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DEBUNKING THE MYTHS – EPISODE #7

MYTH #7: That fluoridation will not materially alter dietary fluoride intake.

HEALTH AUTHORITIES ON FLUORIDATION NEVER CONSIDERED
DIETARY FLUORIDE INTAKE

These authorities counted only the additional intake of fluoride from fluoridated water consumed as a drink. They did not fully consider that fluoridated water would be one of the important ingredients in a large number of culinary preparations such as rice, bread, cereals, legumes, reconstituted milk and other drinks, and that this fluoride would be added to the fluoride already naturally present in these foods. As a result, the total daily intake of fluoride increased far beyond their original intentions.

When fluoridation was launched in the early 1960s, most people were eating farm-to-market food. The consumption of industrial food was still limited. Whereas today, a large part—if not the majority of our food—is prepared and processed by the commercial food industry. More and more food industries and restaurants use fluoridated water, because more and more municipalities are fluoridated!

Consequently, the dietary intake of fluoride is constantly increasing. It is now common that the fluoride intake in young children exceeds the toxic threshold, because so much of what they eat is processed. Water is fluoridated at 0.7 ppm, yet the toxic threshold, according to recent studies, is less than 0.05 mg/kg of body weight/day.

Scientific rigour requires regularly updating the fluoride intake as dietary preferences evolve, to ensure the total fluoride intake from all sources remains below this toxic threshold. Yet, there have been very few scientific studies evaluating the amount of fluoride in foods prepared with fluoridated water, particularly industrial food products.

These are the variables:

• There is a wide variety of food products on the market;

• Manufactured in different regions;

• That may or may not fluoridate their water;

• With varying amounts of water according to each producer’s production processes.

Therefore, fluoride concentrations of each food can vary greatly! There are no government regulations requiring the display of the fluoride concentration in food. It is therefore impossible to assess one’s own dietary fluoride intake.

Since health authorities have not addressed this issue, they do not know to what extent fluoridation has increased the dietary fluoride intake in the population, especially in regions with fluoridated municipal water. The few authors who have published on this subject, point out this shortcoming. For example, the renowned team of Drs. Warren and Levy from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, noted that, “Few studies have investigated fluoride exposures from juices and flavoured juice drinks manufactured with water.” (i)  Another study published in the British Dental Journal reported that, “Infants living in fluoridated areas, in general, may receive more fluoride from food alone than the optimal dose suggested for total daily fluoride intake”.(ii)

ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF FLUORIDATION ON VARIOUS FOODS

supermarkets. Among the infant foods, there were ready-to-eat foods, porridge, formulated foods and powdered milk. For rice and beans, fluoride concentrations were assessed in the raw state, after cooking with fluoridated water at 0.7 ppm or with distilled water. They considered A dose of 0.07 mg/kg/day to be the upper limit of fluoride exposure in terms of fluorosis risks. Here are the researchers’ observations:

“The fluoride concentrations found in the grains of rice and beans were low. However, they increased 100 to 200-fold after cooking in fluoridated water. Even so, they were lower than what is found in some processed foods. A meal of rice and beans prepared with fluoridated water would be responsible for 29% of the threshold dose for fluoride intake in terms of acceptable fluorosis; the contribution from some processed foods reaches 45%.”(iii)  (Authors’ emphasis.)

The Brazilian researchers’ findings are very disturbing: a typical meal alone already provides 29% of the threshold intake dose of fluoride in terms of acceptable fluorosis and the percentage increases to 45% for commercial foods if they are prepared with fluoridated water. When we use fluoridated water, there is a very high risk of damaging the health of our children's teeth.

The Brazilian researchers were not alone in observing the impact of fluoridation on food intake. In 1996, American researchers compared two communities of which one was fluoridated and the other was not. They found a significant variation in the fluoride content of fountain drinks and in cooked or reconstituted foods prepared with local water. (iv)

In a 2022 Australian study, a group of researchers analyzed the fluoride content of a total of 326 solid food samples and 49 liquid food samples. They noticed a wide variation in fluoride content in ready-to-eat baby foods and drinks. They attributed these variations to processing, different ingredients and their origins…including water.

