Nutritional lithium and prescription lithium: how they differ

It is a fair question, and we get it often: is VitalithMD the same as prescription lithium? The short answer is no. This article explains, in plain terms, what kind of product VitalithMD is and what the lithium line on our label means.

A dietary supplement, not a prescription medicine

VitalithMD is a dietary supplement. It is not prescription lithium. The VitalithMD Daily Multivitamin with Nutritional Lithium is a physician-formulated daily multivitamin and multimineral, and nutritional lithium is one ingredient in a broader formula rather than the whole of it.

The two are different kinds of products, sold and labeled in different ways. A prescription medicine is something a doctor prescribes. A dietary supplement is something you can choose to add to your day, and it carries a Supplement Facts panel that lists what is in each serving.

Where lithium comes from

Lithium is a naturally occurring trace mineral found in varying amounts in food and water. That is the starting point for the word “nutritional” in our name. How much lithium people get from food and drinking water depends on the local soil and water, so it varies widely from place to place.

What the lithium line on our label means

Our label lists “Lithium Orotate” at 5 mg per serving. Lithium orotate is the compound we use: in lithium orotate, lithium is bound to orotic acid. The serving is two capsules, so 5 mg lithium orotate per serving is the total for both capsules together.

The 5 mg is the weight of the compound, not the weight of the lithium alone. Each two-capsule serving contains 5 mg of lithium orotate. No Daily Value has been established for lithium.

That last point is why you will see an asterisk next to lithium orotate on the panel, in the place where most ingredients show a % Daily Value. The asterisk means a Daily Value has not been established.

What else is in a serving

A multivitamin is more than one ingredient, and so is this one. The label also lists its vitamins and minerals, each with its amount per serving. It includes omega-3s (EPA and DHA from fish oil): 250 mg of fish oil powder per serving, at 18% EPA and 12% DHA. And it is an excellent source of vitamins B6, B12 and folate.

Every amount per serving is on our Supplement Facts page, so you can read the numbers yourself instead of taking our word for them.

How to take it

The directions are simple: take two capsules daily with food, and follow the directions on the product label. One bottle is a 30-day supply.

If you take any prescription medicine, ask your doctor before starting a new supplement. The same goes if you are pregnant or nursing, or have a medical condition.

Keep reading

For short, plain answers about what VitalithMD is and is not, start with our FAQ. The story of how the formula came about is on our Our why page, and the product itself is here: VitalithMD Daily Multivitamin with Nutritional Lithium.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.