2. 2
Content
1. Flouride as Mineral
2. Source of Flouride
3. Flouride and Health
4. Health risks from excessive fluoride
5. Flouride and Healthful Diets
6. Conclusion
3. 3
Fluoride as Mineral
In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical
element required as an essential
nutrient by organisms to perform functions
necessary for life.
Fluoride a mineral, is naturally present in many
foods and available as a dietary supplement.
Fluoride is the ionic form of the element fluorine.
4. Source of Fluoride
1.Soil, water, plants, and foods contain trace amounts of fluoride.
2.Most of the fluoride that people consume comes from fluoridated water,
foods and beverages prepared with fluoridated water, and toothpaste and
other dental products containing fluoride.
3.Brewed tea typically contains higher levels of fluoride than most foods.
Fluoride concentrations in breast milk are so low that they cannot always be
detected.
Fluoride concentrations in cow’s milk are also very low.
5. Age Male Female
Pregnan
cy Lactation
Birth to 6
months
0.01 mg 0.01 mg
7–12
months
0.5 mg 0.5 mg
1–3 years 0.7 mg 0.7 mg
4–8 years 1 mg 1 mg
9–13
years
2 mg 2 mg
14–18
years
3 mg 3 mg 3 mg 3 mg
19+ years 4 mg 3 mg 3 mg 3 mg
6. Fluoride and Health
Dental caries
Dental caries occurs when cariogenic bacteria in the mouth ferment foods and produce acids that
dissolve tooth mineral.Over time, this tooth decay can cause pain and tooth loss. Without
treatment, dental caries can cause infections, impair growth, lead to weight gain, affect school
performance, impair quality of life, and possibly result in death .
Bone fractures
Because fluoride helps stimulate the formation of new bone, researchers have
hypothesized that fluoride supplements might reduce bone fracture risk. However,
research to date has provided only limited evidence supporting this hypothesis.
7. Health Risks from excessive Fluoride
1.Long-term ingestion of excess fluoride in infancy and childhood, when the teeth are being
formed, can lead to dental fluorosis
2.High doses of fluoride can result in nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea,
periostitis, and even death in rare cases.
3.Chronic, excess intakes of fluoride are also associated with skeletal fluorosis, although
this condition is extremely rare.
4.Its effects can range from occasional joint pain or stiffness to osteoporosis, muscle
wasting, and neurological defects.
5.In addition to the potential to damage teeth and bones, some evidence suggests that
higher fluoride intakes during early development, including during gestation, might be
associated with a lower IQ.
8. Fluoride and Healthful Diets
•Includes a variety of vegetables; fruits; grains ,fat-free and low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese; and oils.
•Includes a variety of protein foods such as lean meats; poultry; eggs; seafood; beans, peas, and lentils; nuts
and seeds; and soy products.
•Limits foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
Conclusion
Fluoride deficiency is not a risk for the general population since most people can get the recommended
amounts of fluoride through their diet and the use of oral hygiene products.
References
1.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fluoride: Exposure and Relative Source Contribution Analysis. 2010.
2.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Review of the Fluoride Drinking Water Regulation. 2019.
3.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Water Fluoridation Data & Statistics. 2016.
4.European Food Safety Authority. 2013. Scientific opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fluoride.
EFSA Journal 2013;11(8):3332
5.Public Health England. 2019. McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset.
6.Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus,
Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 1997.
