(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
WE CHANCED upon an excellent article on the myths circulating in social and conventional media, myths that are harmful.
One of the myths is that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was engineered by laboratory scientists in China.
And yet, writes Ethan Siegel in bigthink.com, “the scientific evidence that has been collected so far is overwhelming: that the virus arose in nature, was transmitted to humans through unsafe and illegal activity in a wet market in Wuhan, and took off from that ground-zero event to launch the coronavirus pandemic.”
There remains “no evidence that any such research was ever performed, covered up, destroyed, or that infections arose from such an event,” he says.
Mr. Siegel writes: “We’re all entitled to our own opinions, no matter how ill-informed they are. But facts are facts; we can’t just choose the ones we prefer.”
Still, many people believe that humans never landed on the Moon.
One myth that Mr. Siegel lists is that organic crops are healthier and more nutritious for human beings than genetically modified crops.
This is closer to home. The Golden Rice, for example, is a genetically modified crop developed at the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna.
Genetically modified organisms (GMO), critics say, are nutritionally inferior to non-GMO plants. In fact, Mr. Siegel points out, not only do scientific studies show that nutrient densities are no lower for GMOs or non-organic foods than for non-GMOs or organic foods, but that many nutrient deficiencies can be undone by switching to certain genetically modified crops, such as Golden Rice which supplies vitamin A.”
Golden Rice could save more than a million lives and spare 500,000 more children from going blind on an annual basis, he says.
Another myth links exposure to fluoridated tap water during pregnancy to lower IQ scores in infants, Mr. Siegel says.
Tap water in the Philippines is not fluoridate. But our toothpastes, as in other countries, have fluoride.
In many countries since the 1950s, fluoride has been added to tap water to prevent tooth decay.
Critics say that fluoridated drinking water offers no health benefits, is unsafe, and causes people to ingest toxic chemicals. “The science is very strong that water fluoridation at the proper levels reduces cavities by about 40 percent versus unfluoridated drinking water,” Mr. Siegel writes. Never mind that “some activists continue to stoke an unfounded fear that fluoride reduces the IQ of children who ingest it,” he says.
Of course, he explains, only severely over-fluoridated water produces those effects, just like drinking 66 cups of green tea (which contains natural fluoride) per day for years can cause skeletal fluorosis.
Communities without water fluoridation, in contrast, “see the negative effects of poor dental health disproportionately affecting poorer families and communities of color,” Mr. Siegel says.
“Nevertheless, these false claims about fluoride’s toxicity and incorrectly alleged ineffectiveness continue to hold sway over many.”
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
