What Is Fluoride & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Fluoride is an ultratrace mineral that occurs naturally and is released from rocks into the soil, water, and air.
The content of fluoride in food is small.
The primary sources for fluoride intake are drinking water in fluoridated communities. But also beverages and food processed with fluoridated water.
Fluoride is a highly protective trace mineral for emerging teeth and dental maintenance.
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Fluoride Is Not Essential, But Still Important
Fluoride is not classified as an essential nutrient.
Absorbed fluoride is rapidly distributed throughout the body.
There it will incorporate into calcified tissue, teeth, and bones. (source ◳)
Foods rich in calcium, magnesium, and antioxidants are known to reduce fluoride bioavailability.
Fluoride And Teeth
Fluoride is one of the most important preventive tools against dental caries. (source ◳)
But in large quantities, fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis.
It can happen when consuming too much fluoride while the teeth are still forming.
It leads to white spots on the surface of the teeth. (source ◳)
How To Get Fluoride?
Studies show that water is the most important source of dietary fluoride in most areas.
Cooking food in fluoridated water increases the level of dietary fluoride. (source ◳)
The natural food content of fluoride in food is small but can be detected in almost all foods.
Plants that grow in acid soil often have a high concentration of fluoride. While the fluoride content in meat is low. (source ◳)
Fluorides in food can increase by the use of some pesticides and chemical fertilizers. (source ◳)
Other Uses Of Fluorid
Fluoride is commonly used in toothpastes and other dental products to reduce tooth decay and promote tooth enamel growth.
Fluoride is also used in industrial and commercial water treatment systems, and as a component of swimming pool water.
In addition, the widespread use of fluoride in pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides to protect crops and other agricultural products from disease and to increase crop yield.
Foods You Can Find Fluoride, F In
You find Fluoride, F mostly in beverage, fruit, seafood, sauce, and gravy products.
Examples of food sources include
- Instant Tea
- Black Tea
- Dark Raisins
- Blue Crab
- Chardonnay
Foods in our nutrition tool
You can find regularly updated top-ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.
If you are interested in what foods contain the most Fluoride, F we recommend you visit our tool.
Here's our top-ranked list of foods that contain Fluoride, F.
