LONDON — Researchers from two Japanese universities report that low levels of lithium in drinking water may reduce the risk of suicide, according to a May 1 UPI report.
The report, “Lithium levels in drinking water and risk of suicide,” was published in the May issue of The British Journal of Psychiatry (Volume 194, Issue 5). Researchers from Japan’s Oita University and Hiroshima International University found that in 18 communities in southern Japan where natural lithium levels range from 0.7 micrograms per liter (µg/l) to 59 µg/l, the suicide rate was significantly lower in communities whose water contained larger amounts of lithium.
In the article abstract, researchers write, “These findings suggest that even very low levels of lithium in drinking water may play a role in reducing suicide risk within the general population.”
Pharmaceuticals containing lithium are a common treatment for manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, although levels of lithium in the patient's body must be carefully monitored by a physician due to a narrow treatment “window” for lithium. Intake of lithium in levels exceeding this “window” can be harmful.
In the same issue of BJP, Professor Allan H. Young of the Institute of Mental Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, commented that the report may prompt more studies on the anti-suicidal effects of lithium, which “ultimately may benefit community mental health.”
To read the UPI report, click here.
To access an abstract of the BJP article, click here.
To read an abstract of Young’s commentary, click here.
For related information, click here.
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