Longitudinal associations between early-life fluoride exposures and cardiometabolic outcomes in school-aged children; Environment International, Dec. 13, 2023.
A Mexican-U.S. study group found that excess dietary fluoride causes a rise in biomarkers for diabetes, heart disease and obesity in Mexican children aged 4-8 years. The associations are greatest in boys at age 8 and girls younger than 8.
“Fewer, though consistent, associations” were found for fluoride in urine.
Investigators reported their obesity findings in terms of zBMI, or age-adjusted BMI (body mass index), to adjust for healthy BMI changes during early development. Calculations involving BMI and zBMI usually return equivalent results.
Although Mexico does not fluoridate its municipal drinking water, fluoridated salt, a Mexican staple, delivers fluoride doses often exceeding typical exposures through drinking water.
Excessive fluoride intake is associated with dental fluorosis, described as “cosmetic” but severe cases result in tooth decay or cavities, skeletal fluorosis, leading to bone fractures and neurodevelopmental issues in children.
[…]
The Most Revolutionary Act 
Fluoride is a poison. Why anyone would want to poison drinking water supplies has mystified me since the issue came up in my childhood. It is also a naturally occurring element, so I guess it got into drinking water supplies in Mexico, although that’s not clear.
As the planet becomes more polluted with industrial and other chemicals, and subsurface minerals are turned over in construction and other development, I wonder how much we can attribute to human activity, and if truly pure water is even attainable on any massive scale.
LikeLike
Here in New Plymouth, we’re really luck to have several springs providing large quantities of pure water. In 2011, a large group of us campaigned to have the fluoridation of our water stopped. After a number of cities did the same, the New Zealand government ordered the entire country fluoridated. Now many of us obtain our water from a local spring. I myself have a rainwater tank for water I drink and cook with.
LikeLike