According to the UK Tea & Infusion Association they are now saying that a regular intake of flouride is recommended to protect against dental caries and gum disease.
Tea is a natural source of flouride and just one cup can contain 0.3 to 0.5mg. Studies show that the polyphenolic activity of tea may also benefit oral health. 2-3 servings of tea a day contributes to fluoride intakes but levels don’t exceed European safe limits and are not even high enough to reach recommended levels.
This suggests that a higher tea consumption of 4-5 cups daily would be better for our dental health. Among higher consumers of tea (up to 5 cups daily) fluoride intakes meet recommended levels and are still below safe limits. In children aged 4-10 years an appropriate intake would be 1-2 servings and in older children up to 4 servings daily could be consumed while remaining within limits for fluoride and caffeine.
The UK Tea & Infusions Association have set up a Tea Advisory Panel to provide the media with impartial information regarding the health benefits of tea.
