Lithium is not metabolized, and is eliminated through the kidneys within 48 hours. The expected lithium orotate half-life is around 24 hours. Lithium Orotate vs. Lithium Carbonate Hou L., Xiong N., Liu L., Huang J., Han C., Zhang G., Li J., Xu X., Lin Z., Wang T. Lithium protects dopaminergic cells from rotenone toxicity via autophagy enhancement. BMC Neurosci. 2015; 16:82. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar]

Febo M., Perez P.D., Ceballos-Diaz C., Colon-Perez L.M., Zeng H., Ofori E., Golde T.E., Vaillancourt D.E., Chakrabarty P. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging-derived free water detects neurodegenerative pattern induced by interferon-gamma. Brain Struct. Funct. 2020; 225:427–439. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Schrauzer GN, de Vroey E (1994) Effects of nutritional lithium supplementation on mood: a placebo-controlled study with former drug users. Biol Trace Elem Res 40(1):89–101

Possible Side Effects

Ionic lithium– This type is sold as a liquid containing lithium chloride. A typical dose of ionic lithium ranges from 0.3-1 mg.

Lithium is just one of many options that a doctor may prescribe for your anxiety. It should never be taken without a prescription, and is not right for everyone. There are no clinical studies examining lithium orotate, anxiety, and their correlation, but there has been some anecdotal evidence where people used this supplement to help relieve stress and tension. Even some doctors prescribe it off-label for easing anxiety symptoms, but we still need some large clinical trials to draw definite conclusions. Lithium has been discovered to inhibit the GSK3 enzyme. This enzyme plays a role in the amyloid cascade whereby amyloid beta accumulation in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients causes hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, which results in the formation of tangles that contribute to cognitive decline. 2,3 Lithium also supports autophagy, a metabolic process that can help break down harmful tau and amyloid beta proteins. 2 In rodent studies, lithium helped maintain memory and cognitive performance. 4 Lieu C.A., Dewey C.M., Chinta S.J., Rane A., Rajagopalan S., Batir S., Kim Y.H., Andersen J.K. Lithium prevents parkinsonian behavioral and striatal phenotypes in an aged parkin mutant transgenic mouse model. Brain Res. 2014; 1591:111–117. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Decressac M., Kadkhodaei B., Mattsson B., Laguna A., Perlmann T., Bjorklund A. Alpha-Synuclein-induced down-regulation of Nurr1 disrupts GDNF signaling in nigral dopamine neurons. Sci. Transl. Med. 2012; 4 163ra156. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar]

Lawson R.A., Yarnall A.J., Duncan G.W., Breen D.P., Khoo T.K., Williams-Gray C.H., Barker R.A., Collerton D., Taylor J.P., Burn D.J., group I-Ps Cognitive decline and quality of life in incident Parkinson's disease: the role of attention. Park. Relat. Disord. 2016; 27:47–53. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] As this was a pilot study with limited funding, a step-wise approach was used to prioritize the blood-based therapeutic target assessments. In the initial eight patients enrolled, PBMC Nurr1 and SOD1 mRNA, serum BDNF and plasma alpha-synuclein were assessed to determine the most promising blood-based therapeutic targets to assess in the remaining patients. PBMC Nurr1 and SOD1 mRNA were assessed by Taqman quantitative, real-time polymerase chain reaction (ThermoFisher Scientific, Waltham, MA). Values were normalized to actin levels. Serum BDNF was assessed by ELISA kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN). Plasma alpha-synuclein was assessed by ultra-sensitive, immunomagnetic reduction assay (MagQu, Taiwan). PBMC GSK3β (total and serine 9 phosphorylated (pS9) levels) were assessed by PathScan ELISA kit (Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA) in the patients who had adequate PBMC protein to support these assays. In the final nine patients, only PBMC Nurr1 and SOD1 were assessed as these showed the most promise in the initial eight patients. With this approach, enough funding was preserved to obtain MRI scans at baseline and 24 weeks in six patients receiving lithium (two from each lithium dosage group chosen consecutively). Ofori E., Pasternak O., Planetta P.J., Li H., Burciu R.G., Snyder A.F., Lai S., Okun M.S., Vaillancourt D.E. Longitudinal changes in free-water within the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease. Brain. 2015; 138:2322–2331. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Frengstad BS, Lax K, Tarvainen T, Jæger Ø, Wigum BJ (2010) The chemistry of bottled mineral and spring waters from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. J Geochem Explor 107(3):350–361 Lithium in the prophylaxis of unipolar depression: a review” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1983)

Pauzé DK, Brooks DE (2007) Lithium toxicity from an internet dietary supplement. J Med Toxicol 3(2):61–62 An equally interesting aspect of the action of Li is its effect on morphological changes in the blood, resulting in modulation of the immune system response. It is suggested that this element has a complex immunomodulating effect, including suppressor activity and interactions between different classes of white blood cells [ 7]. As shown in clinical trials, Li induces granulocytosis [ 36] and lymphopenia [ 37] but increases the immunological activity of monocytes, NK cells, and lymphocytes, particularly increases the synthesis of IgG and IgM immunoglobulins by B cells [ 7, 38, 39, 40]. Is there a role for lithium orotate in psychiatry?” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (2018) Olbrich R, Watzl H, Völter M, Siedow H (March 1991). "Lithium in the treatment of chronic alcoholic patients with brain damage--a controlled study". Nervenarzt. 62 (3): 182–6. PMID 2052117.

