Adding to the Research on Thyroid & Fluoride Exposure

Posted & filed under Fluoride and Public Health, What the Experts Say about Fluoride.

A new study finds no association between fluoride exposure and thyroid function. Fluoride exposure and indicators of thyroid functioning in the Canadian population: implications for community water fluoridation, was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health on August 24, 2017. This study performed multiple analyses, beginning with a nationally representative data set based on in-home interviews, clinical examinations, and household water samples, and carefully controlling for confounding variables. None of the analyses showed an association between the measures of fluoride exposure and self-reported diagnosis of a thyroid condition. Conducting analyses of thyroid hormone (TSH) levels in blood samples, researchers concluded: “Neither urinary fluoride nor fluoride concentration of tap water was associated with an abnormal (low or high) TSH level compared with a normal TSH level.”

Unlike recent observational studies, this research study draws its conclusions from actual samples and analyzes them in the context of specific information about the presence or absence of any thyroid conditions. This methodology yields a more reliable and generalizable result.

With the availability of multiple sources of fluoride, we are encouraged to see research continue to explore the effects of community water fluoridation. This study adds to the enormous volume of research affirming its safety and effectiveness. Fluoridation at recommended levels continues to play a valuable role in safely and inexpensively preventing dental disease.