Drinking water containing cobalt

The chemical elements are essential to each of us in our daily lives. The most important element is carbon, which is found in virtually all of the molecules that make up the living cell. Although certain elements are present in our bodies in tiny amounts, these elements can have profound effects on our health and behavior. As we will see in this chapter, lithium can be a miracle treatment for someone with manic-depressive disease, and our cobalt levels can have a remarkable impact on behavior. Many elements in our bodies serve no useful purpose, but they are found in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. As a result, the human body typically contains significant amounts of elements such as aluminum, barium, strontium, uranium, and gold, which are usually deposited in the bones or liver. 

---