Products

Ayotte JD, Gronberg JM, Apodaca LE (2011) Trace elements and radon in groundwater across the United States, 1992–2003; Investigations Report; U.S. Geological Survey: Reston, VA, USA Decressac M., Volakakis N., Bjorklund A., Perlmann T. NURR1 in Parkinson disease--from pathogenesis to therapeutic potential. Nat. Rev. Neurol. 2013; 9:629–636. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar] Lithium orotate is sold over the counter because it is a lot less potent than prescription lithium. The reason is due to orotic acid making up for most of the supplement’s weight. In standard dosages, 120 mg supplements contain 4.6 mg of elemental lithium. Although motor symptom progression leads to disability in PD, cognitive impairment with progression to dementia has a greater negative impact on quality of life in PD than motor symptoms, occurs in the majority of PD patients and strongly predicts nursing home placement ( Aarsland et al., 2000; Schrag et al., 2000; Hely et al., 2008; Lawson et al., 2016). On average, it takes about 10 years for dementia to occur after PD diagnosis ( Aarsland and Kurz, 2010), which highlights the need for identification of cognition progression biomarkers that could be used in clinical trials to help identify therapies to slow cognitive decline even in early PD. Recently, our group identified FW progression in the DMN-T and nbM to reflect longitudinal cognitive decline in early PD from PPMI ( Guttuso et al., 2022). Thus, a therapy that slowed FW progression in the DMN-T and nbM in PD would imply that it may be able to slow long-term cognitive decline and prevent dementia. Our findings associating medium-dose lithium aspartate therapy with longitudinal reductions in DMN-T and nbM FW show promise towards these ends.

Schrauzer GN, Shrestha KP (1990) Lithium in drinking water and the incidences of crimes, suicides, and arrests related to drug addictions. Biol Trace Elem Res 25:105–113 The spectroscopic evidence for the neuroprotective effects of Li in clinical populations is much less consistent than in the preclinical data. Prospective studies have predominantly shown no changes in brain NAA levels during Li treatment. 8 – 11 A single prospective study reported a small NAA increase after 4 weeks of Li treatment, 3 whereas another investigation found an NAA decrease after 6 weeks of Li exposure. 12 Cross-sectional studies have also been inconsistent, with reports of greater 13 , 14 as well as comparable 15 – 17 brain NAA levels in Li-treated versus control participants. In reference to the effective supplementation with folic acid (in the prevention of neural tube defects) of breakfast cereals, some authors have proposed the introduction of Li-enriched cereal products [ 35]. It should be noted that so far no product fortified with Li has been introduced to the market. A method of biofortification of selected mushroom species, including oyster mushrooms ( Pleurotus ostreatus, P. eryngii), the lingzhi mushroom ( Ganoderma lucidum), and hedgehog mushroom ( Hericium erinaceus), based on cultivating them on media enriched with the lithium salt, has however been elaborated [43, 94, 95]. In contrast to many plants, cultivation of mushrooms on fortified substrate leads to its uptake by mycelium and translocation to fruiting bodies [ 43, 91]. The most effective results were observed with the use of Li chloride (LiCl), whose presence in the medium had no significant impact on the growth of the fruit bodies, their morphology and mineral composition, and the accumulated Li was characterized by a higher availability when compared to its carbonate form available in a commercial therapeutic preparation [ 42, 92, 93]. As estimated, consumption of 100 g dry matter of H. erinaceus and G. lucidum, grown on a substrate enriched with 1 mM of Li, would cover 69% and 740% of the provisional recommended daily intake (1.0 mg), respectively [ 43, 93]. However, the possible effectiveness of food fortified with Li in stabilizing mood still requires investigations, first using in vivo model and ultimately, on the level of clinical trials. Helbich M, Leitner M, Kapusta N (2012) Geospatial examination of lithium in drinking water and suicide mortality. Int J Health Geogr 11:19Harari F, Langeén M, Casimiro E, Bottai M, Palm B, Nordqvist H, Vahter M (2015) Environmental exposure to lithium during pregnancy and fetal size: a longitudinal study in the Argentinean Andes. Environ Int 77:48–54 Lithium orotate is a salt of orotic acid (commonly found in the body) and lithium (alkali metal). Since lithium is unstable, all supplements use some form of salt.