德国耶拿大学科研人员最新公布的一项研究结果表明，摄入微量锂元素有助于一种线虫延年益寿。

耶拿大学的研究者和日本同行在新一期《欧洲营养学期刊》（European Journal of Nutrition）上报告说，他们联合对日本大分县18个城镇自来水的锂含量与当地的死亡率作了相关性调查，结果发现在自来水锂含量较高的城镇，其人口死亡率明显较低。

为了验证这种相关性，研究人员让秀丽隐杆线虫摄入微量锂元素，其含量水平与日本大分县低死亡率城镇的自来水锂含量相当，结果发现摄入锂元素的那些线虫平均寿命也较高。

据耶拿大学人类营养学教授罗斯托介绍，锂是一种人们主要通过吃蔬菜和饮用自来水摄入的生命活动必备元素。耶拿大学此前曾在实验中发现秀丽隐杆线虫摄入大量锂元素后寿命明显延长，但当时使用的锂剂量是自来水中常见锂含量的1000倍，对人体有毒，所以科研人员此次又通过实验研究了微量的锂对秀丽隐杆线虫寿命的影响。

耶拿大学的研究者还指出，此前有一些研究发现，通过自来水较多地摄入锂元素有助于改善情绪，降低自杀率。但是科研人员迄今尚未完全了解锂对人体生理的作用机理，虽不排除将来人类通过营养补充剂摄入微量锂元素的可能性，但为证实其科学性和安全性还需作进一步研究。

推荐原文出处：

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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