Lithium — the Mineral That Calms You Down and Protects Your Brain!

When some people hear “lithium,” they think of a prescription drug for bipolar disorder. But few realize that lithium is also a naturally occurring trace mineral that is found in soil, water, and some foods. This wonder mineral can do two pretty huge things - help manage stress & anxiety, and support long term brain health!

A Forgotten Mineral with Remarkable Potential

Nutritional (or low dose) lithium is biochemically similar to the prescription form, but the dosage and purpose are completely different.
Prescription lithium is typically in the form of lithium carbonate, and was generally dosed for bipolar disorder at 600–1200 mg per day.
By contrast, nutritional lithium is usually between 1/100 to 1/1000 of that dose. We use the form lithium orotate, and use between 1–10 mg of lithium per day — acting as an important trace mineral in the body rather than as a prescription medication.

How Lithium Supports Anxiety and Mood

Many of my clients report improved mood or reduced anxiety and irritability when nutritional lithium is used as a supplement. In fact, population studies have shown that areas with naturally higher lithium levels in drinking water tend to have lower rates of depression and suicide. Even at very small doses, lithium may modulate neurotransmitter balance, particularly GABA and glutamate, which together influence calm, focus and emotional regulation.

Growing Grey Matter / Protecting the Brain

One of lithium’s most exciting benefits is its ability to stimulate neurogenesis — the formation of new brain cells — and to increase grey-matter volume in regions that govern mood and memory.
Researchers are actively exploring whether low doses of lithium might slow or prevent future cognitive decline and dementia diagnoses by reducing oxidative stress in the brain, lowering plaque formation, and promoting long-term neuron survival. This is exciting stuff!

A Cool Fact: Lithium and 7-Up

The original 7-Up formula actually contained lithium-rich water. The “Up” in the name referred to its mood-lifting effect, while the “7” is for lithium’s approximate atomic weight.

Safety and Supplementation

Please be aware - at nutritional levels, lithium orotate is safe for most adults, but certain precautions apply. Because lithium interacts with serotonin and dopamine pathways, anyone taking serotonergic medications (such as SSRIs, SNRIs, or certain migraine drugs) should consult their prescribing doctor before using it, even at low doses, to ensure their doctor isn’t against it. People with kidney or thyroid concerns should also exercise caution and speak with a healthcare provider. However, for the general population, low-dose lithium may be a gentle, safe tool for mood support, brain longevity, and overall neurological health. How exciting that this little supplement can do that much?! Want to know more about my natural mood-boosting tools for clients, and how to feel your best emotionally and physically? Book a free 20 minute discovery call with me now!