Assessment of Fluoride Levels in Different Brands of Black and Green Tea Consumed in Iran

Introduction & Tea is one of the most commonly consumed drinks in the world. Tea is recognized as a source of fluoride whose intake may increase the risk of developing dental fluorosis، particularly if other sources of fluoride augment the intake. Since the amount of fluoride in different types of tea consumed in our country is unknown، the purpose of this study was to evaluate the fluoride level of 22 commercial brands of tea popular in Iran. This descriptive study was conducted to assess the fluoride content of black tea (10 brands)، bagged black tea (9 brands)، and green tea (3 brands). 2 g from three samples of each tea brand taken out randomly were added to 200 ml deionized water and boiled for 10 minutes. After the infusion temperature coming down to the room temperature، the infusion was filtered and its volume made up to 200 ml by adding deionized water. The fluoride levels were measured using ion-selective electrode، and reported as mg/lit. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey test. The Fluoride content was found 1. 51 mg/lit in black tea bag، 1. 038 mg/lit in green tea and 0. 869±0. 360 mg/lit in black tea sticks. (P<0. 05)، However، there was no statistically sig-nificant difference of fluoride concentration between green tea and black tea sticks (P= 0. 52). This study showed that fluoride content of some tea brands were so high that drinking a few cups daily may increase the risk of developing dental fluorosis. Therefore، their consumption must be limited particularly in children، and in all inhabitants of regions with high fluoride levels in water supply.