A metal that has long been used in medication as a mood stabilizer may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease, a study has found. 

Researchers at Harvard and Rush Universities have discovered that declining levels of lithium in the body can cause changes in the brain associated with the neurological disorder. 

In this animal study, scientists found that maintaining normal lithium levels in mice as they aged protected them from brain degradation and memory loss. 

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common forms of dementia and mostly affects adults over the age of 65.

About 7million people in the US 65 and older live with the condition and over 100,00 die from it annually. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that by 2050, nearly 13 million Americans will be living with the disease.

Senior study author Bruce Yankner, a professor of genetics and neurology at Harvard Medical School, says the findings could point towards a possible remedy for Alzheimer’s.

As of now, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and treatment plans include taking medications that target specific symptoms of the disease such as cognitive decline, memory loss and behavioral changes. 

However, while lithium-based medications have long been used to treat mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, the researchers theorized that a version of the metal known as lithium orotate could help reverse Alzheimer’s disease-related damage, prevent brain cell damage and restore memory. 

Low lithium levels in the brain can lead to inflammation and pave the way for Alzheimer’s disease

In the study, the researchers collected postmortem brain tissue donated by thousands of deceased people in Chicago. 

Then, they analyzed about 30 different metals in the brain and blood of cognitively healthy people, those in an early stage of dementia called mild cognitive impairment, and those with advanced Alzheimer’s. 

During this analysis, they found that lithium was the only metal that differed significantly between people with and without mild cognitive impairment, which is often a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.

All other essential metals, such as magnesium and zinc, were found to be at the same levels across samples. 

After this discovery, the researchers studied mice that had been specially bred to develop the same brain changes as humans with Alzheimer’s disease.

The animals were fed a lithium-restricted diet that lacked potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, carrots, bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, dairy, nuts and seeds, all of which are lithium-rich foods. 

The researchers found that feeding healthy mice a lithium-restricted diet brought their brain lithium levels down to a level similar to that in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion and short-term memory loss

Alzheimer’s disease is believed to be caused by the development of toxic amyloid and beta proteins in the brain, which can accumulate in the brain and damage cells responsible for memory.

Amyloid protein molecules stick together in brain cells, forming clumps called plaques. At the same time, tau proteins twist together in fiber-like strands called tangles. 

Senior study author Bruce Yankner is a professor of genetics and neurology at Harvard Medical School

The plaques and tangles block the brain’s neurons from sending electrical and chemical signals back and forth. 

Over time, this disruption causes permanent damage in the brain that leads to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, causing patients to lose their ability to speak, care for themselves or even respond to the world around them.  

While there is no clear cause of Alzheimer’s disease, experts believe it can develop due to genetic mutations and lifestyle choices, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and social isolation.

From this study, the scientists found that low lithium levels accelerated the brain aging process and increased inflammation in the mice’s brains, leading to loss of connections between neurons and cognitive decline.

Over time, the researchers noticed that there was a buildup of Alzheimer’s-related plaques and tangles in their brains and the mice had begun to show signs of memory loss. 

They concluded that as the amyloid beta protein begins to form deposits in the early stages of dementia in both humans and mice, it binds to lithium deposits and reduces brain function. 

The lower lithium levels affect all major brain cell types and, in mice, give rise to changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, including memory loss

Pictured: an Alzheimer’s affected brain, with abnormal levels of amyloid protein clumping together to form plaques

The lower lithium levels affect all major brain cell types and, in mice, give rise to changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, including memory loss.

Lithium serum levels in human brains normally range from approximately 0.6 to 1.2 milliequivalents per litre (mEq/L). 

The metal is found in trace amounts throughout the body, particularly in the brain, kidneys and bones. 

Lithium plays an important role in the body by helping maintain cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic and cognitive function. 

It also keeps the body free from inflammation and supports the body’s antioxidant process, protecting brain cells and neurons from damage. 

Experts recommend eating cereals, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, nutmeg, coriander seeds, cumin, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, wheat, rice and oats. 

They also suggest drinking mineral water and teas such as black, green and red to maintain the required lithium levels in the body.

Although the findings need to be confirmed in humans through clinical trials, the researchers suggested that measuring lithium levels could help screen for early signs of the disease.