09/06/2025
Highlights in Holistic Health. New Food for Thought
Can Low Doses of Lithium Improve Mood, Protect the Brain, and Extend Life?
Lithium, a soft alkali metal, is naturally found in certain minerals and brine deposits across the globe. While lithium is best known today for powering rechargeable batteries, this element also boasts a fascinating history as a medicinal agent.
In the early 20th century, “lithia water” and lithium-containing tablets were widely promoted as tonics for various common ailments. For instance, in Ashland, Oregon, visitors have flocked to the renowned Lithia Springs since the early 1900s, attracted by its mineral-rich waters believed to provide energizing and mood-enhancing benefits.
In contemporary medicine, lithium’s most established role is as a prescription mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder. While highly effective, the high doses required for this use come with significant side effects, necessitating careful laboratory monitoring to avoid lithium toxicity.
For many years, it was assumed that we fully understood lithium’s health effects. However, recent decades have seen a surge of research exploring the therapeutic potential of very low doses of lithium, taken over long periods—often similar to the trace amounts naturally present in drinking water in certain regions.
Surprising Evidence of Benefits in Drinking Water Studies
The studies of lithium enriched drinking water show numerous benefits, especially in mental health and longevity. Some have been surprising. Consider the following:
· Numerous ecological studies in South America, North America, Europe, and Asia consistently show that communities with elevated lithium concentrations tend to have lower su***de rates.
· A large Japanese study involving over 1.2 million people across 18 municipalities found that higher lithium levels in drinking water correlated with lower all-cause mortality.
· Denmark studies (some, not all) have suggested reduced dementia risk in regions with higher lithium water levels
· Across North America, for example, Texas studies found that higher lithium in tap water was associated with reduced su***de, homicide, and overall mortality rates.
Although not all studies are uniformly positive, the breadth of global evidence has led some researchers to propose a “lithiumization” of drinking water as a potential public health intervention to improve mental health and longevity.
How Lithium Supports Brain Health
What mechanisms might explain lithium’s impressive brain benefits? Preclinical research suggests multiple pathways. Lithium inhibits glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), an enzyme integral to neuronal function, inflammation, and cell death. Overactivity of GSK-3 is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Moreover, lithium elevates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels—a protein essential for neuron growth and resilience. In Alzheimer’s disease models, lithium reduces the accumulation of harmful amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles, hallmark features of the condition. It also diminishes neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, both major contributors to cognitive decline and mood disorders.
In an especially timely study from Harvard Medical School published as this article was written, researchers found that mice deprived of lithium exhibited accelerated brain aging and Alzheimer’s-like pathology. Remarkably, supplementing lithium in their drinking water reversed these effects, improving memory and reducing brain damage.
Dose Matters
What doses yield these benefits while minimizing toxicity? Natural lithium levels in drinking water generally range between 2 to 5 micrograms per liter—roughly 100,000 times lower than the prescription doses used in psychiatry. These trace amounts are considered nontoxic and potentially beneficial.
Some over-the-counter lithium supplements, such as lithium orotate, provide milligram doses—typically between 1 and 20 milligrams daily. Though lower than pharmaceutical doses, these amounts remain much higher than lithium levels supplied by water in the studies showing health benefits.
While there is some research with supplementation levels of lower dose lithium, more research is needed to clarify benefits and optimal dosing. Clinically, my experience with low-dose lithium supplements has been largely positive. While not a cure-all, low-dose lithium appears to help conditions like depression, mild cognitive impairment, and anxiety in many patients.
In research relating to over-the-counter lithium usage, some mild side effects have been documented, as well as the possibility of withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt cessation. For this reason, prior to initiating any supplements, I advise consulting with a healthcare provider experienced with lithium supplementation to develop an individualized and safely monitored plan.
Emerging research positions lithium at the forefront of brain health science, with promising potential for not only mood stabilization but also neuroprotection and healthy aging. With careful dosing, individualized planning, and ongoing monitoring, low-dose lithium could become a valuable addition to comprehensive, holistic strategies for supporting long-term brain vitality.
