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Iodine supplementation slightly improves cognitive function in children

A Cochrane meta-analysis published September 10, 2026, reports a small but significant cognitive benefit from iodine supplementation versus placebo over 28 weeks.

Clinical Nutrition Writer
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Iodine supplementation results in a slight increase in cognitive function compared to placebo in children and adolescents, according to a meta-analysis published in The Cochrane database of systematic reviews on September 10, 2026.[1] The review, identified by PubMed ID 42720098 and doi 10.1002/14651858.CD014475.pub2, drew on a single study with 166 participants over 28 weeks.[1] The standardized mean difference was 0.19 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.34), rated as high-certainty evidence by the authors.[1] Iodine supplementation may result in little to no difference in children's weight compared to placebo, with a mean difference of -0.20 kg (95% CI -1.92 to 1.5).[1] The analysis did not report other anthropometric or clinical outcomes.[1] The read here is that the cognitive effect, while modest, is supported by high-certainty evidence from a single trial, which limits generalizability. No additional studies were pooled for the primary endpoint.
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What this stands on
  1. "Iodine supplementation for preventing iodine deficiency disorders in children and adolescents." published in The Cochrane database of systematic reviews as a meta-analysis (PubMed 42720098, doi 10.1002/14651858.CD014475.pub2). Sample: 166 as stated in the abstract. Duration: 28 weeks. Results as the authors report them: Iodine supplementation versus placebo Iodine supplementation results in a slight increase in cognitive function compared to placebo (standardised mean difference 0.19, 95% confi · PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov, read by the New studies instrument · the fact recordUnited Statesofficial source
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