Discovery of lithium’s essential role in Alzheimer’s disease opens a hopeful avenue for treatment

Lithium deficiency is a possible cause of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a pivotal study that provides a new theory of the disease and a novel treatment strategy. The researchers, from Harvard University, have shown that lithium, a chemical element found in the Earth’s crust, plays an essential role in brain function. The scientists also observed that administering a salt, lithium orotate, to mice prevents memory loss and the characteristic pathological changes of dementia. But the signatories urge citizens not to take supplements on their own, as they can be extremely dangerous. Instead, they urge the launch of clinical trials to investigate the effect of lithium orotate on humans. Their results are published this Wednesday in the journal Nature, one of the most prestigious scientific publications in the world.

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