out, which is why NOT including fluoride within the first place actually is one of the best resolution.
What’s Subsequent With the EPA Lawsuit?
For now, we’re ready for the NTP report to come back out. As soon as revealed, FAN will return to the court docket. At that time, the choose will need to hear skilled analyses of the report from either side.
“He’ll learn it, however he’ll need consultants from either side to persuade him that the NTP is saying what we predict it says — that one of the best research present that fluoride lowers IQ …
The NTP has had two draft critiques, and in these draft critiques, they discovered — in keeping with Chris Neurath who analyzed them — 27 research which they labeled as top quality, which means low threat of bias … and of these 27 top quality research, 25 discovered a reducing of IQ and two didn’t. So, 25 out of 27.
Of these 25, 11 have been accomplished at lower than 0.7 ppm or equal to 0.7 ppm. That is the extent at which we fluoridate … and nearly all of the high-quality research … discovered a reducing of IQ at lower than 1.5 ppm. And 1.5 ppm is what the EPA considers to be related, so far as any examine pertaining to water fluoridation.
Bear in mind, you have to cope with issues like margin of security, and if IQ is lowered at 1.5 ppm, there isn’t any margin of security to guard kids ingesting 0.7 ppm, as a result of some may drink twice as a lot water as different kids. They might be getting the equal of 1.5 ppm when it comes to dose. Then, you have acquired the vary of vulnerability of these kids.
So, lower than 1.5 ppm fluoridation must finish if it lowered IQ. That is in the event you lived in a world which was rational and during which science had an opportunity of really functioning within the regulatory our bodies. However most of them are captured by {industry}. The CDC is captured by the drug {industry}, the EPA is captured by the chemical {industry}, the FDA, till lately, [by] the mercury individuals [and the drug industry].”
