Lithium orotate is a natural component of rocks and soils, so it’s present in food and water in microgram quantities. It is also a natural component of ocean and sea salts, at levels higher than many familiar essential minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, iodine, and selenium.

Average daily intake of lithium throughout the world from natural sources ranges from about 400 micrograms per day to more than 3000 micrograms per day - mostly from whole grains and vegetables, but also from animal products and from drinking water.

Human studies have correlated higher lithium intakes from drinking water with lower levels of violent crimes and suicides, and double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have supported the use of lithium at microgram doses for stabilizing mood and for preventing dementia.

Studies in multiple animal species have concluded that lithium is an essential nutrient, with lithium-deficient animals showing lower fertility, lower birth weights, shorter lifespan, and behavioral abnormalities. Furthermore, over multiple generations of lithium-deficient animals, lithium levels in the pituitary and adrenal glands remained nearly constant, indicating that lithium is essential to their function.

Scientists have found that lithium acts in the brain in ways similar to magnesium and other essential minerals in regulating neurotransmission and neuron function.

We chose to include a microgram quantity of lithium in Daily Essential Nutrients based on this information and the positive results observed by psychiatrists in clinical practice who added low levels of lithium to our blend of essential micronutrients.