What Does Fluoride Do For The Body?
Fluoride is a trace mineral naturally found in small amounts in a variety of foods. It is most recognized for its role in preventing and reversing dental caries and building strong teeth and bones.
Most fluoride is absorbed in the gut and stored in bones and teeth. Unabsorbed fluoride is excreted in urine. Children absorb fluoride more efficiently than adults, as their teeth and bones are rapidly forming.
Recommended Amounts
There is not a Recommended Dietary Allowance for fluoride as nutritional requirements have not been established. However, adequate intakes (AI), or the amount assumed to ensure adequate nutrition, have been established for adults 19+ years at 4 mg a day for men and 3 mg for women. For women who are pregnant or lactating, the adequate intake is 3 mg.
The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for fluoride for all adults 19+ years of age and pregnant and lactating women is 10 mg daily; a UL is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause harmful effects on health.
Like most of the ultratrace minerals, there is little data on the amounts of fluoride if any in microgreens.
How Much Fluoride Do You Need?
Below are the values of Fluoride recommended by NIH based on life stage.
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 0.01 mg |
| Infants 7–12 months | 0.5 mg |
| Children 1–3 years | 0.7 mg |
| Children 4–8 years | 1 mg |
| Children 9–13 years | 2 mg |
| Teens 14–18 years | 3 mg |
| Adult men 19+ years | 4 mg |
| Adult women 19+ years | 3 mg |
| Pregnant teens and women | 3 mg |
| Breastfeeding teens and women | 3 mg |
Can You Take Too Much Fluoride?
Yes, you can take too much fluoride. Fluoride toxicity is rare in healthy individuals, but it can occur in people who are exposed to high levels of fluoride in their environment or who take high doses of fluoride supplements.
The upper tolerable limit for fluoride intake for adults is 10 milligrams per day. However, even lower levels of fluoride can be harmful for people with certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease.
Fluoride in Microgreens by Variety
These values are based on 100 grams of microgreens. Much more than you would eat of any one variety per meal. Be sure to remember the purpose of this course and the values presented.
| Microgreens Variety | Daily Value by % per 100-grams |
|---|---|
| No value = NR | No data from reliable source |
| Amaranth | NR |
| Arugula | NR |
| Basil | NR |
| Beet | NR |
| Bok Choy | NR |
| Borage | NR |
| Broccoli | NR |
| Brussel Sprouts | NR |
| Buckwheat | NR |
| Cabbage | NR |
| Carrot | <1% |
| Cauliflower | <1% |
| Celery | NR |
| Chervil | NR |
| Chives, Garlic | NR |
| Cilantro | NR |
| Cress, Upland | NR |
| Dill | NR |
| Endive | NR |
| Fennel | NR |
| Fenugreek | NR |
| Kale | NR |
| Kohlrabi | NR |
| Leek | NR |
| Lettuce | NR |
| Lovage | NR |
| Mustard | NR |
| Nasturtium | NR |
| Onions | NR |
| Parsley | NR |
| Pea | NR |
| Radish | NR |
| Shungiku | NR |
| Sorrel | NR |
| Spinach | NR |
| Sunflower | NR |
| Swiss Chard | NR |
| Tat Soi | NR |
| Tokyo Bekana | NR |
| Turnip | NR |
For More Information on Fluoride
Click here for more information on Fluoride from the National Institute of Health.
