Comparison of lithium levels between Japanese and foreign mineral waters

Abstract

Purpose: To measure the lithium levels of mineral waters and compare those of Japanese mineral waters to foreign ones. Methods: The lithium levels of Japanese mineral waters, foreign mineral waters, and Japanese tap waters were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test due to a skewed distribution. Results: As a whole, there was a significant difference between the 3 groups. Post hoc comparison by Bonferroni correction revealed that the lithium levels of foreign mineral waters were significantly higher than Japanese mineral waters and tap waters, though there was no significant difference between Japanese mineral waters and tap waters. Discussion: The present findings indicate that foreign mineral waters may have higher lithium levels than Japanese mineral waters and tap waters. In future studies, it is desirable to consider which type of mineral waters (Japanese or foreign) the residents drink, for adjustment of the analytic data of any potential lithium effect on suicide rates and other mental states.

Lithium in drinking water and suicide prevention: The largest nationwide epidemiological study from Japan

“…After adding the consumption of bottled water as a factor to the model, the value of β remained unchanged from that in the adjusted model 2, suggesting that the effect of the consumption of bottled water was very small. Japanese bottled water has in fact relatively low lithium levels (mean, 2.9 μg/L, range, 0‐5.95) in comparison to imported bottled water (mean, 57.1 μg/L, range, 4.25‐175.0), 21 almost identical to the mean lithium level in drinking water (2.39 μg/L). Moreover, even if residents drink bottled water, they use tap water for cooking.…”

Lithium concentration in tap water, bottled mineral water, and Danube River water in Hungary

“…The majority of studies are from Japan, where Li concentrations ranged from < 1 to 59 µg/L 16 , 22 , 26 , and were in some cases very similar to our results. However, lower concentrations (0.01–2.10 µg/L) 50 and higher concentrations (0–130 µg/L) were also measured 23 , 33 . Li concentration in drinking water in England fluctuated between < 1 and 1300 µg/L 51 , while in South Korea the concentrations remained below 1 µg/L 3 .…”

Lithium in drinking water and Alzheimer's dementia: Epidemiological Findings from National Data Base of Japan

“…Sixth, regarding drinking mineral water rather than drinking water, previously, we measured the lithium levels of mineral waters and compared those of Japanese mineral waters, those of foreign ones, and those of drinking water. 17 As a result, lithium levels of foreign mineral waters (57.1 μg/L, SD-69.0) were significantly higher than those of Japanese mineral waters (2.9 μg/L, SD = 2.3) (p = 0.011) and Japanese drinking waters at that time (2.5 μg/L, SD = 4.8) (p < 0.001), though there was no significant difference between Japanese mineral waters and drinking waters. Considering that a substantial part of Japanese probably drink mineral water, and if they drink, most of them drink Japanese mineral water, the influence of mineral water may be negligible, and actually many Japanese people may drink drinking water at least indirectly diet containing drinking water such as miso soup.…”

“…Therefore, even if NSAIDs are generally used more frequently by women, at least in the sample, NSAIDs did not increase serum lithium levels in blood and probably did not affect the results of this study. Sixth, regarding drinking mineral water rather than drinking water, previously, we measured the lithium levels of mineral waters and compared those of Japanese mineral waters, those of foreign ones, and those of drinking water 17 . As a result, lithium levels of foreign mineral waters (57.1 μg/L, SD‐69.0) were significantly higher than those of Japanese mineral waters (2.9 μg/L, SD = 2.3)( p = 0.011) and Japanese drinking waters at that time (2.5 μg/L, SD = 4.8) ( p < 0.001), though there was no significant difference between Japanese mineral waters and drinking waters.…”