A study has found that an increase in calcium in diet can help widespread dental health problems caused by excessive fluoride consumption in remote regions of Ethiopia.
The areas have high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in the groundwater which harms tooth enamel and bones if too much is consumed.
An effort has been on treating the drinking water to reduce fluoride levels but fluoride levels were found to be too high for the process to be effective.
The study found that alternatively, calcium can be increased in the villagers’ diet to help prevent fluoride damage.
Increased numbers of fluorosis have been reported around the globe, which highlights the importance of this study as global warming could worsen the quality of drinking water in upcoming years.
Read more at Duke University Medical Centre