US EditionFluoride in drinking water has no effect on IQ or brain function, long-term study finds
Researchers found no measurable IQ or adult cognition difference among 10,317 Wisconsin graduates exposed to fluoridated water as teens.
- Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a new study of 10,317 individuals found no link between typical fluoride levels and adolescent IQs or adult cognition.
- Community water fluoride remains a debated topic, with critics alleging harmful cognitive effects; Florida and Utah have banned it, and NBC News reported at least 20 more states introduced similar bills.
- University of Minnesota professor Robert Warren led the research, which tracked individuals from childhood through adulthood and focused on typical fluoride levels rather than "massive doses."
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports fluoride reduces cavity rates by about 25%, while Warren advises parents that "the risks don't seem to be there for cognition or IQ."
- Most participants were Wisconsin high school graduates, limiting generalizability. Warren suggests more research is needed, especially studies following participants from birth to better evaluate long-term fluoride exposure effects.
14 Articles
14 Articles
No Evidence Fluoride In Drinking Water Harms IQ, Finds Decades-Long Study
There is no evidence that adding low levels of fluoride to community drinking water affects children's IQ or brain function later in life, according to a new study that tracked more than 10,000 people from their teen years through to old age.
U of M research counters claims that fluoride in water lowers IQs
University of Minnesota researchers studied data on 10,000 Wisconsinites who graduated high school in 1957 and found that fluoride exposure had no bearing on their IQ as they aged. It counters research cited by Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.
Research finds no link between fluoride in tap water and lower adolescent IQ
A recent study from University of Minnesota researchers found no link between fluoride in tap water and lower IQ scores in subjects over their lifetimes. The conclusion refutes claims by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Fluoride and kids' IQ: What a decades-long analysis shows
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that has been shown to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities. Many municipalities add fluoride to their drinking water—a process called community water fluoridation—as a public health measure to support dental health. In recent years, however, some have claimed that ingesting fluoride can harm children's IQ. Now researchers at the University of Minnesota have led a team that investigated the connection be…
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