The Government may have been focusing on providing iron and folic acid tablets to adolescents and pregnant women to reduce anemia, though without much results, nevertheless, a study published in the latest issue of Current Science has blamed fluoride toxicity also for the deficiency disease, a condition of low haemoglobin (Hb) in the blood.
Based on the results of the study, doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and researchers from Fluorosis Foundation of India has suggested withdrawal of Fluoride from water and foods to correct the damage caused to the gastro-intenstinal mucosa/loss of microvilli, which lead to the absorption of nutrients leading to rise in Hb and correction of anaemia.
One of the indicators of good health, Hb is the protein which gives blood its red colour. It also plays the important role of carrying oxygen to different parts of the body.
The study was conducted in six schools in Delhi, involving 2420 students both boys and girls, in the age group 10-19 years and studying in classes VIth -Xth.
The schools that catered to children from the lower socio-economic strata of society were chosen from East and South Delhi.
The nutritional intervention is simple and easy to implement in the school health programme, said the researchers who also noted that consumption of Fluoride by pregnant women can lead to the development of anaemia during pregnancy which in turn raises the risk of anaemia in the progeny.
Given that fluorosis is an endemic disease prevalent in 20 states out of the 35 states and Union Territories, the study said that the toxicity need to be addressed through diet editing and simultaneous diet counseling to adolescent girls and their mothers.
The study findings are likely to give the Government a food for thought as despite of several efforts to eliminate the condition by supplying iron and folic acid to school children, the Hb status of the beneficiaries has not improved.
According to the government data, anaemia causes 20 per cent of maternal deaths in India and was the associate cause in 50 per cent of maternal deaths in 2016.
Fluorosis is a crippling and painful disease caused by intake of fluoride.
Fluoride can enter the body through drinking water, food, toothpaste, mouth rinses and other dental products; drugs, and fluoride dust and fumes from industries using fluoride containing salt and or hydrofluoric acid.
The study was conducted by Andezhath K Susheela, Nisith Kumar Mondal and Rashmi Gupta from Fluorosis Foundation of India and Dr Ravindra Mohan Pandey, from Department of Biostatistics, AIIMS, Delhi.