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For many years, scientists have searched for a cure or a clue to stop Alzheimer’s disease. Now, a group from Harvard Medical School and Rush University may have found something important — and old.
It’s lithium.
Yes, the same lithium once used in 7Up. The one used for a long time to treat bipolar disorder. This simple, silver-colored metal — often ignored — might help slow down brain aging and memory loss.
Most people know lithium as a drug for mental health. The FDA approved it in 1970, but doctors used it even before that to treat mood problems. What many don’t know is that our bodies already have small amounts of lithium, like iron or vitamin C.
What makes this research special is not just that lithium is in the body. The scientists found that our bodies — especially our brains — may actually need it.
In their study published in Nature, scientists gave different diets to two groups of mice. One group had normal lithium levels. The other group had lithium removed from their food.
What happened next surprised the researchers.
The mice without lithium had brain inflammation. Their brains aged faster. Mice that were designed to develop Alzheimer’s got worse quickly without lithium. Sticky plaques, called beta amyloid, built up in their brains — something that is common in Alzheimer’s patients.
Even worse, these mice lost their memory faster.
But there’s good news. The mice with normal lithium levels had healthier brains. They aged more slowly and remembered better.
Dr. Bruce Yankner
“This may be a common cause of brain damage before dementia,” Yankner said. He’s hopeful, but cautious. He says the results are “very interesting.”
Dr. Ashley Bush, a top brain expert in Australia, wasn’t part of the study. But he read the findings and agreed they were strong. He said the study showed that aging might affect how the brain controls lithium levels.
The scientists kept digging. They found something strange in both human and mouse brains. The sticky plaques — called beta amyloid — were grabbing lithium and holding it. That means less lithium was left for brain cells.
This led to a chain reaction. Less lithium meant less help for certain brain cells — especially microglia.
Microglia are brain cleaners. They remove waste like beta amyloid. But when there’s not enough lithium, they can’t do their job well. That lets more plaque build up. More plaques take more lithium. And this makes the brain get worse even faster.
It becomes a harmful cycle.
Now comes the exciting part.
The scientists tested a special kind of lithium called lithium orotate. This type doesn’t stick to beta amyloid like the usual kind.
They gave it to mice showing signs of Alzheimer’s. The results were amazing.
The plaques in their brains started to shrink. Memory centers began to clear up. The mice remembered how to find their way in mazes and could recognize objects again.
It was like turning back time for their memory.
This is not a magic pill — not yet.
Lithium is found in nature, in food, and in water. But prescription lithium comes in much higher amounts. If used the wrong way, it can harm the thyroid or kidneys.
In the mouse study, the scientists used very small doses — about 1,000 times less than what doctors give for bipolar disorder.
There’s still a lot to figure out. We need to test it on people. We need to find the right dose. And we need to make sure it’s safe.
“Nobody should take anything just because it worked on mice.”
Dr. Yankner
Lithium is not new. It’s been around us all the time. It’s in our water, our food, and even in the air.
Years ago, 7Up had lithium in it and was sold as a drink to lift mood. Some hot springs full of lithium became popular for their “healing” effects.
Still, no one really understood what lithium does in the body — until now.
This isn’t the first time lithium has been linked to brain health.
A 2017 study in Denmark showed people who drank water with more lithium had lower dementia rates. A 2022 UK study showed that people who were prescribed lithium were about half as likely to get Alzheimer’s.
Back then, many thought it was just luck — or due to lithium’s effect on mental health. No one thought lithium might be essential for a healthy brain. The truth is, we couldn’t measure such small amounts of lithium until now. The Harvard team had to create new tools just to see it.
To double-check, the researchers looked at real brain and blood samples from older adults. Some people had healthy brains. Others had memory issues or Alzheimer’s. They found that lithium levels were always lower in the brains of people with memory problems.
They tested brain samples from many places — Harvard, Duke, and Washington universities.
Every time, the results were the same. Other metals stayed the same, but lithium levels dropped in those with Alzheimer’s.
Even Dr. Yankner didn’t believe it at first. But the more he tested, the more the results made sense.
This finding brings real hope.
If lithium is so important for brain health, then we might be able to:
The next step is to test lithium in people. If those trials work, a simple mineral found in food and water could help protect the brains of millions.
But for now, this is just the start.
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