Fluoride intake with relation to milk and water consumption

Fluoride intake with relation to milk and water consumption

LETTERS TO THE 477 EDITORS removed, the necessary amounts of this ion and of KC must subsequently be added to adjust the composition to that of a...

130KB Sizes 5 Downloads 76 Views

LETTERS

TO

THE

477

EDITORS

removed, the necessary amounts of this ion and of KC must subsequently be added to adjust the composition to that of amphibian Locke solution, which can then be safely applied to the muscle preparation. REFERENCES 1. MACINTOSH, F. C., AND PERRY, W. L. M., Methods in Med. Research 3,78 (1950). 2. TOMPKINS, E. R., KHYM, J. X., AND COHN, W. E., J. Am. Chem. Sot. 69, 2769 (1947). 3. COHN, W. E., J. Am. Chem. Sot. 72, 1471 (1950). 4. SAMUELSON, O., Ion-Exchangers in Analytical Chemistry. John Wiley $ Sons, Inc., New York, 1953. 5. HESTRIN, S., J. Biol. Chem. 180, 249 (1949). C. W. SHEPPARD Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, WALDO E. COHN PATTY JEAN MATHIAS Oak Ridge, Tennessee Received October 7, 1965 Fluoride

Intake

with

Relation

to Milk

and Water

Consumption

Since the fluoride content of human placental tissues (1) had rather large variations, it was believed that a determination of fluoridated water intakes might reveal the reason for these differences. Six of the 12 women from Newburgh, New York, listed in the above study were questioned as to liquid dietary habits some 9 months (April, 1952) after the placental tissues had been obtained. Amounts of liquids consumed were discussed in detail including sizes of containers used. It was found that the placental fluoride values ran parallel to the milk intake during the time of pregnancy, and not to the fluoridated water consumption. (See Table I.) This could be related to adequate general nutrition as discussed by Massler and Schour (2), and to calcium intake as suggested by McClendon, Foster, and Supplee (3) and McClendon and Gershon-Cohen (4) and to the viewpoint that fluoride could possibly be deposited similarly to lead (5). Without fluoridation the average diet of an adult contains approximately 320 pg. fluoride/day (6), but the survey revealed that various beverages bottled with fluoridated water added to the fluoride intake. Likewise, fluoridated bread contributed an additional 8 pg. fluoride/slice. The low water intakes of the children confirmed the idea that except for babies on formula only minimal amounts of fluoride were obtained from this source (7,s). The question arises then whether or not the very young children should be encouraged to drink about three glasses of the fluoridated water each day during the age when teeth are developing (9), even though in Newburgh at the present time without such a program the caries rate is decreasing (10). Although in this survey it was found that placental fluoride values paralleled the milk intake, it must be acknowledged that only a limited number of subjects were studied by the method of interrogation; however, the results do present certain observations that call for increased research in blood, bone, and teeth fluoride levels associated with different fluoride, calcium, and phosphate intakes.

478

LETTERS

TO

THE

TABLE Daily

Fluid

Intake

EDITORS

I

and Fluoride

Ingestion

.from Water

At time of surrey Name in family No.

luarts

During pregnancy

Daily water intake0

0f

dlk/daq

rota1

Ill

loride from 7Pat.3

Total

Daily water intake

%:” water

701

Pg.

lacentll luoride

ml.

ml.

-

840 100

840 100 <50

630

210

210

85

xx?o~ -

2020 <50 <50

690

1330

1330

98

1296 300 -

1290 300 <50

900

600

600

174

600 1000

85

800 moo

855 60 -

855 60 <50

1240

<315

<315

281

Mrs. W. 9 mo. F

4

825 1000

495 -

495 <50

1185

85

85

286

Mrs. L. 4 yr. M 3 yr. F 9 mo. M

4

1400 720 720 1009

165 420 420 60

165 420 420 60

1400

<50

<50

514

Mm G. 4 yr. M 9 mo. Mb

2

Mrs. D. 2 yr. M 9 mo. F

2

Mrs. B. 5 yr. F 9 mo. F

2

Mrs. F. 3 yr. F 9 mo. M

800 looo -

690 1000 -

PK.

ml.

l./lW g.

a Includes coffee, soup, and soft drinks, but not citrus juices. b Most of the g-month-old children had been on a formula of 500/c water and 50% condensed milk. This would indicate that at an age of 1 week the baby would consume about 240 pg. fluoride/day which would increase to some 480 pg. at weaning. Whole milk would then be substituted which contained very little fluoride. In the case of the child of W. the values were 320 and 640 pg., respectively, since more water had been used in the formula. 0 Heavy consumer of carbonated beverages. REFERENCES

1. GARDNER, D. E., SMITH, F. A., HODGE, H. C., OVERTON, D. E., AND FELTMAN, R., Science 116, 208 (1952). 2. MASSLER, M., AND SXIOUR, I., J. Am. Dental Assoc. 44, 156 (1952).

LETTERS

TO

THE

EDITORS

479

3. MCCLENDON, J. F., FOSTER, W. C., AND SUPPLEE, G. C., Arch. Biochem. 1, 51 (1943). 4. MCCLENDON, J. F., AND GERSHON-COHEN, J., Science 117, 595 (1953). 5. GOODMAN, L., AND GILMAN, A., The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, p. 717. The Macmillan Co., New York, 1942. 6. MACKENZIE, E. F. W., Lancet 262,961 (1952). 7. LIGHT, A. E., Nutrition Revs. 10, 159 (1952). 8. MCKEE, J. E., Eng. and Sci. 15, 18 (1952). 9. JENKINS, G. N., AND SPEIRS, R. L., J. Physiol. 121. 21 P (1953). 10. AST, D. B., AND CHASE, H. C., Oral Surg., Oral Med., Oral Pathol. 6, 114 (1953). The Wellcome Research Laboratories, Amos E. Light Tuckahoe, New York Received September SO, 1965