A case of skeletal flurosis (thikening of spine) due to drinking instant tea has been reported in Journal of American Medical Association. A 52 year old white female was evaluated for dense lumbar vertebrae after she twisted her back. It took the doctors several years to realize that her fluoride intake had been excessively high. This high fluoride intake was coming from consumption of 1-2 gallons of Instant tea daily. When she switched to lemonade, the fluoride levels in her body went back to normal.

Independent lab tests in two different labs, of 10 instant teas on the market revealed that at least one tea exceeded the EPA safety limit of 4ppm for drinking water, and several exceeded the FDA limit of 1.4-2.4 ppm for bottled beverages. Most contaned fluoride content in the range of 1 to 6.5ppm.

Advice: If you have to drink instant iced tea, drink it in moderation - not 2 gallons per day. However remember the natural alternative is the best alternative: You can make iced tea using loose leaf tea. Simply steep 4 teaspoons of tea in a gallon of hot water for 10 minutes. Once tea is ready, add sugar to taste and leave in the refigerator for about an hour.

Tip: If the tea is too weak for your taste, try to increase the steep time a little bit, or increase the amount of tea. If the tea is too strong, add some water to it. Its a matter of personal taste so don’t hesitate to experiment.

Read more here