Fluor Requirement
An adult human has several grams of fluoride in their body. The daily requirement for an adult is about 3mg, that of a toddler around 0.7mg. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased need for fluoride, as do infants and toddlers due to the formation of their teeth and overall growth. Fluoride can be introduced through food: black tea and mineral water, sea fish, eggs and butter, millet, cheese, spinach, as well as groundnuts and walnuts contain fluoride. It is also recommended to season foods with iodized table salt. Natural fluoride is also contained in drinking water, but in Germany it is present in rather small amounts. Local waterworks can provide information on the fluoride content of drinking water.
Function of Fluoride in the Body
Fluoride has several important functions in the body: It improves the calcium utilization from food, increases the resistance of teeth and can prevent caries. A lack of fluoride can lead to growth restrictions, promote osteoporosis (age-related bone decalcification), and increase susceptibility to caries. Fluoridated toothpaste is recommended by most dentists as an effective preventive measure against caries. However, fluoride can also be overdosed. One of the best-known consequences is fluorosis, which causes brown discoloration of teeth and reduces the resistance of enamel. Long-term overdose with fluoride can have the same effect as insufficient intake: osteoporosis.
Toddlers should only use fluoride toothpaste for daily oral hygiene once they have learned to spit out the tooth cream after brushing. It is also important to always pay attention to special children's toothpaste, as the fluoride content in adult toothpaste is still too high for them. In Germany, the administration of fluoride tablets to newborns is relatively common. Some pediatricians even recommend their use up until toddler age. However, one should not combine fluoride tablets with fluoridated toothpaste to prevent overdose.
Overview of Trace Elements
| Chromium |
| Iron |
| Fluoride |
| Iodine |
| Copper |
| Manganese |
| Selenium |
| Zinc |