11/08/2025
A new study in Nature suggests that a simple, low-cost lithium supplement could reverse Alzheimer’s-related brain damage and restore memory at least in mice. Researchers found that low brain lithium levels were consistently associated with hallmark Alzheimer’s changes, including amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and cognitive decline. When mice were deficient in lithium, these damaging changes worsened, setting off a cycle that further depleted lithium in the brain.
The team discovered that treating lithium-deficient mice with low doses of lithium orotate a form less likely to be trapped by plaques reversed brain damage and restored memory performance. Unlike the commonly prescribed lithium carbonate, lithium orotate improved multiple disease pathways at once and showed no signs of toxicity, even with long-term use. These results could help explain why earlier human trials with other lithium forms yielded mixed outcomes.
If confirmed in people, this approach could be a game-changer for the more than 55 million people worldwide living with dementia. By potentially addressing the root causes of Alzheimer’s rather than simply slowing its progression lithium orotate may offer a safe, affordable therapy that works across multiple mechanisms. Researchers caution that large-scale trials will be needed, likely requiring public funding, but the findings have sparked cautious optimism for a future where memory loss can not only be slowed but reversed.
Source: Peeples, L. (2025). New hope for Alzheimer’s: lithium supplement reverses memory loss in mice.
