Lithium protects the brain from injury and neurodegeneration. In experimental studies in animals, lithium appears to limit some of the key pathological processes related to Alzheimer’s disease. In epidemiological studies in humans, therapeutic doses as well as trace amounts of lithium in drinking water were related to lower rates of dementia. A study in Texas reported that trace levels of lithium in drinking water were related to reduced deaths from Alzheimer’s disease, as well as lower levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes due to lithium’s effects on insulin activity.

Additional support for the benefits of lithium for brain health come from a 2025 study published in Nature.  The brains of mice fed a lithium-deficient diet had signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia: increased amyloid plaques, tau pathology, myelin loss, neuroinflammation, synaptic damage, and memory impairments. Conversely, adding lithium orotate to the diet reversed many of these Alzheimer’s like changes.

Animal and cellular studies support lithium’s ability to reduce amyloid plaques, maintain neuronal integrity, improve memory, and decrease neuroinflammation. Lithium may protect against Alzheimer’s disease by reducing apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress; activating neuroprotective cellular processes; and inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) which is related to Alzheimer’s pathology.

Research on lithium and Alzheimer’s disease in humans is at an early stage. Meta-analysis of several clinical trials supplementating with other lithium compounds reported that they did not significantly delay cognitive impairment  in individuals with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. Randomized clinical trials of lithium orotate are needed to determine if this lithium salt is more effective as has been found in mouse models.

Lithium carbonate is a lithium salt that has been used to treat bipolar disorder and depression. It appears to have neuroprotective properties and has been the subject of studies on the prevention and treatment of diseases like Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, lithium carbonate has a narrow therapeutic range and a number of serious side effects — including toxic impacts on the thyroid and kidneys.

Another lithium salt — lithium orotate — may provide an alternative with fewer side effects. Lithium orotate studies in the 1970s found that it was superior to lithium carbonate in crossing the blood-brain barrier and in entering cells. However, a 1976 study raised the potential for increased renal toxicity of high-dose lithium orotate, which limited continued study.

Research is now underway to determine if lithium orotate can be used to treat bipolar disorder at a lower — and less toxic — dose than lithium carbonate. Importantly, lithium orotate has reduced binding with brain amyloid, making it more active in the brain. Lithium orotate is now widely available as a supplement, and it appears to be effective, safe, and well-tolerated. Lithium orotate has only recently been fully characterized, and more research — especially clinical trials — will be needed to determine its long-term safety.

We know that diet and lifestyle factors are related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Stress, lack of exercise, a typical Western diet and decreased lithium levels are all factors likely contributing to the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, scientists have found that high levels of sugar in the diet are related to elevated glucocorticoids (such as cortisol). This results in processes that can damage the brain, including inflmamation and an insulin-resistant brain state.

To best understand how lithium salts may impact Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Lane Bekar of Saskatchewan University has developed a mouse model with a genetic predisposition to the disease. The mice are provided a high sugar diet to mimic the human condition.  Lithium orotate is being evaluated to determine if it has a protective effect on the brain. To date, the results have not been conclusive although research is ongoing.

The Parsemus Foundation is supporting research on the ability of lithium to prevent neurodegeration, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Last updated on May 29, 2024