PFPC Daily - January 25, 2005

NOTE: An analysis on the instant green tea "Wisdom of the Ancients",
conducted in 2002 at a certified lab by the PFPC, revealed a fluoride
content of 15.6 mg/L.

Potentially harmful fluoride levels found in some instant teas

Washington University School of Medicine

Public release date: 25-Jan-2005

Potentially harmful fluoride levels found in some instant teas
St. Louis, Jan. 25, 2005 -- Instant tea, one of the most popular
drinks in the United States, may be a source of harmful levels of
fluoride, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in
St. Louis report. The researchers found that some regular strength
preparations contain as much as 6.5 parts per million (ppm) of
fluoride, well over the 4 ppm maximum allowed in drinking water by
the Environmental Protection Agency and 2.4 ppm permitted in bottled
water and beverages by the Food and Drug Administration.

The discovery stemmed from the diagnostic investigation of a
middle-aged woman suffering from spine pain attributed to hyper-dense
bones. Testing for the cause of her symptoms revealed the patient had
high levels of fluoride in her urine. She then disclosed a high
consumption of iced tea--claiming to drink one to two gallons of
double-strength instant tea throughout the day--which led the
researchers to test for fluoride content in several brands of instant
tea available on grocery store shelves.

Each of the teas was tested as a regular-strength preparation in
fluoride-free water, and each contained fluoride, with amounts
ranging from 1.0 to 6.5 parts per million. The study is reported in
the January issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

"The tea plant is known to accumulate fluoride from the soil and
water. Our study points to the need for further investigation of the
fluoride content of teas," says Michael Whyte, M.D., professor of
medicine, pediatrics and genetics. "We don't know how much variation
there is from brand to brand and year to year."

In many communities in the United States, fluoride is added to
drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. However, the Public
Health Service indicates that the fluoride concentration should not
exceed 1.2 ppm.

Physicians have been aware that ingestion of high levels of fluoride
cause bone-forming cells to lay down extra skeletal tissue,
increasing bone density but also bone brittleness. The resulting
disease, called skeletal fluorosis, can manifest in bone pain,
calcification of ligaments, bone spurs, fused vertebrae and
difficulty in moving joints.

"When fluoride gets into your bones, it stays there for years, and
there is no established treatment for skeletal fluorosis," Whyte
says. "No one knows if you can fully recover from it."

Americans are exposed to fluoride not only through fluoridated water
but increasingly through fluoridated toothpastes and other dental
preparations. Pesticides, Teflon®-coated cookware, chewing
tobacco, some wines and certain sparkling mineral waters are more
unusual sources of excess exposure. Until now, instant tea had not
been recognized as a significant source of fluoride.

According to Whyte, the findings could aid in the diagnosis and
treatment of patients who have achiness in their bones. In the
future, doctors should ask such patients about their tea consumption.

SOURCE:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-01/wuso-phf012505.php