Loading summary
Transcript21 lines
- [00:00]
Sleep Number Ad
When something's made for you, it simply fits you feel special. That's the sensation of a Sleep number smart bed. You'll sleep comfortably, hot or cold, soft or firm, because it's personalized, scientifically made for you. Sleep number Smart beds learn how you sleep and provide personalized insights to help you sleep better. Why choose a Sleep number smart bed? So you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. And now for a limited time, Sleep number smart beds start at 8:49 per prices higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Exclusively at a sleep number store near you. See storerosleepnumber.com for details.
- [00:45]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. Thanks for joining us. This week we're going to take a closer look at an issue that has been making a lot of headlines lately.
- [00:54]
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It makes no sense to have fluoride in our water. The evidence against fluoride is overwhelming and I'm very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban it, and I hope many more will come.
- [01:07]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
That was the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Talking about Utah recently became the first state in the nation to ban fluoride in public drinking water, a practice known as fluoridation. Now, typically on Tuesdays, we take your questions, but this week we're going to address a topic that's been getting a lot of questions, and that includes from our podcast producer, Sofia Sanchez.
- [01:34]
Sofia Sanchez
Hey, Sanjay. Yes, I've definitely been wondering about this topic myself. I've even been asked a few questions from my family about what exactly the concern is over fluoride. So what exactly is the concern over fluoride?
- [01:48]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
All right, Sophia, let's start with the basics. First of all, fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that you can find in plants, soil, certain foods, and obviously water. It is great for strengthening our teeth. I'm going to come back to that point. But remember, fluoride can help strengthen your teeth and that's why it's been added to toothpaste and tap water for around eight decades now. If you do the math, about 70% of Americans on community water systems, it's about 209 million people and have fluoridated drinking water in the United states. And the CDC credits fluoridated water for a 25% reduction in cavities in children. But here's the issue. There is an emerging body of science that does raise some concerns about health issues associated with fluoride.
- [02:37]
Dr. Christine Till
We now have a growing body of evidence linking systemic fluoride exposure with detrimental effects on bone strength Thyroid function and brain function, particularly when there is high exposure in early development.
- [02:54]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
So that's Dr. Christine Till, a clinical neuropsychologist and professor of psychology at York University in Canada. She leads a lab that specifically investigates fluoride neurotoxicity. And what her research has found is a link between higher levels of maternal fluoride exposure during pregnancy and. And subsequently lower IQ scores in kids in Canada. Okay, I want to repeat that. Her research found a link between higher levels of maternal fluoride exposure during pregnancy and subsequently lower IQ scores in those kids in Canada. Now, a report released last summer from the National Toxicology Program, part of the nih, came to a similar conclusion. So you have that research in Canada and then you have sort of validation of that research from the National Institutes of Health here in the United States. Now, to be fair, there is some criticism of this research. For example, like the American Dental association, they released a statement pointing out that the research largely used data from areas outside of the United States. Why is that important? Many of those areas outside of the United States had fluoride levels that are higher than what we see typically in the United States. And I want to emphasize this point because something that I repeat often on this podcast is the. This idea that the dose makes the poison. Just about anything in high enough doses can be problematic. So the dose makes the poison. You gotta pay attention to exactly how much fluoride we're talking about. It is true that exposure to too much fluoride can lead to negative side effects. I think that's what all this research is showing. Too much fluoride over the course of several years can lead to something known as skeletal fluorosis. That's a condition that causes weaker bones and joint pain can also lead to cosmetic problems like flecks of white on your tooth enamel. You may have seen this before and then obviously, the concerns about neurotoxicity, but the question that remains, going back to this idea that the dose makes the poison, how much is too much? And where does this all leave us? What are the risks also of removing fluoride from our drinking water? We want to discuss this issue from two lenses. First of all, what is the harm? And also what is the benefit nowadays in 2025? And we'll dig into that right after the break.
