Fluoride in tea?

Having been made aware fluoride is toxic I changed the toothpaste I use to a fluoride free one, currently Euthymol, though others are available, it's quite strong. I'm keen to reduce my fluoride intake as far as possible, though I have used fluoridated toothpaste all my life and was given fluoride tablets as a child, so I'm not going to go mad.

I did further research and discovered tea plants take up fluoride and can contain quite high levels, as this Chinese study illustrates. And many others, just do a quick search

Don't panic, we're al still here and this is in China but, as a prolific te drinker, I thought it might be interesting to find levels in popular UK brands of tea, watch this space.

Found the following good tips to help reduce fluoride here.

Fluoride: More than you bargained for 

We don’t ingest fluoride just simply by drinking water or brushing our teeth, it also enters our bodies through other sources such as processed food, some cheaper (lower-end of the market) vitamin tablets, and drinks like fruit juice, soda and tea. 

Fluoride: 7 steps to protect your health against fluoride’s harmful effects 

1. If you live in a fluoridated area get a reverse osmosis filter fitted to the main kitchen tap. For more information contact The Pure H2O Company on 01784 221188, or visit: www.purewater.co.uk 

2. Alternatively, you can help minimise the risk by drinking filtered or bottled water. 

3. Use a non-fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash. Fluoride- free toothpaste brands include Boot’s Non-Fluoride, Tom’s, Tea Tree, and Weleda. 

4. Try to be aware of the fluoride content of food and drink – tinned fruit, vegetables and drinks are especially high. Fluoride is present in tea, regardless of whether it’s made with fluoridated water or not. So, opt for herbal teas made from non-fluoridated water instead. 

5. Eat foods low in fluoride, such as eggs, milk, red meats (not organs), and fruit with protective rinds (such as lemons, bananas and pineapples). 

6. Supplementing with calcium and magnesium salts helps eliminate fluoride from your body. 

7. Avoid using kitchen utensils with non-stick coatings such as Teflon – these are made of fluoride. 


And the following tables of fluoride levels in foods here

BEVERAGES:
	Juices

	6.8mg/l Gerber's White Grape Juice #3 0.98 - 1.20mg/l Minute Maid OJ #6,#7 3.0mg/l Gerber's Graduate Berry Juice #6 0.78mg/l Dole Pineapple #7 >0.6mg/l Prune Juice #13 >0.6mg/l Cranberry Juice #13 >0.6mg/l Pear Juice #13 >0.6mg/l Red Grape Juice #13 >0.6mg/l Cherry Juice #13 >0.6mg/l Apple Grape Juice #13 >0.6mg/l Apple Juice #13

	Soft Drinks

	0.82 -0.98mg/l Coca Cola Classic #6,#7 1.12mg/l Diet Coke #8 0.29mg/l Snapple #7 0.73mg/l Sprite #8 0.85mg/l Hawaiian Punch #8 0.45mg/l Hansen's Soda #7 0.37mg/l Capri Sun #7 0.79mg/l Publix Orange Juice #8 0.44mg/l Gatorix Punch Concent. #8 0.56mg/l Lipton Ice Tea #8

Tea see also: Green Tea Article (L=Leafs, P=Prepared) UK TEAS

Iced Tea

180.16mg/kg Coarse Tea(L) #19 72.62-89.02mg/kg Green Tea(L) #19 71.11mg/kg Refined Green Tea(L) #19 30-340 mg/kg Black Tea(16 samples) #20 4.57mg/l Tea (P) #17 1.01-5.20mg/l De-caffeinated Teas(P) #21 2.58-3.69mg/l Milk Tea(fr.Brick Tea) #23 77mg/kg Pu'er Brick Tea (L) #24 441mg/kg Bianxiao Brick Tea(L) #24 6.0-6.9mg/kg Herbal Teas (L) #20 7.8mg per cup 1 Cup Black Tea (P) #16 15.6mg/L “Wisdom of the Ancients” Instant Green Tea (P) #37 2.95mg/L Dr. Oetker Black Tea (P) #38 3.99mg/L Apicha Black Tea (P) #38