“In general, we found the fluoride content in most of the collected samples from Australian markets to be high and may therefore carry a risk of dental fluorosis. These results highlight the need for parents to receive appropriate information on the fluoride content of ready-to-eat infant food and drinks.”(v)

In 2014, a group of American dental researchers conducting a study in the United States noted:

“This study sought to assess the fluoride content of commercially available foods for infants, and to guide dentists who are advising parents of young children about fluoride intake. Three samples each of 20 different foods (including fruits and vegetables; as well as chicken, turkey, beef/ham, and vegetarian dinners) from three manufacturers were analyzed for their fluoride content. Among the 360 samples tested, fluoride concentration ranged from 0.007 to 4.13 mg fluoride/g food. All foods tested had detectable amounts of fluoride. Chicken products had the highest mean levels of fluoride, followed by turkey products. Consuming >1 serving per day of the high fluoride concentration products in this study, would place children over the recommended daily fluoride intake. Fluoride from infant foods should be taken into account when determining total daily fluoride intake.”(vi)

This study sounded the alarm: Daily consumption of more than a single serving of industrialized infant products with a high concentration of fluoride would put a child at risk for fluorosis.

IN CONCLUSION

The analysis in this newsletter shows that the fluoride concentration in foods varies. Infant milk formulas are subject to variations not only from one brand to another, but also from one batch to another of the same brand. And some, especially soy, have notably higher concentrations of fluoride. Since babies are not limited only to bottle milk formulas as they grow older, but also to juices and foods that may have been commercially prepared with fluoridated water, the risk of doubling dietary fluoride intake is inevitable.

Given that research on dietary fluoride intake is still very fragmented, especially that of commercial foods manufactured with fluoridated water, health surveillance on the fluoride concentration in foods is yet to be done. There is also no labelling of fluoride concentrations for different foods. Health authorities, governments and the general population are not yet aware of the risks of excessive fluoride intake from industrial foods. It is therefore impossible to ensure that at least parts of the population, especially young children, are not consuming an excessive and potential toxic amount of fluoride.

If health authorities fail to assess the extent to which dietary fluoride intake could be problematic today, it is because they are unaware of the complexity of the impact of fluoridation.

One must conclude that fluoridation was a reckless and ill-considered public health measure from its inception. We are proving it by destroying one-by-one the myths upon which it is based.

Gilles Parent, N.A.
Member of the Board of Fluoride Free Canada
Co-author of Fluoridation: Autopsy Of A Scientific Error 

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(i) Kiritsy. M. C.. S. M. Levy. J. J. Warren. N. Guha-Chowdhury. J. R. Heilman. T. Marshall. "Assessing  Fluoride Concentrations of Juices and Juice-flavored Drinks" J Am Dent Assoc. Vol. 127. no 7. 1996. p. 895-902.

(ii) Zohoori. F. V..  G .Whaley. P. J. Moynihan. A. Maguire. "Fluoride Intake of Infants Living in Non-Fluoridated and Fluoridated Areas" Br Dent J. Vol. 216. no 2. 2014.p. E3.

(iii) Casarin. R. C. V.. D. R. M. Fernandes. Y. B. O. Lima-Arsati. J. A. Cury. "Fluoride Concentrations in Typical Brazilian Foods and in Infant Foods" in Portuguese. Rev Saude Publica. Vol. 41. no 4. 2007.  p.549-56.

(iv) Jackson. R. D.. E. J. Brizendine. S. A. Kelly. R. Hinesley. G. K. Stookey. A. J. Dunipace. "The Fluoride Content of Foods and Beverages From Negligibly and Optimally Fluoridated Communities". Community Dent Oral Epidemiol .  Vol. 30. no 5. 2002.  p. 382-91.

(v) Chandio. N. . J. R. John.  S. Floyd. E. Gibson. D. K .Y. Wong. S. M. Levy. J. R. Heilman . A. Arora. "Fluoride Content of Ready-to-Eat Infant Foods and Drinks in Australia" Int J Environ Res Public Health. Vol. 19. no 21. 2022. p. 14087

(vi) Steele. J. L.. E. A. Martinez-Mier. B. J. Sanders. J. E. Jones. R. D. Jackson. A. E. Soto-Rojas. A. M. Tomlin. G. J. Eckert "Fluoride Content of Infant Foods". Gen Dent.  Vol. 62. no 2. 2014. p.72-4.

FLUORIDE FACT

It is now common that your choices of food alone can cause the toxic threshold for fluoride to be exceeded. This toxic threshold, according to recent studies, is less than 0.05 mg/kg of body weight/day.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TODAY?

If you have young children, consider how much of their diet consists of powdered or dehydrated ingredients that need to be reconstituted with water. If you live in a fluoridated community, use a fluoride filter system rather than tap water, to reduce your family’s exposure to this toxic chemical.

Sincerely,

Dr. James Winter, Ph.D.

Fluoride Free Canada

Newsletter Director

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