If you are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, you?re likely more aware of what?s going into your body on a regular basis. So a recent study on consuming fluoride during pregnancy that made headlines in August may have given you pause.
Led by researchers at York University in Toronto, the study followed pregnant women in six Canadian cities. In the studied sample, 41 percent lived in fluoridated communities and 60 percent lived in non-fluoridated communities.  When they tested urine samples of the women in communities with fluoridated water, they found higher levels of fluoride. Then, when the children were ages three and four, it was found that the boys of the women with higher fluoride levels had lower IQ scores than children of the women with lower levels during pregnancy. There was no statistically significant association with IQ scores in girls based on maternal urine testing. Fluoride is a natural mineral found in virtually all water bodies. It?s also usually added to toothpastes and mouthwashes and many regions add more fluoride to drinking water to ensure optimal levels for good oral health. Health Canada guidelines reference 1.5 mg/L as the maximum allowable amount of fluoride in drinking water. However, 0.7 mg/L is regarded as the most effective concentration for oral health benefits.
About 39 percent of Canadians live in communities with fluoridated water systems as of 2017, 74.4 percent of Americans did in 2014.
While fluoride is known to help prevent cavi...