Hygienic assessment of the dietary lithium intake in the adult population of the Omsk Region

   Introduction: In recent years, lithium has increasingly been viewed as a conditionally essential element, with its low levels in the body potentially leading to disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Data on lithium intake in the Russian population is insufficient, although the diseases related to its deficiency remain a pressing public health issue.

   Objective: To establish the intake of lithium with food and drinking water in the adult population of the Omsk Region.

   Materials and Methods: Dietary lithium intake was assessed in a representative sample (n = 506) of the regional population aged 18–83 years. Daily intake was determined using a food frequency questionnaire and the original food composition database containing the results of testing lithium levels in food products and drinking water.

   Results: The median dietary intake of lithium was 115.5 (95 % CI: 88.6–150.5) μg/day, with no significant differences found between age and sex groups. The proportion of the adult population with the critically low Li intake (< 100 μg/day) was 37.2 ± 2.1 %. No individuals with lithium intake above the provisional daily level of 1 mg/day were identified. The contribution of food and drinking water to the dietary intake of lithium was 98.5 % and 1.5 %, respectively. The main food sources were beverages (47.7 %), vegetables (26.4 %), dairy products (6.7 %), and such specific individual beverages and
dishes as tea (20.9 %), coffee (20.5 %), beer (8.1 %), and soups (4.5 %).

   Conclusions: Our findings indicate the potential deficiency of lithium in a significant part of the regional population, which requires extensive research on the lithium content in food products and assessment of its dietary intake in various population groups.

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