德國耶拿大學科研人員最新公布的一項研究結果表明，攝入微量鋰元素有助于一種線蟲延年益壽。

耶拿大學的研究者和日本同行在新一期《歐洲營養學期刊》（European Journal of Nutrition）上報告說，他們聯合對日本大分縣18個城鎮自來水的鋰含量與當地的死亡率作了相關性調查，結果發現在自來水鋰含量較高的城鎮，其人口死亡率明顯較低。

為了驗證這種相關性，研究人員讓秀麗隱桿線蟲攝入微量鋰元素，其含量水平與日本大分縣低死亡率城鎮的自來水鋰含量相當，結果發現攝入鋰元素的那些線蟲平均壽命也較高。

據耶拿大學人類營養學教授羅斯托介紹，鋰是一種人們主要通過吃蔬菜和飲用自來水攝入的生命活動必備元素。耶拿大學此前曾在實驗中發現秀麗隱桿線蟲攝入大量鋰元素后壽命明顯延長，但當時使用的鋰劑量是自來水中常見鋰含量的1000倍，對人體有毒，所以科研人員此次又通過實驗研究了微量的鋰對秀麗隱桿線蟲壽命的影響。

耶拿大學的研究者還指出，此前有一些研究發現，通過自來水較多地攝入鋰元素有助于改善情緒，降低自殺率。但是科研人員迄今尚未完全了解鋰對人體生理的作用機理，雖不排除將來人類通過營養補充劑攝入微量鋰元素的可能性，但為證實其科學性和安全性還需作進一步研究。

推薦原文出處：

European Journal of Nutrition  DOI: 10.1007/s00394-011-0171-x

Low-dose lithium uptake promotes longevity in humans and metazoans

Kim Zarse, Takeshi Terao, Jing Tian, Noboru Iwata, Nobuyoshi Ishii and Michael Ristow

Abstract

Purpose

Lithium is a nutritionally essential trace element predominantly contained in vegetables, plant-derived foods, and drinking water. Environmental lithium exposure and concurrent nutritional intake vary considerably in different regions. We here have analyzed the possibility that low-dose lithium exposure may affect mortality in both metazoans and mammals.

Methods

Based on a large Japanese observational cohort, we have used weighted regression analysis to identify putative effects of tap water-derived lithium uptake on overall mortality. Independently, we have exposed Caenorhabditis elegans, a small roundworm commonly used for anti-aging studies, to comparable concentrations of lithium, and have quantified mortality during this intervention.

Results

In humans, we find here an inverse correlation between drinking water lithium concentrations and all-cause mortality in 18 neighboring Japanese municipalities with a total of 1,206,174 individuals (β = ?0.661, p = 0.003). Consistently, we find that exposure to a comparably low concentration of lithium chloride extends life span of C. elegans (p = 0.047).

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings indicate that long-term low-dose exposure to lithium may exert anti-aging capabilities and unambiguously decreases mortality in evolutionary distinct species.

Keywords  Trace elements – Lithium – Mortality – Longevity – Human –  C. elegans

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