Sean Plunket interviewed Dr Robin Whyman 13 February 2025
In the last ten years there have been five human studies that have found an association between fluoride and neurobehavioral problems.
The latest study was published just two months ago (May 2024). The Los Angeles Times reported on the study confirming prenatal fluoride exposure was associated with “an increased risk of neurobehavioral problems at age 3, including symptoms that characterize autism spectrum disorder.” The study reports “A 1 mg/L increase in tap water fluoride level was associated with a 6.1 times higher odds of an ADHD diagnosis”. A 1 mg/L increase is basically the difference between a fluoridated area and a non-fluoridated area in New Zealand.
The authors concluded “These findings suggest that there may be a need to establish recommendations for limiting fluoride exposure during the prenatal period.” It is our view at FFNZ, that pregnant women and bottle-fed babies should definitely avoid fluoridated water.
Four other studies have been published since 2015 that have looked at either children or adolescents and they all found that fluoridated water was associated with either ADHD symptoms or inhibitory control. (Links to the studies can be found on this page).
Interestingly, the very first animal study on fluoride and brain effects, Neurotoxicity of Sodium Fluoride on Rats, was published in 1995. This study was carried out at the Forsyth Dental Institute which wanted to test their new system where the animals could be studied objectively by a computer model. The study exposed rats during pregnancy, as weanlings and as adult rats to sodium fluoride. They found the male rats were affected by pre-natal exposure that caused them to be hyperactive and the female rats were affected by post-natal exposure that caused them to be hypoactive (i.e. low energy).
This is similar to what is being seen in many of the modern studies – different effects on males and females. We can also see that these effects are actually happening in the population. There is far more ADHD, anxiety, depression, fatigue and obesity than there was 50 years ago.
If authorities had of invoked the precautionary principle 30 years ago, an awful lot of suffering could have been avoided.
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