Health

Research: Excess fluoride associated with cognitive impairment in children

Studies have indeed explored the potential association between excess fluoride exposure and cognitive impairment in children. While fluoride is beneficial for dental health in appropriate doses, excessive exposure, particularly during critical developmental stages, has raised concerns about its impact on cognitive function.

Excess fluoride can cause more than physical health problems!

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in water, plants, soil, and rocks. It is often added to drinking water and dental products like toothpaste and mouthwash as it promotes dental hygiene by strengthening tooth enamel and preventing tooth decay. However, it’s been recently found that excessive consumption of fluoride can be very harmful to the cognitive impairment of cognitive growth of the child. 

What is cognitive impairment? 

Cognitive impairment refers to the decline in cognitive abilities and affects things like memory, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. It can manifest in various forms such as mild memory lapses to severe impairment. Concerns have recently been raised about the 

potential impact of excessive fluoride exposure on cognitive function, particularly in children. 

Impact of excessive fluoride consumption on cognitive impairment 

Excessive fluoride intake during critical developmental stages, especially when the brain is still forming, has led researchers to believe that high levels of fluoride might be associated with cognitive issues such as lower IQs or neurodevelopmental concerns. Some of these potential findings include the impact on IQ. Some studies have suggested that there might be a possible correlation between high fluoride exposure and lower IQ scores in children and neurodevelopmental concerns. There is ongoing research that investigates whether excessive fluoride exposure in children can impact new developmental outcomes that in the future can impact learning, memory, and other cognitive functions. 

read more : Why is emotional neglect in childhood so hard to identify? Psychologist explains

Though it is important to know that these studies have raised concerns, the findings are not universally accepted and further research is needed to establish a conclusive link between excessive fluoride exposure and cognitive impairment. Though it is very well known that fluoride in appropriate doses helps dental health, excessive fluoride can be a subject of concern. As research continues, health organizations advise monitoring fluoride levels in water supplies and dental products to ensure that they stay within the safety limits and beneficial range for dental health and reduce the potential risk of cognitive functioning and overall health. Children especially should be given less of the appropriate amount of doses of fluoride and use toothpastes that have a low presence of fluoride in them.

Like this post?
Register at One World News to never miss out on videos, celeb interviews, and best reads.

Harshita Bajaj

Harshita has a background in Psychology and Criminology and is currently pursuing her PhD in Criminology. She can be found reading crime thrillers (or any other book for that matter) or binge-watching shows on Netflix when she is not in hibernation.
Back to top button