SC Proposal:1:2:Authorize lithium as a dietary supplement: Difference between revisions
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A low-dose intake of lithium can preserve brain health and protect against neurodegenerative processes. Environmental and lifestyle factors frequently lead to a deficiency. Furthermore, lithium demonstrably meets all scientific criteria of an essential trace element, even though it is not yet officially recognised as essential.<ref>https://www.openpetition.de/petition/online/lithium-anerkennung-der-essentialitaet-und-zulassung-als-nahrungsergaenzungsmittel</ref> In addition, as a trace element, lithium is far more difficult to overdose than other essential trace elements such as selenium or zinc.<ref>https://www.openpetition.de/petition/online/lithium-anerkennung-der-essentialitaet-und-zulassung-als-nahrungsergaenzungsmittel</ref> | |||
'''Lithium should therefore be approved as a dietary supplement.''' | |||
=== Lithium as a trace element === | |||
Lithium occurs as a micronutrient in food and drinking water. Environmental and lifestyle factors can lead to a deficiency.<ref name="afgm">AFGM: ''Lithium – ein essenzieller Mikronährstoff'' [Lithium – an essential micronutrient]. 2025. [https://afgm.at/lithium-ein-essenzieller-mikronaehrstoff/ Online].</ref> Lithium raises levels of the growth factor BDNF and promotes the formation of new nerve cells, for example in the hippocampus. | |||
=== Epidemiological evidence === | |||
Several large studies report lower dementia and mortality rates in regions where drinking water contains more lithium.<ref name="afgm" /><ref name="kessing">Kessing, L. V. et al.: ''Association of Lithium in Drinking Water With the Incidence of Dementia''. In: ''JAMA Psychiatry'' 74, 2017, pp. 1005–1010.</ref><ref name="zarse">Zarse, K. et al.: ''Low-dose lithium uptake promotes longevity in humans and metazoans''. In: ''European Journal of Nutrition'' 50, 2011, pp. 387–389.</ref> | |||
=== Lithium deficiency and Alzheimer's disease === | |||
A research group at Harvard University concluded in ''Nature'' that lithium is essential for maintaining cognitive function.<ref name="aron">Aron, L. et al.: ''Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer's disease''. In: ''Nature'' 645, 2025, pp. 712–721.</ref><ref name="bush">Bush, A. I.: ''Does lithium deficiency contribute to Alzheimer's disease?'' In: ''Nature'' 645, 2025, pp. 593–594.</ref><ref name="peeples">Peeples, L.: ''New hope for Alzheimer's: lithium supplement reverses memory loss in mice''. In: ''Nature'', 2025. </ref> | |||
* Of all the metals examined, only lithium was significantly reduced in the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). | |||
* In a mouse model, removing 50% of dietary lithium led to increased amyloid-β and phospho-tau deposits, microglial activation, loss of synapses, axons and myelin, and accelerated cognitive decline. | |||
=== Lithium supplementation === | |||
In mice, low-dose lithium orotate restored the clearance of amyloid by microglia. Lithium may be the only molecule capable of fully stabilising Alzheimer's disease in its early stages.<ref name="nehls-qs24">Nehls, M.: ''Die Lithium-(R)Evolution – Plädoyer für ein lebenswichtiges Spurenelement'' [The lithium (r)evolution – a plea for a vital trace element]. In: ''QS24 – Der Gesundheitskompass'' No. 1, May 2025. [https://hazu.swiss/qs24/der-gesundheitskompass/ausgabe-nr-1---mai-2025---auflage-120000/5U6YMW6FuGKznSBd5J1r?showComment=dW0F1wl7XeZaenkAVlRZ Online].</ref> | |||
== References == | |||
<references /><!---Low-dose lithium protects the brain against neurodegeneration, meets the criteria of an essential trace element and is hard to overdose. It should therefore be approved as a dietary supplement.---> | |||