As much as we hate to acknowledge it, many of the once-viable ideas that are swimming around in the memory banks of our brains have long since been discredited and ruled out by science. Here, in particular, are seven myths that we all need to unlearn.

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2) Fluoridated drinking water offers no health benefits, is unsafe, and causes us to ingest toxic chemicals.

If there’s one fear you can play to that’s guaranteed to generate an emotional response, it’s this: that following a certain public health recommendation will potentially cause significant harm or injury to a young, developing child. Although the science is very strong that water fluoridation at the proper levels reduces cavities by about 40% versus unfluoridated drinking water, some activists have stoked an unfounded fear that fluoride reduces the IQ of children who ingest it.

3) Organic and non-GMO crops are healthier for human beings than their non-organic or GMO counterparts.

There are many reasons to support better, more diverse, more sustainable farming and agricultural practices. There are excellent studies on soil depletion, the problems associated with monoculture crops, the facts that our fruits and vegetables have lower micronutrient densities than they did decades ago, etc… But that doesn’t mean that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are nutritionally inferior to non-GMO plants. Nor does it mean that foods that are certified organic are more nutritious than their non-organic counterparts.

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