Fluoride is a common ingredient in tap water. The fluoride is also found in toothpastes, mouthwashes, and other dental products.
Water fluoridation is not for everyone. Many are outraged by the practice, including environmental activists, pregnant women, mothers and others calling for a ban on fluoride in public drinking water.
Some argue that fluoride can be a neurotoxin, which can cause damage to the thyroid, brain and bones. Some people also believe that fluoride can cause health problems if it is ingested.
It is also believed that fluoride can come from many sources including toothpaste and dental rinses. Therefore, it’s not necessary to add it to your drinking water.
We all know that fluoride is a powerful and beneficial ingredient, but we also need to consider the possible health risks associated with high levels of fluoride intake. Let’s not delay and get to it.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride can be found in soil, water and foods. It is also found in human bones and teeth. Fluoride helps strengthen teeth and prevents tooth decay. It is often added to over-the-counter products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and other dental supplements, as well as public water supplies.
What happens to people who are exposed to fluoride
Fluoride is most commonly ingested through the diet (foods, drinks, and toothpastes containing fluoride). Inhalation of cigarette smoke, industrial emissions, dermal absorption (from chemicals and pharmaceutics), the ingestion or administration fluoridecontaining drugs, or ingestion of fluoride containing soil can all result in internal fluoride exposure.
Let’s look closer at three of the most common fluoride exposures:
Fluoride in drinking water: Because fluoride is a common mineral, most water sources have a small amount. The amount of fluoride in non-fluoridated water sources varies depending on the geological environment. Fluoride levels in water can reach as high as 2.0 mg/liter. Fluoride levels can still be found in areas with well-reported skeletal fluorosis or teeth fluorosis. They may range from 3 to 20 mg/liter. Fluoride levels in drinking water are typically between 0.7 and 1.2 mg/liter.
Food: Nearly all foods contain some fluoride. Fluoride is particularly abundant in fish. Fluoride is also found in tea leaves. The mineral’s concentration in brewed coffee depends on how much soluble fluoride is in the tea leaves and the time it was brewed. Superphosphate fertilizers can significantly increase the fluoride content of some foods. These fertilizers often contain large amounts of fluoride.
Fluoride levels in food are primarily affected by the fluoride level in the water used for preparation or processing. This is most evident in beverages and dry foodstuffs, such as powdered baby formulas. Water must be added to these products before they can be consumed. The fluoride levels in commercially available infant formulas are higher than those made from milk. Breast milk also contains fluoride.
Toothpaste, toothpaste and other dental products are significant sources of fluoride. Daily home-use mouth rinses typically contain between 230 to 1,000 mg/liter fluoride. Mouthwash products for biweekly or weekly use could contain as much as 900 to 1,000mg/liter.
