Microdosing Lithium

Life Extension has reported for years on the benefits of low-dose lithium, including the mineral’s potential to reduce dementia risk.

In preclinical models, lithium has been shown to favorably modulate several biological processes involved in aging and disease.^1,2

A human interventional study suggests that it may help reduce depression and anxiety in individuals genetically predisposed to psychiatric conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.³

An observational study in Japan found that trace amounts of lithium in drinking water are associated with lower all-cause mortality.⁴

A groundbreaking experimental study published in the prestigious journal Nature provides some of the strongest evidence that lithium may help prevent dementia.

In the study, low-dose lithium orotate nearly restored memory in both normal aging mice and in mice with an inbred susceptibility to Alzheimer's-like changes.⁵

This multi-part study also found that human brain tissue from people with dementia was low in lithium.⁵

Dietary intake of lithium is considered insufficient in many regions of the world.⁶

An oral microdose of 300 mcg to 2,000 mcg a day and higher may provide a wide range of potential health benefits.

An Underappreciated Mineral

High-dose prescription lithium has long been a treatment for mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder.⁷

These doses generally range from 600 to 1,200 mg of lithium carbonate daily. This is many hundreds of times more lithium than the amounts people get in their diet or take as a supplement.⁷

Some experts have suggested a recommended intake of roughly 1,000 mcg, or just 1 mg of lithium daily for most adults.⁷

Lithium is found in very small amounts in water and some foods (like grains, legumes, nuts, and leafy vegetables), depending on the soil content of the mineral in the region.⁸

Because the earth’s surface lithium content varies from region to region, food and water lithium content also vary, making them unreliable sources of the mineral. Given the growing evidence of lithium’s health benefits and psychiatric applications, it has been suggested that international health agencies consider developing guidelines for its recommended daily intake.⁶

Oral microdoses (1 mg/day) can be taken daily to ensure adequate intake.

New Evidence: Lithium Fights Dementia

Observational studies have linked long-term exposure to higher levels of lithium in drinking water with lower dementia risk^9,10 and Alzheimer’s mortality.¹¹

In small clinical trials, long-term low-dose lithium use (in the gluconate or carbonate form, rather than orotate) has been shown to slow cognitive and functional decline in participants with mild cognitive impairment.^12-14 These human studies found that lithium favorably affected Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers¹³ and may offer disease-modifying benefits in early Alzheimer’s.^13-15

A recent multi-part study published in 2025 provides powerful new evidence that lithium could play a role in dementia prevention.⁵

Scientists measured 27 minerals in the brain tissue from hundreds of older adults who died with or without mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s. Lithium was the only mineral tested that was significantly reduced in the brains of those with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s, compared to healthy brains.⁵

Neurological Dangers of Lithium Deficiency

The same scientists put aging mice on a lithium-deficient diet to see how that affected their brain tissue. Some of the mice were genetically altered to develop amyloid plaques and Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.⁵

Both the dementia-prone and normal mice had significant impairments in some measures of learning and memory after the deficient lithium diet.

Brain changes in lithium-deficient mice compared to mice on a regular diet included:⁵

• Accelerated buildup of amyloid plaque,
• Abnormal accumulation of phosphorylated tau, which can lead to nerve fiber tangles,
• Increased neuroinflammation, impairing the ability to clear amyloid, and
• Loss of synapses, axons, and myelin needed for the transmission of nerve cell messages.

Lithium Orotate Superior to Carbonate

Next, the scientists gave the mice small amounts of either lithium orotate, sodium orotate (to test whether it was lithium or orotate that explained any effects), or lithium carbonate (the form commonly used to treat bipolar disorder).^5,16

Lithium orotate was significantly more effective than lithium carbonate in raising lithium levels in needed areas of the brain while avoiding getting trapped in amyloid plaque.⁵

Remarkably, lithium orotate greatly reduced plaque buildup, prevented pathological changes and nearly restored memory in dementia-prone mice.

In normal mice, lithium orotate treatment similarly improved memory performance and reduced neuroinflammation. Mice that were treated with either lithium carbonate or sodium orotate had no improvement.⁵

What You Need To Know

Lithium Protects Aging Brains

• Lithium is a trace mineral involved in biological processes related to aging and disease.
• A study published in 2025 provides new insight into the potential for microdoses of lithium to stave off Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.⁵
• In the study, human brain tissue of people who died with Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment was found to have low lithium levels.⁵
• In the same study, mice fed a lithium-deficient diet developed impaired learning and memory. Low doses of lithium orotate nearly restored memory in the rodents.
• Lithium orotate was shown to deliver lithium more efficiently to the brain in preclinical research.

Lithium and GSK-3

One key way lithium may benefit the brain is by inhibiting the activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), a signaling molecule.¹⁷

Overactivation of GSK-3 can trigger cognitive decline.^18,19

In the mouse study, lithium depletion led to increased activity of GSK-3. This led to pathological brain changes, including increased amyloid plaque and phosphorylated tau.⁵

Previous studies have shown increased GSK-3 expression and activity in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.^19,20

People with glaucoma, a major cause of blindness in older people and around the world, also have increased activation of GSK-3. Preclinical research suggests GSK-3 overactivity can lead to elevated intraocular eye pressure, which damages the optic nerve.²¹

People with glaucoma have a higher risk of developing dementia.^22-24 This could mean that low-dose lithium intake may have multiple benefits in this population.²⁵

Other Effects of Lithium

Preclinical and observational research shows low-dose oral lithium may have several other benefits, including:

• Providing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant protection,^26,27
• Supporting blood vessels,²⁸ and heart function,^26,29
• Protecting bone density and muscle mass,^26,30
• Promoting metabolic health,²⁶ and
• Reducing all-cause mortality.⁴

A daily microdose of lithium may provide cognitive benefits and promote overall healthy aging.

Summary

Lithium prescribed in high doses is used to treat bipolar disorder. Emerging evidence suggests that microdoses of the mineral may help support brain health in aging adults.

A major multi-part study published in 2025 found that brain tissue from people who died with dementia was low in lithium and that mice given a lithium-deficient diet developed Alzheimer’s-like memory problems.

The lithium orotate form of the mineral raised lithium levels in the rodents’ brains and nearly restored their memory.

Taking oral microdoses of lithium orotate provides a consistent, dependable source of the mineral.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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