ABSTRACT

Lithium is the lightest metal known. In nature it exists only as lithium ions or salts and is not considered to be an essential trace element for man1,2; however, data collected from the work of Anker using several animal species has identified several key biological and physiologic reactions that, upon elimination of lithium from the diet of these species, produced a variety of altered physiologic processes, specifically those related to reproduction, that were found to be significantly impaired. Consequently, these data provide proof that lithium must be reconsidered as a trace element.