The Fluoride Content of Green Tea Leaves

For those who are still worried about the fluoride in green tea, here’s what your need to know:

Tea plants accumulate fluoride in their leaves over time, so the oldest leaves contain the most fluoride, while the youngest contain the least. Therefore, white tea (which is made from youngest leaves and buds) is your best bet if you’re trying to take in as little fluoride as possible. Green tea that is made from older leaves, oolong tea and black tea have slightly more fluoride. The highest amount of fluoride is found in brick tea, a lower quality tea made from the oldest tea leaves which are molded into the shape of a brick (thus its name). Brick tea is the one to watch out for, as symptoms of fluorosis have been seen in Tibetan children and adults who drink large amounts of this kind of tea.