Lithium is used as a medicine for mood disorders. Its presence in the water we drink also offers protection against the risk of suicide.
- Lithium is a mineral element, naturally present in certain foods such as salt, vegetables and spices.
- It is used in treatments for manic states, bipolar disorders and sleep disorders.
Water is necessary for life: it helps us to digest, to stay hydrated, to eliminate waste present in our body, but it can also protect us. It contains trace elements with valuable effects on health, such as lithium. The latter is present in mineral water but also in tap water. Several studies have shown that it offers protection against mental health disorders.
Less violent behavior?
In 1990, University of California San Diego researchers point out: crime is lower in regions where the water is rich in lithium. They collected data from 27 counties in Texas between 1978 and 1987. In counties with lithium levels per liter of tap water between 70 and 170 micrograms, rates of suicide, homicide and rape are higher. low, compared to counties where lithium is present in lower amounts. “These results suggest that lithium has moderating effects on suicides and violent behavior“, underlined the authors.
Confirmed effects on suicide rates
Twenty years later, another research team confirms the beneficial effects of lithium on the risk of suicide. In the British Journal of Psychiatry, these scientists explain that regions with a high concentration of lithium in tap water have lower suicide rates. “Levels of lithium in drinking water are well below those recommended when lithium is used as a medicine, recalls Allan Young, one of the authors of this research, but the duration of exposure can be much longer, potentially starting as early as gestationIn summary, drinking small amounts of lithium via tap water on a regular basis could reduce the risk of suffering from mental disorders.
In November, new research confirmed the mental health benefits of lithium-rich water. In Journal of Affective Disorders, Lithuanian scientists carried out analyzes on the concentration of lithium in tap water in the most common parts of the country, then they cross-referenced this data with recorded cases of affective disorders. They find that suicide death rates are lower in regions where the water is rich in lithium, and where the population is more affected by affective disorders.
How to interpret these results ?
For Anjum Memon, author of the study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2020, tap water, rich in lithium, could be a means of prevention against mental disorders. “The prevalence of mental health problems and national suicide rates are rising in many countrieshe observes. Worldwide, more than 800,000 people commit suicide each year, and suicide is the leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24.” However, he recalls that the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the mental health of many individuals. “It is increasingly important to access ways to improve community mental health and reduce the incidence of anxiety, depression and suicide.”he concludes. Tap water is an easy and economical way to do this.
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