Could Lithium Supplements Reverse Alzheimer’s? New Mice Study Offers Hope
Alzheimer's has long been a plague for humanity, causing memory loss and lowered mental acuity in those afflicted. However, new research tested on mice has found that lithium supplements may offer hope in not only preventing but also reversing this disease!
Could Lithium Supplements Reverse Alzheimer’s? New Mice Study Offers Hope
Alzheimer's has long been a plague for humanity, causing memory loss and lowered mental acuity in those afflicted. However, new research tested on mice has found that lithium supplements may offer hope in not only preventing but also reversing this disease!
Of Mice And Men
A study led by scientists at Harvard Medical School, recently published in Nature, looked at what happens when mice with Alzheimer’s‑like symptoms get a small amount of lithium orotate. This specific form of lithium seems to avoid being trapped by amyloid plaques (unlike lithium carbonate), so it stays active in the brain.
After consumption, the mice actually regained memory and showed reduced brain damage! This suggests lithium might help reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms—at least in mice for now. However, mouse biology is similar to humans, so there is potential for this effect to extend to us as well!
The researchers also found that in both mice and human brain tissue, lithium levels were lower in cases of Alzheimer’s. Toxic plaques seem to capture the lithium, depriving the brain of its important, protective presence. Giving lithium orotate back appears to restore brain function in aging mice
Why Lithium Matters: Brain Effects
Lithium helps neurons communicate, keeps the insulating myelin intact, and supports microglia—the brain’s clean‑up cells—in removing harmful plaques.
Losing lithium is linked to more amyloid plaques and tau tangles, key features in Alzheimer’s.
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Dietary Lithium
According to Psychiatry Redefined, lithium is probably a necessary micronutrient we get from food and water. A healthy, plant‑based diet can provide enough lithium—especially with nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, and whole grains. For example, a 45‑gram serving of nuts gives around 400 micrograms (µg) of elemental lithium, which is nearly half of a minimal daily intake.
Here's a simple list of plant‑based foods with lithium:
Nuts – e.g. almonds, cashews (about 400 µg lithium per 45 g serving)
Seeds – such as pumpkin, sunflower (grouped under nuts/seeds mix)
Beans – e.g. lentils, soy beans
Vegetables – varieties like leafy greens or root vegetables
Whole grains – e.g. oats, brown rice, whole wheat
A Promising Future
In the past, various diseases like leprosy, smallpox and polio were common illnesses with no-known cure. However, it is through the tireless minds of researchers, physicians and nutritionists that we were able to overcome these deadly diseases.
Alzheimer’s has long been a thorn in the side of many people, breaking apart families and destroying identity. While human trials have not yet begun and experts still caution on taking too much lithium, there is hope for those with the disease that sources of lithium may be able to help them recover.
Sources:
Psychiatry Redefined: Lithium As a Nutrient
John Douillard’s Life Spa: Top Foods for Lithium: Boost Mood, Stem Cells, Longevity, + More!
Nature: New hope for Alzheimer’s: lithium supplement reverses memory loss in mice
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