Lithium orotate is a very special mineral with a wide range of effects on the systems throughout the body, from the brain to the bones. I believe its benefits can help millions of those suffering in this day and age. Many have heard of the commonly prescribed bipolar medications, lithium carbonate and citrate. These forms of lithium can cause detrimental side effects. This is due to the fact that they are virtually unabsorbable by the brain, that is unless the body is saturated with toxic doses of it. This is what leads to the side effects, not the mineral but the dose and the form that it’s in.
Lithium orotate, on the other hand, is different. It is highly bioavailable (1), meaning it is efficiently absorbed and used by the body and in this case, the brain too. So, with lithium orotate, much smaller doses are needed in order to see profound effects take place(2). Where hundreds of milligrams of lithium carbonate are needed before any cognitive or behavioral improvements are seen, most often, doses of lithium orotate are only needed in the tens of milligrams. Contrary to popular belief, you certainly not need to be mentally ill or dis-eased to benefit from it. In fact, everybody needs it!
Lithium is an essential mineral, just like calcium or magnesium, and we know how critical it is to get calcium for our bone health. In fact, lithium contributes to bone density just as calcium and magnesium do. This effect on bone density has been proven in clinical studies, where subjects were given relatively low doses of lithium, and the result was consistently greater bone density than placebo, those who were given a sugar pill(2). And there is much more where that came from, we haven’t even reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes to benefits and uses of lithium orotate.
At this point, you may be starting to realize that lithium is not a drug at all, as many of us have been led to believe. Rather, it is a vital nutrient that many of us are lacking and are completely unaware of. Because it so widely unknown that lithium is essential, it is rarely found in our food. With depleted soils, it is unlikely to be found consistently in produce, or any other food for that matter as a result.(3)
Little does the public know that lithium is a nutrient that is very helpful for those with a variety of issues to get adequate amounts of. Deficiency leads to many of the mental health complaints that are part of a growing health epidemic today, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, and insomnia (4). The more stress you go through, the more refined sugar and carbohydrates you eat, the more that you need this mineral. This is because refined sugars and starches, among other substances such as caffeine, all have a mineral-leaching effect on the body. Lithium orotate is even known to help with serious psychotic symptoms and diseases such as schizophrenia. Alcoholics have shown to benefit from it as well(5). This might have something to do with the effects that the mineral has on neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin, which are our ever important feel good hormones. Lithium orotate is also hypothesized to increase insulin sensitivity, which has wonderful implications for those with blood sugar issues(6).
As if that all weren’t enough, lithium stimulates neurogenesis, increasing BDNF(7). Basically, it has been shown to grow new brain cells! BDNF is known to be helpful for protecting the brain from inflammation, in turn improving anxiety symptoms and a range of other disorders related to inflammation. So it makes sense that lithium in the proper form has even been shown to protect the brain against auto- immune disorders like MS, and degenerative diseases like ALS and Alzheimer’s disease, where it is known to inhibit a certain amyloid plaque that leads to the disease. It also has proven helpful in the treatment of cluster head aches and migraines, as well as discomfort associated with glaucoma, and near nearsightedness (8).
This nutrient has been known about and utilized in the pharmaceutical industry for quite some time, but in a less than optimal form, which is why lithium has always been used very cautiously. Luckily, now we know that a much safer and more nourishing form is available, paired with orotic acid which is found in mother’s milk. Orotic acid is abundantly found in fruits and vegetables, and has a number of its own benefits. This, paired with lithium, can be found in supplement stores nation wide and is very inexpensive. I got my bottle for 4 dollars at the health food store. Needless to say there is no reason every family shouldn’t have this in their medicine cabinet. If you’d like, you can get some here from amazon*.
In short, lithium deficiency is a very real threat to our society that ails millions, if not billions who are suffering every day from a diminished quality of life. For many, if not all, supplementing with lithium orotate could be completely life changing, if only they were told about it. This has the potential to add hours to one’s night of sleep, drastically reduce or remove anxiety, depression and even psychotic and post traumatic symptoms. It is known to aid in a number of life threatening and debilitating diseases. Of course a simple mineral that’s shown in academic studies (opposed to pharmaceutical company- sponsored studies) is not likely to get a lot of publicity in general and certainly not in the “media”. Therefore, when sharing any of the information we find might help heal others– if not ourselves then surely someone we know may benefit– this helps create a ripple effect greater than you could manage. It really is up to us to get the word out there to make sustainable change that we can actually control and contribute to, so, regardless of the nutrient, we can help our fellow humans to thrive and live the best lives possible.
*Affiliate: As a part of the Amazon associates, LLC affiliate program, I can receive a small commission if you choose to purchase this product with the link offered. I always look for what I find to be the best deal for the quality with anything I share.
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