Fluoride in drinking water does not negatively affect cognitive ability — and may actually provide benefit, study finds

A new study found that young people exposed to fluoride at recommended levels performed better on cognitive tests than peers who did not have fluoride in drinking water. tornado98/iStockphoto/Getty Images

The longstanding public health practice of adding fluoride to community drinking water is facing heavy scrutiny in the United States over questions about whether the benefits outweigh the potential risks . But new research challenges recent claims about the risks of fluoride in drinking water — and instead suggests that it may have additional positive effects.

The heightened federal debate was spurred by a recent government study from the National Toxicology Program that concluded that high levels of fluoride exposure are linked to lower IQ in children, but that study evaluated fl