Brick tea consumption and its relationship with fluorosis in Tibetan areas

Abstract

Brick tea-type fluorosis (BTF) due to a high intake of brick tea is possible in Tibetan populations, and dental fluorosis (DF) and skeletal fluorosis (SF) are its primary manifestations. To determine the prevalence of DF and SF and their relationships with brick tea intake in Tibetan populations, a literature review was conducted for studies published between 1994 and 2021. The available evidence revealed that brick tea may be produced from older stems and leaves of the tea plant and that the fluoride content of brick tea exceeds the national standard. The harsh environment of the plateau has led to limited food sources for the local Tibetan people who form the habit of drinking tea leaves as a satiation solution to digest greasy food and replenish vitamins, and regular consumption of brick tea leads to excessive exposure of Tibetan residents to fluoride. Studies in Tibet showed that the prevalence of DF in children was 14.06–75.93% in different districts, and the overall pooled prevalence of DF was 26.08%. The prevalence of SF in adults was 19.90–74.77% in different Tibetan districts, and the overall pooled prevalence of SF was 33.84%. The analysis of risk factors showed that the prevalence of BTF may be related to high-altitude and different working and living conditions, and BTF in children may be associated with fluoride intake during mothers’ pregnancy and lactation. With the development of bioinformatics research, gene polymorphisms were suspected to be related to susceptibility to fluorosis in Tibetan populations. The study of BTF in Tibetan people needs to be further investigated and standardized, and additional studies evaluating the pathogenesis and preventive measures of BTF are warranted.

Prevalence of T-2 Toxin in the Food and Beverages of Residents Living in a Kashin–Beck-Disease Area of Qamdo, Tibet

“…Brick tea is a base material for making butter tea in Tibet, which a large number of Tibetan people drink every day. The harsh environment of the plateau has led to limited food sources for the local Tibetan people, who form the habit of drinking tea leaves as a satiation solution to digest greasy food and replenish vitamins [19]. The results of our dietary survey showed that the most consumed beverage, in both patients and controls in Qamdo, Tibet, was butter tea.…”

Effect of Calcium Supplementation and TMEM16A Inhibition on Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induced by Dental Fluorosis in Mice

“…Dental fluorosis represents a form of discolored teeth and serves as an early indicator of chronic fluorosis within the oral cavity. It is marked by the diminished enamel gloss in permanent teeth, often exhibiting a chalky or brownishyellow appearance, and irregular enamel defects become apparent in severe instances [1]. The impact of dental fluorosis extends significantly to the structure, morphology, and functionality of the teeth.…”

The Influence of the Preparation of Tea Infusion on the Content of Fluoride and the Assessment of Health Risk for the Consumer in Poland

“…In the remaining cases, the sources of fluoride were toothpaste and inhalation of fumes containing this element. There are many scientific reports on fluoride content in various tea infusions, simultaneously attempting to assess the health risk, mainly in countries where tea consumption is high [12,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. Conclusions from these studies, in most cases, indicate that tea infusion is an important and insufficiently considered source of fluoride exposure, and its consumption, especially in larger quantities, may pose a potential health risk.…”

“…Conclusions from these studies, in most cases, indicate that tea infusion is an important and insufficiently considered source of fluoride exposure, and its consumption, especially in larger quantities, may pose a potential health risk. Of the 16 cited publications, 6 indicate that the risk assessment did not show a significant health risk from the consumption of tea infusions [22,27,29,32,33,35]. In addition, Ruxton and Bond [29] conclude that more significant dental health benefits could be achieved for the UK population if the average adult intake increased to four to five servings per day.…”