In the 20th century, fluoride was added to water to prevent decay in the teeth. While the policy of supplemental addition of fluoride to water has been an effective public health move in controlling tooth decay, there have been concerns that the added fluoride may cause other health issues.
A novel study by Dr. Kyle Fluegge when he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has shown a possible association between fluoride content in water and type 2 diabetes.
The study was prompted by the growing number of type 2 diabetes cases in the United States. The incidence of diabetes has increased 4 times in the past 3 decades in the USA.
Dr. Fluegge performed a statistical analysis on data that he collected from 22 states over 5 years between 2005 and 2010 in the United States. The data included levels of fluoride in the water and the rate of diabetes in the area. He also adjusted the data analysis with data on physical inactivity and obesity. The data was collected through telephone surveys.
In addition to supplemental addition of fluoride, naturally found fluoride levels in water were also measured and analyzed for the association with diabetes incidence.
“When there was a 1 mg increase in fluoride added to the water, there was a corresponding 0.17% increase in the cases of diabetes.”
The positive association was concluded after adjusting for other variables that can confuse the analysis. Some of the variables were the density of the population, poverty, the year of measurement, and the quantity of tap water consumption.
The natural fluoride, found as calcium fluoride in water does not have a positive association with diabetes. It is the added fluoride to water that is cause for concern.
Fluoride is found in produce sprayed with pesticides or in processed beverages. Our exposure to fluoride is varied and goes beyond fluoridated water. Fluorosilicic acid appeared to reduce the incidence of diabetes. Sodium fluorosilicate and sodium fluoride added to the water, were associated with incidence of diabetes.
The study mentions an association based on statistical analysis. It is a community study and needs to be taken into consideration when providing appropriate advice in the use of fluoridated water. Further research will be able to confirm these novel findings.
