John Myers
As a component of toothpaste, tooth gel, or mouthwash, fluoride ensures beautiful teeth, but what does the substance actually do in our body? Learn more about the function and occurrence of the trace element.
Important for dental health: fluoride
Everyone wants bright, beautiful teeth, which is why fluoride is often a component of oral hygiene products: the trace element helps maintain tooth mineralization and protects against tooth decay. But we also take in fluoride with food and drinking water: many wonders what effects this has on the body and whether too much fluoride might be harmful. Such rumors circulate again and again and cause uncertainty. First of all, a misunderstanding needs to be cleared up here. Fluorine and fluoride are not the same! The former is actually highly toxic. In fluoride, on the other hand, the gas is bound as salt and is harmless in traces.
These foods contain fluoride
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends not doing without fluoride to prevent tooth decay. The intake recommendation for infants and children is between 0.25 and 3.2 milligrams per day, depending on their age, and between 2.9 and 3.8 milligrams for adolescents and adults, depending on gender. The use of fluoridated table salt in the kitchen and the fluoride content in drinking water must be included in this total. Your doctor may have prescribed fluoride tablets for you, which you should include in the balance sheet. The number of foods in which fluoride occurs naturally is manageable. This is how the trace element is found in
- brook trout
- Pink salmon, goldfish, and white salmon
- dried seaweed
- mussels
- sardines in oil
- protein powder
- meat extract
- tea
All types of tea are affected, from fruit and herbal tea to black tea. The question of whether black or green tea is healthier does not arise with regard to fluoride: both types are rich in a trace element.
Can too much fluoride make you sick?
Due to the low occurrence, an overdose of fluoride through food is almost impossible. The so-called fluorosis can only occur as a result of additional intake. Symptoms include stains on the teeth, shortness of breath, and coughing. Therefore, always clarify a substitution with your doctor and do not take fluoride tablets or fluoride-containing food supplements on “good luck”. Incidentally, this also applies to iodine supplementation: the iodine content in food is usually sufficient to cover requirements.
