Meryl Horn (Senior Producer, PhD)

Yeah. So Ashley first remembers when she heard about this idea that fluoride might be bad for us. She was with a family member.

Yeah. So Ashley first remembers when she heard about this idea that fluoride might be bad for us. She was with a family member.

But, like, she was intrigued enough that Ashley started looking into the research. And at the time, there was a little bit there. Like, there was a study in the 90s that looked at over 500 rats and found that giving them fluoride could change their behavior. Like, it made some of them hyperactive.

But, like, she was intrigued enough that Ashley started looking into the research. And at the time, there was a little bit there. Like, there was a study in the 90s that looked at over 500 rats and found that giving them fluoride could change their behavior. Like, it made some of them hyperactive.

And then she also found some studies in people, like in China, there are a lot of places with these really high levels of fluoride in the water.

And then she also found some studies in people, like in China, there are a lot of places with these really high levels of fluoride in the water.

Yeah. And some of those studies had been finding that people who lived in these areas had lower IQs.

Yeah. And some of those studies had been finding that people who lived in these areas had lower IQs.

Yeah, so that's what Ashley started looking into herself.

Yeah, so that's what Ashley started looking into herself.

I was like, huh. And so she decided to do her own research on this. She wanted to find out if being exposed to fluoride in the womb could affect brain development.

I was like, huh. And so she decided to do her own research on this. She wanted to find out if being exposed to fluoride in the womb could affect brain development.

So she got involved in this big study in California. Here's how it worked. So they started following a couple hundred pregnant people and they were taking pee samples from them. And this way they could look at how much fluoride was in their pee. And that kind of roughly maps out to how much fluoride you're taking in.

So she got involved in this big study in California. Here's how it worked. So they started following a couple hundred pregnant people and they were taking pee samples from them. And this way they could look at how much fluoride was in their pee. And that kind of roughly maps out to how much fluoride you're taking in.

But by the way, this isn't just looking at like fluoride from the water, because we actually do get fluoride from a bunch of different sources. Something like 60% of it comes from the water, but we also get it from, you know, stuff like black tea apparently has a lot of fluoride in it. Pesticides can have it. Or if we swallow little bits of fluoridated toothpaste...

But by the way, this isn't just looking at like fluoride from the water, because we actually do get fluoride from a bunch of different sources. Something like 60% of it comes from the water, but we also get it from, you know, stuff like black tea apparently has a lot of fluoride in it. Pesticides can have it. Or if we swallow little bits of fluoridated toothpaste...

So, yeah, the researchers here are looking at kind of like overall fluoride exposure. Okay. And then they followed up with these moms three years later. So by now their kids are three. And they had them fill out a survey about their kids where they asked them about all sorts of stuff.

So, yeah, the researchers here are looking at kind of like overall fluoride exposure. Okay. And then they followed up with these moms three years later. So by now their kids are three. And they had them fill out a survey about their kids where they asked them about all sorts of stuff.

Like people will say like, oh, my kid has temper tantrums like all the time or like, oh, that's really rare. It's like that kind of a thing.

Like people will say like, oh, my kid has temper tantrums like all the time or like, oh, that's really rare. It's like that kind of a thing.