	Fruit & Vegetables

	0.3 - 13mg/kg Potatoes #12 22mg/kg Potato Waste #30 0.2 - 70.0 mg/kg Spinach #12 14.0mg/kg Rice #12 14.0mg/kg Peas #12 8.2mg/kg Yams #4 2.10mg/kg Corn #4 17.7mg/kg Beets #4 0.205mg 1 Cup Cooked Kale #16 0.180mg 1 Cup Cooked Spinach #16 1mg 1 Medium Apple #33 125 - 250 mg/kg Alfalfa #36

	Sugar & Substitutes

	13.0 mg/kg Sugar #5 10.0ppm Fructooligosaccharides #5 12.0ppm Polydextrose #5 8.0ppm Sorbitol #5

	Meat

	9.0-14.0mg/kg Mech.De-bond Pork #11 2.0-3.0 mg/kg Hand De-boned Pork #11 14.0-42mg/kg Mech.De-boned Beef #11 2.0-4.0mg/kg Hand De-boned Beef #11 1.0mg/kg Chicken Skin #13 1.23mg/kg Cooked Veal #17 1.11mg One Big Mac #1

	Dairy

	0.72mg/l Lucerne 2%Milk #7 0.074mg 1 Cup Nonfat Milk #16 1.50mg/kg Butter #4 1.62mg/kg Cheese #4

	Fish

	61.0mg/kg Canned Sardines #1 61.73mg/kg Shrimp #19 3.36mg/kg Shellfish #17 4.57mg/kg Some Canned Fish #17 26.0mg/kg Mackerel #4

Water

SEE ALSO: F- in Mineral Waters

	0.7-1.2mg/l Tap Water in fl.areas 0.21mg/l Gerolsteiner Wasser #9 8.5mg/l Vichy Water #10 0.05mg/l Reverse Osmosis Water #9

Cereals

SEE ALSO: Fluoride in Cereals

	2.1mg/kg Kellogg's Fruit Loops #6 1.02mg/kg Cooked Wheat Cereal #17 7.2mg/kg Wheat #4 9.6mg/kg Shredded Wheat #41

Infant Foods

See also: Formula/Soy Unfluoridated Area Fluoridated Area

	Mixed Cereal 0.93ppm 3.85ppm #32 Oatmeal Cereal 0.98ppm 4.87ppm #32 Barley Cereal 1.99ppm 4.30ppm #32 Rice Cereal 2.11ppm 6.35ppm #32

	0.01-8.38mg/kg 238 Infant Foods #29 1.08-2.68mg/l Soy-based Infant Formula #31 0.024-0.172mg/l Breastmilk (area w/0.7ppm in tap water) #22

	Strained Meats

	Chicken w/broth 5.29ppm Range 1.94-10.64ppm #32 Turkey w/broth 0.39ppm Range 0.34-0.43ppm #32

	Other

	250 - 765mg/kg Soil #39 44.0-220.0mg/kg Dolomite #5 0.66-6.8mg/kg 10 Table Salt Varieties #1 7.0mg/kg Sea Salt #1 1.36mg/kg Peanuts #4 3mg 1 Teaspoon Bone Meal #18 200 - 350 ppm Fluoridated salt #40 231 - 310 ppm “Himalaya Salt” #40

	SEE ALSO: Salt Fluoridation

	130.0-160mg/kg Gelatin #15 328 mg/kg Super Kelp Tablets #35

	Dental Products

	1920mg/kg Aquafresh For Kids #6 6,000-12,000ppm Topical Fluoride Gel #23 500-1,500ppm Most Toothpaste #23 12,300ppm Radent Prophy Paste #26 12,300ppm Topex Fluoride Foam #27 2000ppm School-based Oral Mouthrinse Program #28 60,000-120,000ppm Silver Fluoride Solutions #23

so, I'll be changing my eating habits slightly to try and steer as low a fluoride path as possible, but it does seem to be everywhere, it is a very prolific element and is used in many pesticides because it is so toxic