- [05:21]
Sleep Number Ad
This CNN podcast is supported by Sleep Number. When something's made for you, it simply fits. You feel special. That's the sensation of a Sleep number smart bed. You'll sleep comfortably, hot or cold, soft or firm, because it's personalized, scientifically made for you. The tech in a Sleep Number Smart bed automatically responds to your movements throughout the night, keeping you comfortable and most importantly, sleeping soundly. Only Sleep Number Smart beds let you each choose your ideal comfort and support your Sleep Number setting. Sleep too hot. The Klymit Series Smart beds cool up to 20 times faster than leading competitors. Getting great sleep is the journey of a lifetime and and your Sleep Number Smart Bed tracks the evolution and improvement of your sleep for you and your partner. It's designed to make each night's rest even better. Why choose a Sleep Number Smart bed? So you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. And now for a limited time, Sleep Number Smart beds start at 849 prices higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Exclusively at a Sleep Number store near you. See store or sleepnumber.com for details.
- [06:24]
Neuriva Ad
Chasing Life is supported by Neuriva Brain Health. Listening to a podcast, reading a book, or just remembering someone's name. Things that take concentration, reasoning, mental alertness and don't forget a good memory. Neuriva understands that maintaining optimal brain health is essential to your daily life. With clinically tested ingredients like neurofactor, Neuriva Ultra can help support up to seven brain health indicators, including memory. When you need to remember, remember Neuriva. Learn more@remembernerva.com these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
- [07:00]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
All right, there goes the pager. And more comments from my producer, Sofia Sanchez.
- [07:05]
Sofia Sanchez
Okay, so Sanjay, if there's early research to suggest that fluoride in large quantities, of course could be harmful, should I be worried about my drinking water? Do the risks outweigh the rewards here?
- [07:17]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Yeah. So that's the question, Sophia, that is a fair question. And I think that's what a lot of people are wondering. Proponents of fluoridation will argue. Look, it's an important tool when it comes to fighting cavities. In fact, if you look at what public health experts say about this, they will call it one of the single most effective public health measures to prevent tooth decay overall in the nation. That's what the American Dental association said.
- [07:40]
Dr. Margarita Fontana
Specifically, what fluoride does is it helps every time you eat something with sugars, the microorganisms that are in your mouth that are completely normal, they metabolize that sugar and they produce acids that damage your tooth. Over time, that becomes a cavity. If you lose more minerals in your tooth than you gain, and we gain minerals through our saliva. Saliva is a Wonderful fluid that we have in our mouth. Very important for our health, of our tissues and our mouth, our teeth, et cetera. But many times the calcium and the phosphate and the saliva is just not enough with the diets that we have. So fluoride makes this process of minerals coming back into the tooth, which we call remineralization, much more effective. And without fluoride, really, the levels of tooth decay that we would have would be significantly higher.
- [08:34]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
That's Dr. Margarita Fontana. She's a dentist. She leads the University of Michigan's Global Initiatives Program in oral and craniofacial health. She's one of the many medical professionals who are weighing in on this and, and who believe fluoridation is crucial to fighting cavities, especially in underserved communities where access to dental care is limited. There is a nuance here. Emerging research finds that while fluoridation does prevent cavities, it may not help nowadays as much as we originally thought. A report last fall from the Cochrane Collaboration, that's an independent group that analyzes the existing scientific body of research, they found only a slight benefit to adding fluoride to tap water. In their conclusion, fluoridation was most effective before 1975. Why is that? Because fewer children had access to dental care before that, and fluoridated toothpaste was not as commonly used. As we've improved dental care, as we've got more fluoridated toothpaste out there, the incremental benefit of fluoridating your water has gone down these days. The report said fluoridation may decrease tooth decay in baby teeth slightly. Slightly was their word.
- [09:47]
Sofia Sanchez
Thank you, Sanjay. I'm learning that this is complicated, but I'm still wondering, how feasible is it to take fluoride out of our drinking water?
