Although various scientific research studies have proven beyond doubt that fluoride is carcinogenic, most governments still insist on water fluoridation. Fluoride has also been linked to hypothyroidism and other serious health issues including low IQ in children.

While governments insist that the amount of fluoride in your drinking water is insufficient to be harmful, studies have shown that ingesting fluoride over a long period of time is definitely unhealthy. Fluoride is not only found in water though; it is also found in mouthwash, toothpaste, tea, and processed foods.

Fluoride in drinking water can lead to dental fluorosis, a condition that can stain tooth enamel causing a spotted or blotchy white appearance and fluoride has also been classified as a neurotoxin in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, in 2014.

A 2012 study in the Environmental Health Perspectives noted the risk of fluoride exposure during early brain development and found that children living in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who did not. Data from the Fluoride Action Network shows that infant formula mixed with fluoridated water delivers 100-200 times more fluoride than breastmilk.

As of September 2016, 50 out of the 57 human studies done have found that elevated fluoride exposure is associated with reduced IQ and 45 animal studies found that fluoride exposure impairs the learning and/or memory capacity of animals.

According to Philippe Grandjean, an adjunct professor of environmental health at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), “Fluoride seems to fit in with lead, mercury, and other poisons that cause chemical brain drain. The effect of each toxicant may seem small, but the combined damage on a population scale can be serious, especially because the brain power of the next generation is crucial to all of us.”

One of the best methods of ensuring that your drinking water does not contain fluoride (or any other toxic substances) is to invest in a mains or point-of-use (POU) water cooler fitted with a good filter such as the Living-Water Executive Mains Water Cooler.