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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to be the next U.S. health secretary. In this role, the former presidential candidate will be in charge of agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He’ll also play a key role in shaping the next wave of government-led health initiatives and standards.
RFK Jr. has already garnered a controversial reputation with unconventional ideas like the removal of fluoride from the public water supply. This would be a major shift, as the addition of fluoride into water has been around since the 1960’s. Many public health experts credit the policy with drastically improving dental health in the U.S.
On the social media platform, X, the politician posted that fluoride can cause several health problems such as arthritis, bone cancer and IQ loss among other issues. Since this post, several dental experts have spoken out in defense of the policy, arguing that the current infusion of fluoride into the water supply poses no risk and is responsible for the large decrease in cavities seen in recent decades.
However, there are some risks tied to fluoride when it’s consumed at high levels over an extended period. People have reported teeth discoloration and, in rare cases, a decline in bone health. And in early 2024, a study by the National Institutes of Health reported with “moderate confidence” that there’s a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. In this case, though, that high level of fluoride was double the recommended amount in drinking water.
As the debate rages on, it will be interesting to see if RFK Jr. moves forward with this policy or chooses to focus on other initiatives in his first months in office.
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