The new fluoride study dividing the public health world as RFK Jr. calls for a ban on adding it to water

A new study has found a clear relationship between high fluoride exposure and decreased I.Q. in children. The findings, published this week in JAMA Pediatrics, add fuel to the ongoing national debate around whether or not fluoride should be banned from U.S. drinking water—a discussion most recently pushed by Donald Trump’s highly contested health secretary […]

A Larger Category Than Political Allegiance

handful of weeks ago it seemed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Michael Pollan—two men whose work I appreciate—might meaningfully connect. And as both are among the most well-known critics of Big Food and Big Ag, and as Big Food and Big Ag are greatly harming human beings, plants and animals, and our earth, the prospect […]

Health bosses want fluoride in Worcestershire’s water

Around half of the county’s water is currently fluoridated, a public health measure intended to prevent tooth decay. According to the British Fluoridation Society, schemes to bring fluoride levels up to the recommended amount in parts of the county took place between 1970 and 1991. But areas including Worcester, Kidderminster, Stourport and the Malvern Hills […]

Is there a link between high fluoride exposure and children’s IQs?

A new study commissioned by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences looked at the effect that high fluoride consumption can have on children’s IQ scores. Recently published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study found that children who had the highest levels of fluoride exposure were also more likely to have lower IQs than those who […]

Water fluoridation returns to the news, with Bremerton’s history of debate a backdrop

In April 1997, the Bremerton City Council approved adding fluoride to the city’s water system after a group of residents identified children’s dental health as a major issue there. Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island and many other American water providers started fluoridating their water over the previous half-century. Extensive evidence showed it reduced cavities […]

Fluoride: Protecting smiles or fueling debate?

Water fluoridation is often touted as one of the great public health successes of the 20th century, celebrated for reducing dental decay and saving billions in dental costs.1 It’s widely accepted that adding fluoride to water prevents tooth decay, with studies showing around a 25% reduction in cavities among those who drink fluoridated water—a lifeline […]