Lithium may help protect brain from Alzheimer’s, study finds

A new study from Harvard Medical School and Rush University suggests that lithium, a widely used mood stabilizer, may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease and age-related decline.

Published in Nature, the research shows for the first time that lithium is naturally present in the body in small amounts and is essential for normal cell function, similar to nutrients like vitamin C or iron.

In a series of experiments, scientists found that mice fed a lithium-deficient diet developed brain inflammation and signs of accelerated aging. In mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s-like brain changes, low lithium levels led to an increase in the buildup of sticky proteins known to form plaques and tangles in the brain, according to the study. These changes are considered hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and were accompanied by faster memory loss.

By contrast, maintaining normal lithium levels in aging mice appeared to protect them from these harmful changes.

The new findings suggest lithium may play an important role in maintaining brain health more broadly, but researchers said further studies are needed to explore whether lithium could be safely used to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

Read more: Nature 

 

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