Lithium

Lithium is an alkali metal present in trace amounts in water supplies and certain foods. At pharmacological doses, lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are well-established mood-stabilizing medicatio...

• At Pharmacological Doses (Prescription Only), Lithium Is A First-Line Mood Stabilizer For Bipolar Disorder, Reducing Mania And Depression Relapse
• At Pharmacological Doses, Lithium Inhibits Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3Β (Gsk-3Β) And Inositol Monophosphatase, Which May Account For Its Neuroprotective Effects
• Ecological Studies Associate Higher Drinking Water Lithium Levels With Reduced Rates Of Suicide, Dementia, And Violent Crime — Mechanistic Basis Is Unclear
• Low-Dose Lithium (Orotate) Is Marketed For Mood Support, But Clinical Evidence Is Insufficient To Recommend It As A Supplement

Note No established dietary UL or RDA; pharmacological lithium has a narrow therapeutic window (0.6–1.2 mEq/L serum) Note Pharmacological lithium requires regular blood monitoring; toxicity causes tremor, confusion, ataxia, kidney damage, and can be fatal