- [09:56]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
So that's the next question, right? And it's a question I think many public health officials and political leaders are considering right now. There has been defloridation efforts in other countries around the world. And as we just mentioned at the top of the podcast, Utah is the first state in the nation to do that here. Now, again, about 70% of Americans are on community water systems. Over 200 million people, they have fluoridated drinking water. Adding fluoride to public water systems is something that is typically up to local city and county governments. So, for example, some communities like Portland, Oregon, they don't fluoridate their water. But that, at the same time, doesn't mean the federal government can't have some influence over what local governments do. Just this month, the EPA The Environmental Protection Agency announced that they will review scientific information on the potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water. And that's obviously something we're going to pay close attention to. It is the EPA's role to set the limits on what is allowed in water and make recommendations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Again, this gets back to that idea. The dose makes the poison. It's the EPA's role to set the limits on what is allowed in water. And that goes for fluoride as well. Now, in other parts of the world, some countries have taken different steps to prevent cavities. Take Iceland, for example. The water is not fluoridated. There. School children take twice monthly fluoride rinses. In some parts of the uk, for example, schools add fluoride to milk. The good news is, across the board, I'm talking worldwide, tooth decay has decreased since the 1970s. Now here in the United States, if you're in a city or state where there is no fluoride in the water, like Utah, which we mentioned before, it may be worth taking extra steps to take care of your and your children's oral health. You know the basic recommendations. Brush your teeth with fluoridated toothpaste, fluoride toothpaste, floss daily. See a dentist at least once a year. You've heard all that. For kids, though, fluoride sealants or varnish may also be appropriate to prevent dental cavities. That's something to think about, especially in places where water is not fluoridated. Ask your dentist about this. At the end of the day, I think one thing we can all agree on is that we want to make it easier for our kids and future generations to have happy and healthy smiles, right? So look, whenever you think about these issues, should ask yourselves this, what is the benefit? And we know there is a benefit. But the benefit to fluoridating water has gone down over time as dental care has improved, as fluoridated toothpaste has become more of a thing. Second question, what is the harm? That's a little bit more complicated. But keep in mind that the dose makes the poison. Anything at too high a dose can potentially be harmful. In many countries around the world where you see this data linking potentially fluoridated water to neurotoxicity, they may have had higher levels, higher doses, if you will, of fluoride in the drinking water. Look, it's a complicated issue. There's a lot of nuance here, but we really wanted to address this and I hope that helps you Remember, we're always hoping to get a call from you. Leave us a message with your health question. 470-396-0832. And as always, thanks for listening. I really enjoy being here. I hope you do as well. Chasing Life is a production of CNN Audio. Our podcast is produced by Aaron Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, Lori Gallaretta, Jesse Remedios, Sophia Sanchez and Kira Dehring. Andrea Cain is our medical writer. Our senior producer is Dan Bloom. Amanda Seeley is our showrunner, Dan Dezulla is our technical director and the executive producer of CNN Audio is Steve Lichti, with support from Jamis Andrest, John Dionora, Hailey Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Lainey Steinhardt, Nicole Pesaru and Lisa Namorow. Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Nadia Kanang of CNN Health and Wendy Brund.
- [14:31]
Sleep Number Ad
When something's made for you, it simply fits. You feel special. That's the sensation of a Sleep Number Smart bed. You'll sleep comfortably, hot or cold, soft or firm, because it's personalized, scientifically made for you. Sleep Number Smart beds learn how you sleep and provide personalized insights to help you sleep better. Why choose a Sleep Number Smart bed? So you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. And now, for a limited time, Sleep Number Smart beds start at 849 prices higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Exclusively at a Sleep Number store near you. See store or sleepnumber.com for details.
- [15:08]
Adi Cornish
This week on the Assignment with Me, Adi Cornish.
- [15:12]
Mustafa Suleiman
People often say these models suffer hallucinations. They make stuff up. Well, actually, they're designed to make things up. Right. We want them to tell us something that we don't know.
- [15:22]
Adi Cornish
The CEO of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleiman on the next era of the tech industry and about what it means to hold onto your values when the industry is moving faster than the rules meant to govern it. Listen to the Assignment with me, Audie Cornish. Streaming now on your favorite podcast. Apparently.