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Abstract
Lithium is a naturally occurring alkali metal, found in vegetables, grains and drinking water. Based on the nutritional studies, lithium is an essential trace element with a recommended dietary allowance of 1 mg/day. Lithium is used in therapeutic doses for the treatment of depressive episodes. The natural lithium intake doses are much lower than those used for the treatment of patients with psychiatric disorders, but even very low lithium levels induced by the routine consumption of lithium from water and food may have anti-suicidal effects. Food consumption can naturally increase the lithium intake to levels that are unlikely to cause negative side effects. Over 200 food samples from Romanian market were analyzed, consisting of 130 basic food samples (oils, meat, milk and cheese) and 70 vegetable samples. The lithium concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Vegetable samples had the highest lithium content, followed by the milk, cheese, meat, and oil samples. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied separately on the dairy products and vegetables in order to find the best markers to differentiate these types of food.