Black Tea Has More Fluoride Than Once Thought

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Dental News
Black tea, one of the world's most consumed beverages, may contain higher concentrations of fluoride than previously thought, which could pose problems for the heaviest tea drinkers, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

Most published reports show 1 to 5 milligrams of fluoride per liter of black tea, but a new study shows that number could be as high as 9 milligrams. The average person ingests a very safe amount --say 2 to 3 milligrams daily-- through fluoridated drinking water, toothpaste and food.

"The additional fluoride from drinking two to four cups of tea a day won't harm anyone; it's the very heavy tea drinkers who could get in trouble," said Dr. Gary Whitford, Regents Professor of oral biology in the School of Dentistry.

Is Fluoride Good Or Bad?
Although fluoride is known to help prevent dental cavities, but long-term ingestion of excessive amounts could cause bone problems. It would take ingesting about 20 milligrams a day over 10 or more years before posing a significant risk to bone health.

Most published studies about black tea have traditionally used a method of measuring fluoride that doesn't account for the amount that combines with aluminum to form insoluble aluminum fluoride, which is not detected by the fluoride electrode. Whitford compared that method with a diffusion method, which breaks the aluminum-fluoride bond so that all fluoride in the tea samples can be extracted and measured.

The new information shouldn't deter tea drinkers, as the beverage is safe and some teas even have health benefits, Dr. Whitford said. "The bottom line is to enjoy your favorite tea, but like everything else, drink it in moderation."

Editors Note: If you live in a state or county that does not mandate fluoride in drinking water, you have almost nothing to fear about consuming significant amounts of black tea. In fact, the vast majority of dental professionals will tell you that any dangers posted by the consumption of large amounts of fluoride pale in comparison to the health benefit fluoride provides by reducing oral disease in people, especially for those in low-income families that rarely get to see a dentist.

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