Parents, always on the look out for healthy products for their infants, may want to think twice before buying those that have added supplements. It all sounds good when we see products advertised to boost baby brain power, provide needed minerals and protect baby’s growing body…but sometimes it’s not.
Fluoride is a case in point.
Cavities used to be a fact of life for children growing up in the U.S. However, with the advent of fluoridated water in many municipalities, this is no longer true (in fact, it caused a bit of a crisis in the dental community as pediodontists saw their income declining).
Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral in all waters sources, oceans, lakes, and streams, was stripped out of water treated by municipalities for years. In the last few decades, driven by new research and supported by the American Dental Association, fluoride has been added back into the water supply, resulting, it is claimed, in the drastic reduction of childhood caries that we see today. However, now fluoride is also present in toothpaste, salt, 100% juice drinks, sodas, and even chicken and fish. And, increasingly manufacturers are adding fluoride to products marketed to children and advertising them as “good for growing teeth”. This may in fact cause more harm than good.
While fluoride has its place – it is a needed mineral – it turns out the major benefit (to teeth) is from topical use, not ingested. Too much fluoride can cause apparent increase in dental fluorosis, an unsightly and permanent discoloration of teeth. Fluorosis is caused by overexposure to fluoride at a time when teeth are just forming, often leaving them stained brown with white spots. And tooth problems aren’t the only health connections to fluoride – it has been also linked to cancer, low IQs, genetic disorders and muscle degeneration.
The EPA limits the amount of fluoride in drinking water to 4 parts per million (ppm) — but that’s four times what the American Dental Association claims is needed to fight cavities (0.7-1.2 ppm). As a result, some regions far exceed the existing EPA standard.
In those areas, as many as 10 percent of children younger than age 8 are afflicted with severe cases of dental fluorosis. Infants and young children are especially fragile, for the same reason the mercury contained in vaccines harms them: Low body weight.
So while ensuring that growing children get optimal amounts of needed vitamins and minerals seems the right thing to do, often purchasing products that provide supplemental amounts may do more harm than good. Natural, unprocessed fresh foods and vegetables may be all you need.