Exposure to Recommended Levels of Fluoride Linked to Better Cognition

MONDAY, Nov. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood exposure to recommended levels of fluoride in drinking water is associated with modestly better cognition in secondary school, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in Science Advances.John Robert Warren, from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and colleagues used data from the nationally representative High School and Beyond cohort to characterize fluoride exposure from drinking water across adolescence in order to examine the effects of fluoride exposure within the typical range. Cognitive test performance was assessed in secondary school and at around age 60 years.The researchers found that children exposed to recommended levels of fluoride in drinking water exhibited modestly better cognition in secondary school; students performed better for each measure of adolescent cognitive performance. The estimated effects were modest but consistently positive. There was no significant association for fluoride exposure with cognitive functioning at around age 60 years."Our results provide strong evidence that exposure to fluoride -- at levels ordinarily seen in the United States and of relevance to policy debates about municipal water fluoridation -- has benefits for adolescent cognition and is, at worst, not harmful for later-life cognitive functioning," the authors write.Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Exposure to Recommended Levels of Fluoride Linked to Better Cognition

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