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minerals (nutrition)
fluorine (Fl)
Nutrition
definition
Fluorine:
» overview:
An essential mineral found mostly in the teeth and skeleton
» metabolism:
Fluorine is one of three halogens essential for health and reproduction in humans.
It is as abundant as iron in the body and it is found mostly in bone tissue. As part of bone, it is complexed with calcium or hydroxyapatite to form fluoroapatite.
Plasma fluorine levels are related to dietary intake.
Industrial exposure may also play a role in plasma levels.
It should be noted that only very small amounts pass from the placenta to fetus.
Fluoride is readily absorbable in the small intestine.
It is lost mainly through the urine.
» Chinese:
Tonifies the Kidney; nourishes Yin; strengthens the Bones and teeth.
» function:
Increases the deposition of calcium in bone.
Fluorine, found complexed with calcium and hydroxyapatite, plays an important role in making bones and tooth enamel hard (harder and more resistant to decay compared to hydroxypatite).
It provides nucleation sites for bone mineral crystallization.
It is also responsible for giving bone its density.
Reduces formation of acids in the mouth.
In rats and mice low fluorine diets have resulted in growth retardation, increased infertility and anemia. Addition of fluorine corrects these problems.
» requirements:
Estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake (ESADDI): 1.5-4.0 mg per day
Average intake in the U.S.: 2.7mg per day (1.5 mg from food and 1.3 from water)
Note: An 8 oz glass of fluoridated water (1ppm or 1 mg/l) provides about 0.2 mg of fluoride.
One study showed that in areas where water contained more than 0.7 ppm of fluoride, the mean dietary intake for:
6 month old infants: 0.418 mg per day.
1 year old toddler: 0.621 mg per day.
When drinking water contained less than the 0.7 ppm, intake was significantly less with the highest intakes not exceeding 0.08m/kg/day. (Marz, p. 155, 1997)
» food sources:
Organic fluorine is found in steel-cut oats, sunflower seeds, milk and cheese, carrots, garlic, beet greens, green vegetables, seafood, meat, tea and almonds; also naturally present in sea water and naturally hard water.
Most fluoride comes from drinking water but food can contribute nearly as much. Black tea and seafood contain very high amounts. 1 cup of tea may have up to 1 mg of fluoride. Soups made in societies that use fish and meat bones may provide considerable amounts of fluoride. In China, plants, rather than water, have very high fluoride content. Beef liver is also high in fluoride and significant amounts of fluoride can be taken in from Teflon pans, especially if they are heated to higher temperatures or scraped.
Best Food Sources of Fluoride:
Food Amount mg.
Wine 1 liter 6.3
Mackerel 100 g 2.70
Sardines 3..5 oz 1.14
Cod 3.5 oz 0.7
Salmon 3.5 oz 0.66
Tea 100 g 0.47
Shrimp 3.5 oz 0.4
Coffee 100 g 0.25
Buckwheat 100 g 0.17
Chicken 3.5 oz 0.145
Milk, whole 1 cup 0.12
Kale, cooked 1/2 cup 0.08 - 0.2
Rice 100 g 0.07
Grapefruit 1/2 0.07
Egg 1 large 0.062
Oatmeal 1 cup 0.06
Corn 1/2 cup 0.05
Onions 100 g 0.05
Beef 3.5 oz 0.03 - 0.2
Wheat germ, toasted 1/4 cup 0.02 - 0.1
Spinach 1/2 cup 0.02 - 0.16
Soybeans 100 g 0.02
Potato 1 med 0.01 - 1 .0
Lettuce 100 g 0.01
Apple 1 med 0.008 - 0.2
(USDA: Composition of Foods. USDA Handbook # 8. Washington DC, ARS, USDA, 1976-1986)
» deficiency:
Symptoms of fluoride deficiency include growth retardation, dental carries, anemia, and weakened bones.
» therapeutics:
Dental carie prevention: It has been well documented that fluoride intake positively correlates with a decreased incidence of dental carries in children. Areas that have less fluoride in their drinking water have more dental carries and less bone density. At least one study has shown that molybdenum has synergistic effects with fluoride and, if supplemented together, less fluoride can be used. (Marz, p. 156, 1997)
Osteoporosis: though a four year study found that fluoride supplementation in women with osteoporosis did not change the hip fracture rate. (Riggs B, et al. N Engl J Med, 332:802, 1990.)
» toxicity:
Fluorine has very high levels of toxicity.
Chronic ingestion of 2.5 ppm or more in children will strengthen their teeth and bones but will also cause permanent mottling of occur drinking water with fluoride concentration of 2 to 8 ppm; osteosclerosis, at 8 to 20 ppm.
At 3-5 ppm, toxic effects have been shown to occur in cattle with symptoms of weakness, loss of appetite, and gastroenteritis.
At higher intakes in humans, gastroenteritis has been documented.
Other long term exposure symptoms: from ingestion of 8 ppm over 35 years: include skeletal abnormalities such as osteoporosis and/or osteomalacia; calcification of tendons, ligaments and interosseous membranes; and development of bone spurs. These toxic effects have become quite common in certain areas in India and China where fluoride levels are high in water and soil.
Levels above 20 ppm cause ligament and bone calcification, degenerative changes in central nervous system, kidneys, heart, reproductive organs.
50 ppm can cause fatal poisoning.
Note: Carbon block filters only remove about 30% of fluoride from drinking water.
(National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Consumer. May, 1991; Tsutsui, T., et al. Mutation Res 140:43-48, 1984)
footnotes
Kirschmann and Dunne, pp. 72-73
Marz, Russell. Medical Nutrition From Marz. Second Edition. Portland, OR. 1997.
National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Consumer. May, 1991. The risk for developing osteosarcoma may go up.
Riggs B, et al. A four year controlled trial of fluoride suppementation of women with osteroporosis does not change fracture rate. N Engl J Med, 332:802, 1990.
Abstract: Fluoride supplementation in women with osteoporosis did not change the hip fracture rate.
Tsutsui T, et al. Induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis in cultured human oral keratinocytes by Sodium Fluoride. Mutation Res 140:43-48, 1984.
Abstract: 45-135 ppm fluoride, given as sodium fluoride, caused unexpected DNA synthesis in human oral keratinocytes within 4 hours.
USDA: Composition of Foods. USDA Handbook #8. Washington DC, ARS, USDA, 1976-1986.