Fluoride occurs naturally in the body as calcium fluoride. Calcium fluoride is essential for the bones and teeth. It is difficult to consume the daily recommended intake of fluoride that naturally occurs in food.
Sources Of Fluoride
The best source of fluoride is through consuming public drinking water. "Almost all water contains some naturally-occurring fluoride, but usually at levels too low to prevent tooth decay. Many communities adjust the fluoride concentration in the water supply to a level known to reduce tooth decay and promote good oral health (often called the optimal level). This practice is known as community water fluoridation, and reaches all people who drink that water. Given the dramatic decline in tooth decay during the past 70 years since community water fluoridation was initiated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named fluoridation of drinking water to prevent dental caries (tooth decay) as one of Ten Great Public Health Interventions of the 20th Century." (CDC)
A 12-ounce glass of fluoridated water contains about 0.248 mg of fluoride or about 6 percent of the daily recommended intake for a man.
A glass of wine contains 7.5 percent of a man's daily fluoride requirement and 10 percent for a woman.
A large Russet potato baked in the skin contains about 3.5 percent of a man's daily fluoride requirement 5 percent of woman's recommended daily intake.
Sea water is high in fluoride making seafood a good source of fluoride.
| Age | AI |
|---|---|
| 0-6 months* | - |
| 7-12 months* | 0.5 mg/day# |
| 1-3 yr* | 0.6 mg/day |
| 4-8 yr* | 1.1mg/day |
| Boys | |
|---|---|
| 9-13 yr | 2.0 mg/day |
| 14-18 yr | 3.0 mg/day |
| Girls | |
| 9-13 yr | 2.0 mg/day |
| 14-18 yr | 3.0 mg/day |
Adults:
Men 4 mg/day
Women 3 mg/day
Too Much Fluoride
Some drinking water contains dangerously high levels of fluoride that can lead to serious health problems. "Chronic exposure to fluoride in large amounts interferes with bone formation. In this way, the most widespread examples of fluoride poisoning arise from consumption of ground water that is abnormally fluoride-rich." (Wikipedia)