Lithia water is defined as a type of

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

characterized by the presence of

lithium Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense soli ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

s (such as the

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid (H2CO3), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word ''carbonate'' may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate ...

chloride The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride s ...

, or

citrate Citric acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOC(CO2H)(CH2CO2H)2. It is a colorless weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in the ...

of lithium). Natural lithia mineral spring waters are rare, and there are few commercially bottled lithia water products. Between the 1880s and World War I, the consumption of bottled lithia mineral water was popular.Loring Bullard (2004), ''Healing waters: Missouri's historic mineral springs and spas'' One of the first commercially sold lithia waters in the United States was bottled at

Lithia Springs, Georgia Lithia Springs () is a census-designated place and unincorporated area, formerly incorporated as a city, located in northeastern Douglas County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the community had a population of 16,644. The area is ...

, in 1888.Davis, Fannie Mae Davis (1987). ''From Indian Trail to Interstate 20'', Douglas County History book, USA. During this era, there was such a demand for lithia water that there was a proliferation of bottled lithia water products. However, only a few were natural lithia spring waters. Most of the bottled lithia water brands added lithium bicarbonate to spring water and called it lithia water. With the start of World War I and the formation of the new US government food safety agency, mineral water bottlers were under scrutiny. The new agency posted large fines against mineral water bottlers for mislabeled, misrepresented and adulterated products.De Vierville (1992), ''American Healing Waters'' These government actions and their publicity, along with public works that made clean tap water readily accessible, caused the American public to lose confidence and interest in bottled mineral water. Lithia water contains various lithium salts, including lithium citrate. An early version of

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance bar, temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pembe ...

available in pharmacies' soda fountains called Lithia Coke was a mixture of Coca-Cola syrup and Bowden lithia spring water. The

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common t ...

7Up 7 Up (stylized as 7up outside North America) is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo. 7 Up comp ...

was named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" when it was formulated in 1929 because it contained

lithium citrate Lithium citrate (Li3C6H5O7) is a chemical compound of lithium and citrate that is used as a mood stabilizer in psychiatric treatment of manic states and bipolar disorder. There is extensive pharmacology of lithium, the active component of this ...

. The beverage was a

patent medicine A patent medicine, sometimes called a proprietary medicine, is an over-the-counter (nonprescription) medicine or medicinal preparation that is typically protected and advertised by a trademark and trade name (and sometimes a patent) and claimed ...

marketed as a cure for

hangover A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical sympto ...

. Lithium citrate was removed from 7Up in 1948.

Notable brands

* Lithia Spring Water, a brand of bottled natural lithia water sourced from

, USA, since 1888 *

Londonderry Lithia Londonderry Lithia was a brand of bottled lithia water sold in the northeastern United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The source of the water was in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and the company headquarters of the Londonderr ...

, a brand of bottled lithia water produced during the late 19th and early 20th centuries *

Buffalo Lithia Water Buffalo Lithia Water (later Buffalo Mineral Springs Water) was a brand of lithia water bottled in Buffalo Lithia Springs, Virginia. It was advertised with outsize medical claims, including the ability to treat fevers and nervous disorders. One a ...

, a brand of bottled lithia water sourced from

Buffalo Lithia Springs Buffalo Springs (formerly, Buffalo Mineral Springs and Buffalo Lithia Springs) is an unincorporated community in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. It lies at an elevation of 364 feet (111 m). Located at Buffalo Springs is the Buffalo Springs Histo ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

Gerolsteiner Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. KG (Gerolsteiner) is a leading German mineral water firm with its seat in Gerolstein in the Eifel mountains. The firm is well known for its Gerolsteiner Sprudel brand, a bottled, naturally carbonated mineral wate ...

, is a natural sparkling water that lists 0.13 ppm lithium in its analysis Gerolsteiner_Brunnen.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lithia Water Drinking water Lithium Mineral water Alternative medical treatments

Notable brands

See Also

References