A decade-long Harvard Medical School study has uncovered a surprising potential cause of Alzheimer’s disease — naturally occurring lithium deficiency in the brain. The findings, published in Nature, suggest that low brain lithium may be one of the earliest biochemical signs of the disease and could become a new target for early diagnosis and treatment.
Key Findings from the Study
- Lithium’s Role in Brain Health: While lithium is widely known as a psychiatric medication for bipolar disorder and mania, researchers found that at natural, much lower concentrations, lithium is essential for maintaining brain health during aging.
- Deficiency in Early Alzheimer’s: Brains of people with mild cognitive impairment (a precursor to Alzheimer’s) showed markedly reduced lithium levels, possibly years before symptoms appear.
- Protective Effect: Higher natural lithium levels were associated with better cognitive performance, even in individuals without Alzheimer’s.
- Mechanism of Loss: Lithium binds to amyloid plaques — abnormal protein deposits — in early dementia, making it unavailable to protect brain cells from inflammation and degeneration.
- Animal Model Success: In mice, lithium depletion accelerated Alzheimer’s-like brain changes and memory decline, while treatment with a special compound, lithium orotate, restored memory and reversed brain pathology.
Why This Matters
Current Alzheimer’s therapies largely focus on removing amyloid beta or tau proteins but have limited success in reversing memory loss. This research introduces a broader perspective: supporting brain lithium levels could prevent or delay disease progression, potentially benefiting millions at risk.
Potential Future Applications
- Screening: Simple blood tests to measure lithium levels could identify those at risk years before symptoms appear.
- Prevention & Treatment: Low-dose, amyloid-resistant lithium compounds like lithium orotate might become part of Alzheimer’s prevention strategies.
- Safe Dosing: The study found effective results at 1/1000th the dose used in psychiatric treatments, with no toxicity in long-term animal studies.
Important Caution
Researchers stress that people should not self-medicate with lithium supplements. Clinical trials are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness in humans before any recommendations can be made.
Reference:
Aron, L., Ngian, Z. K., Qiu, C., Choi, J., Liang, M., Drake, D. M., Hamplova, S. E., Lacey, E. K., Roche, P., Yuan, M., Hazaveh, S. S., Lee, E. A., Bennett, D. A., & Yankner, B. A. (2025). Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09335-x
✅ RG Wellness Insight: This breakthrough reinforces the growing belief that Alzheimer’s may be preventable through early nutrient balance, lifestyle optimization, and targeted supplementation under medical guidance.
