2 like 0 dislike

7 Answers

1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (920 points)

Any substance on earth is harmful if taken in a large enough amount (literally anything: fluoride, candy, apples, even water). According to the cdc, "Bottled water products may contain fluoride, depending on the source of the water. Fluoride can be naturally present in the original source of the water". However, the FDA has set limits for the amount of fluoride contained in water so that it cannot be harmful to humans. If a bottle of water does not list fluoride explicitly as an ingredient, there is no fluoride contained within it (or only trace amounts).

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/bottled_water.htm#:~:text=Bottled%20water%20products%20labeled%20as,fluoride%20as%20an%20added%20ingredient. 

Exaggerated/ Misleading
by Innovator (50.7k points)
0 0
Does every bottle of water in the U.S. contain fluoride? From your fact-check's last sentence, I feel that it is a false claim then?
3 like 0 dislike
by Novice (700 points)

The claim that "Every bottle of water in the U.S. has fluoride in it" is not true. According to American Cancer Society, 

"Fluoride is not required in all drinking water sources in the United States, but the levels of fluoride in water are regulated by several government agencies."

"Bottled water standards are set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

  • For bottled water with no fluoride added, the maximum fluoride level allowed varies, but can be up to 2.4 mg/L (in places with colder annual average air temperatures).
  • For bottled water with added fluoride, the maximum allowed is 0.7 mg/L, which is in line with the PHS recommendation."

However, there is study suggests that fluoride increases the digestion of aluminum in rats. But no clearly evidence showing human bodies have the same reactions.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8832914/

False
1 like 0 dislike
by Apprentice (1.1k points)

According to the American Cancer Society, "some fluorides naturally in soil, air, or water, although the levels of fluoride can vary widely. Just about all water has some fluoride." Additionally, fluoride is "supplied to about 3 out of 4 Americans." The American Cancer Society does note that states and local areas are the ones who decided whether or not to add fluoride to drinking water. However, consumers are protected by regulations, such as "The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a drinking water standard, which is the maximum amount of fluoride allowable in public drinking water systems, of 4.0 mg/L." For bottle water specifically, water with "no fluoride added, the maximum fluoride level allowed varies, but can be up to 2.4 mg/L (in places with colder annual average air temperatures)." For water with fluoride added, "the maximum allowed is 0.7 mg/L, which is in line with the PHS recommendation." So while fluoride is in most bottles of water, consumers are protected by regulation. 

Source: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/chemicals/water-fluoridation-and-cancer-risk.html 

Exaggerated/ Misleading
1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (980 points)

Too much fluoride, just like too much of anything, is not good for you. There is fluoride content in bottles of water in the U.S., however, there was a cap (maximum) level made by the FDA for added fluoride. The rule became effective June 19, 2022, which "amends the allowable level for fluoride in domestically packaged and imported bottled water to which fluoride is added to 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L)" ("FDA Releases Final Rule for Added Fluoride Levels in Bottled Water"). The level will prevent tooth decay and overexposure, which could lead to dental fluorosis ("Study Reveals How Too Much Fluoride Causes Defects in Tooth Enamel"). A healthy level of fluoride can strengthen and protect the teeth, but too much could alter "calcium signaling, mitochondrial function, and gene expression in the cells forming tooth enamel" ("Study Reveals How Too Much Fluoride Causes Defects in Tooth Enamel"). However, this should not be a significant issue because of the cap level created by the FDA.

FDA Releases Final Rule for Added Fluoride Levels in Bottled Water | FDA

Study Reveals How Too Much Fluoride Causes Defects in Tooth Enamel (nyu.edu)

1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (720 points)
Any substance on earth will become harmful if taken in large amounts. Bottled products sometimes contain these chemicals to help keep the water fresh. Flouride is something that is naturally present in water.

https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/basics/index.htm#:~:text=All%20water%20contains%20some%20fluoride,a%20person%20eats%20sugary%20foods.
Exaggerated/ Misleading
1 like 0 dislike
by Apprentice (1.0k points)
This claim is misleading because it is not only about water bottles. According to the source below, every water source to some extent has fluoride in trace amounts. They also mention that the fluoride added to most drinking water may contain some levels of metals but ultimately they are filtered out to meet specific standards.

https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/basics/index.htm#:~:text=All%20water%20contains%20some%20fluoride,a%20person%20eats%20sugary%20foods.

https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/engineering/wfadditives.htm
Exaggerated/ Misleading
1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (860 points)
The claim that every bottle of water in the U.S. has fluoride in it, which makes one's body absorb heavy metals, is false. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bottled water products may contain fluoride, depending on the source of the water. Fluoride can be naturally present in the original source of the water. However, bottled water products labeled as "purified," "distilled," or "deionized" do not contain fluoride. Furthermore, if a bottle of water does not list fluoride explicitly as an ingredient, there is no fluoride contained within it (or only trace amounts).Overall, while it is true that any substance can be harmful if taken in large enough amounts, the claim that every bottle of water in the U.S. has fluoride in it and that fluoride makes one's body absorb heavy metals is not accurate.

https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/bottled_water.htm#:~:text=Does%20bottled%20water%20contain%20fluoride,add%20fluoride%20to%20their%20water.

Community Rules


Be respectful.

There is bound to be disagreement on a site about misinformation. Assume best intentions on everyone's part.

If you are new to factchecking, take some time to learn about it. "How to Factcheck" has some resources for getting started. Even if you disagree with these materials, they'll help you understand the language of this community better.

News Detective is for uncovering misinformation and rumors. This is not a general interest question-answer site for things someone could Google.

Posting

The title is the "main claim" that you're trying to factcheck.

Example:
Factcheck This: Birds don't exist

If possible, LINK TO to the place you saw the claim.

Answering

LINK TO YOUR EVIDENCE or otherwise explain the source ("I called this person, I found it in this book, etc.")

But don't just drop a link. Give an explanation, copy and paste the relevant information, etc.

News Detective is not responsible for anything anyone posts on the platform.
...