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cover of episode Fluoride: Is Your Water Safe?

Fluoride: Is Your Water Safe?

2025/4/10
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Science Vs

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Ashley Mallon
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Lindsay McLaren
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Meryl Horne
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Meryl Horne: 本期节目探讨了在饮用水中添加氟化物的利弊。氟化物最初被添加到水中是为了预防龋齿,取得了显著的成功。然而,近年来,人们对氟化物对健康的影响提出了质疑,特别是关于其潜在的神经毒性和对甲状腺等器官的影响。本节目采访了多位专家,探讨了现有研究结果,并对这些争议进行了分析。 我采访了流行病学家Ashley Mallon博士,她进行的研究表明,孕期接触高浓度氟化物可能与儿童神经行为问题增加有关。虽然这项研究并非随机对照试验,但它与其他一些类似研究结果一致,引发了人们对氟化物潜在风险的担忧。 我还采访了社区健康科学家Lindsay McLaren教授,她研究了在停止在饮用水中添加氟化物后,龋齿发生率的变化。研究结果表明,停止添加氟化物后,儿童龋齿发生率显著上升,这凸显了氟化物在预防龋齿方面的作用。 总的来说,关于氟化物对健康的影响,目前的研究结果存在矛盾。虽然氟化物在预防龋齿方面有显著的益处,但其潜在的风险,特别是对胎儿神经发育的影响,也需要引起重视。我们需要更多更全面的研究来明确氟化物的长期健康影响,并在此基础上制定更明智的公共卫生政策。 Ashley Mallon: 我最初对氟化物可能对健康有害的说法持怀疑态度,因为氟化物被广泛用于公共卫生干预措施中,旨在保护牙齿健康。然而,我开始研究有关氟化物可能影响大脑发育的证据。我参与了一项大型研究,该研究跟踪了数百名孕妇,并分析了她们尿液中氟化物的含量。研究结果表明,孕期尿液中氟化物含量较高与孩子神经行为问题增加有关,包括易怒、焦虑和自闭症症状。虽然这项研究并非随机对照试验,但它与其他一些类似研究结果一致,表明孕期接触氟化物可能存在风险。 我们需要进一步的研究来确定氟化物对大脑发育的确切影响机制,以及不同剂量氟化物的影响程度。目前的研究结果存在矛盾,需要更全面的研究来明确氟化物的长期健康影响。 Lindsay McLaren: 当我的城市决定停止在饮用水中添加氟化物时,我开始关注这个问题。我和我的同事们进行了一项研究,比较了在停止添加氟化物和继续添加氟化物的两个城市儿童的龋齿发生率。研究结果表明,停止添加氟化物后,儿童龋齿发生率显著上升。这项研究结果与其他一些类似研究结果一致,表明氟化物在预防龋齿方面仍然具有重要作用。 此外,研究还发现,停止添加氟化物后,贫困家庭儿童的牙齿健康状况恶化更为严重,这凸显了氟化物在促进社会公平方面的作用。尽管存在关于氟化物潜在风险的担忧,但我认为,基于目前的研究结果,在饮用水中添加氟化物仍然是预防龋齿,特别是儿童龋齿的有效策略。

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Shownotes Transcript

The battle over whether we should be putting fluoride in our water has reached fever pitch. We’ve got U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and anti-fluoride activists saying it’s a neurotoxin that’s lowering our IQs. But supporters say that fluoride is a safe and effective way to protect our teeth from cavities, and that stopping water fluoridation would lead to a spike in tooth decay. To find out who’s right, we talk to epidemiologist Dr. Ashley Malin and community health scientist Professor Lindsay McLaren. 

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFluoride

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chapter 1: Why did we start water fluoridation? 

(07:00) Chapter 2: What can fluoride do at really high levels? 

(11:18) Chapter 3: Can low doses of fluoride affect the brain? 

(20:41) Chapter 4: Anything else to worry about?

(24:53) Chapter 5: Does fluoride in the water protect our teeth?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, So Wylie, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Professor Christine Till, Professor Jonathan Broadbent, Dr. John Morris, Professor Bruce Lanphear, Professor Loc Do, Dr. Maria Kipper, Professor Philippe Hujoel, Professor Stephen Peckham, Dr. Tommaso Filippini, and Professor Steven Levy. 

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