Lithium is a rather reactive metal, belonging to the alkali metals in group 1 of the periodic table of the elements. Lithium has a number of industrial applications, most notably in battery manufacture, but it is less well known for its role in human nutrition. Lithium is present in most soils in trace amounts and so plants contain lithium in their tissues. When we eat the plants the lithium is transferred to our tissues and this provides a reasonable intake of lithium for those consuming a plant based diet. Because of the reactivity of lithium it has a propensity to replace magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium ions, and this may explain its toxicity in high amounts. However, intakes of up to 10 mg have not shown any adverse effects in humans. Lithium can enter cells via the sodium ion transporters and within cells may interfere with magnesium containing enzymes. A balance of lithium is therefore required in the diet in order to provide enough lithium for essential function, without disrupting other physiological systems.
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