Dietary intake and bioavailability of fluoride

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Water fluoridation has been practiced for nearly 40 years in the US.
• Fluoride (F) content in processed foods and beverages is increasing due to the use of fluoridated water.
• This leads to a rise in the total daily F intake for children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the increasing contribution of dietary fluoride to total intake.
• To emphasize the need for including dietary F in intake assessments before prescribing supplements.
• To advocate for the development of standardized methods for analyzing F in food and beverages.

Main Methods:

• Review of current surveys on F content in food products.
• Estimation of daily total F intake from various sources (food, beverages, dentifrices).
• Discussion of challenges in using foods and beverages as alternative F delivery vehicles.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in F content observed in infant formulas, cereals, juices, and beverages.
• Children's total daily F intake is rising but generally remains within accepted ranges.
• Dietary F is becoming a more significant component of overall F consumption.

Conclusions:

• Dietary fluoride intake must be considered in total F assessments for children, regardless of community water fluoridation status.
• Development of sensitive analytical methods for F in foods and beverages is essential.
• Current alternative methods like fluoridated salt or using staple foods for F delivery have limitations in bioavailability and accessibility.