Tucker Carlson Show: w/ Michael Nehls on Alzheimer’s, Depression, Anxiety (Transcript)
The following is the full transcript of scientist and physician Michael Nehls’ interview on The Tucker Carlson Show, July 3, 2026. Editor's Note: In this compelling interview, Tucker Carlson sits down with physician and molecular
I take lithium oratate which is a supplement. This is not the same as the prescription drug lithium carbonate that has a lot of side effects. I take 5mg per day, it's a mood stabilizer. No more depression and zero desire to drink alcohol as an added plus. I gave up drinking because the desire was GONE. LO has changed my life!
Yes I intend to take some, but my Father has dementia, so there is that.
Anyone recall when 7-UP had lithium in it? It was my favorite soda back then. It always soothed my tummy aches and made me feel happy.
To get a 1 mg (1,000 μg) microdose of lithium daily, plant-based foods—specifically nuts, legumes, whole grains, and leafy vegetables—are the most practical dietary sources. Plants actively absorb minerals from the ground, whereas animals filter them out, meaning a plant-heavy diet naturally delivers significantly more lithium than meat or fish. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Because the Earth's crust is unevenly distributed, the geographic location where your food was grown dictates its exact lithium profile. [1, 3]
Top Foods High in Lithium
When grown in mineral-rich soil, specific food groups yield the highest concentrations per gram:
Nuts and Seeds (1.0 to 8.8 μg/g): Walnuts (averaging 3.12 μg/g) and cashews (1.09 μg/g) are highly efficient. A single large 45-gram handful of walnuts grown in the right soil can yield up to 140 to 390 μg of lithium. Sunflower seeds and hazelnuts are also excellent sources. [7, 8, 9]
Cereal Grains (0.1 to 4.6 μg/g): Whole wheat, oats, and bran can accumulate high levels. This food group, alongside vegetables, accounts for 66% to 90% of all naturally ingested human lithium. [1, 2, 6, 10]
Legumes (1.0 to 4.1 μg/g): Peas, lentils, and chickpeas are powerful collectors. A single cup of cooked lentils can easily clear 200 μg if sourced from mineral-dense regions. [11, 12]
Solanaceous & Bulbous Vegetables (up to 4.6 μg/g): Tomatoes, garlic, and potatoes hold some of the highest concentrations among cultivated crops. [6, 10, 13, 14, 15]
Specific Spices: Nutmeg, cumin seeds, coriander, and turmeric carry concentrated levels, though they are consumed in much smaller total quantities. [1, 12]
The Geographic Component (The Soil Effect)
A food is only as rich in lithium as the soil it was planted in. Volcanic soils, arid plains, and areas near natural salt flats boast the highest concentrations: [3, 16, 17]
High-Lithium Regions: Parts of Spain, Northern Chile, Argentina, and the Southwestern United States (like parts of Texas and Colorado) feature highly alkaline, mineral-dense soils and water tables. For example, studies on crops and meats sourced from Spain regularly show lithium profiles up to 10 times higher than those evaluated in Central or Northern Europe.
Low-Lithium Regions: Areas with heavy rainfall and acidic soils (such as the UK, parts of Scandinavia, and the Pacific Northwest) suffer from "leached" soil, where lithium is washed away. Crops grown here will have near-undetectable levels of the mineral. [8, 10, 11, 18, 19]
Cultivating a Reliable 1 mg Microdose Strategy
If you want to confidently hit the 1 mg threshold without guessing your food's agricultural origin, combine your diet with lithium-rich mineral waters. [1, 12]
Certain natural springs flow through deep lithium-bearing granite. Drinking a single litre of premium mineral water can provide anywhere from 0.5 mg to 5.0 mg of elemental lithium effortlessly, making it the most geographically reliable "whole-food" microdose available. [6, 20]
Oh, and the supplements are illegal in New Zealand. 'splain that.
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[2] https://lifespa.com
[3] https://www.rezilirhealth.com
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[5] https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke
[6] https://cimasci.com
[7] https://www.news-medical.net
[8] https://www.psychiatryredefined.org
[9] https://dioxnatur.com
[10] https://www.news-medical.net
[11] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[12] https://www.youtube.com
[13] https://www.youtube.com
[14] https://dioxnatur.com
[15] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[16] https://www.researchgate.net
[17] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[18] https://www.usgs.gov
[19] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[20] https://privatehotsprings.com
Who still watches Tucker? 😳
And yet, he listens.
And you can ignore if you want.
If you can find Crazy Water, it has trace minerals plus natural occurring lithium. The water comes from springs under Mineral Wells, Texas.
Yes Texas is one of the lucky countries...