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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 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
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