lithium orotate (Serenity)
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Introduction
Uses
- stress
- anxiety
- depression
- mood swings
Contraindications
- not much data
Dosage
- 1 to 3 pills a day
- ~ 5 mg Li+ per 120 mg pill, compared to about 60 mg for each 300 mg capsule of lithium carbonate
Adverse effects
- mild lithium toxicity noted in a patient taking 120 mg/day of lithum orotate[4]
- no evidence of toxicity with 5-10 mg/day
Mechanism of action
- lithium is dynamically regulated in the brain & contributes to cognitive preservation during ageing
- lithium is the only metal found reduced in the brain of patients with mild cognitive impairment
- lithium bioavailability is further reduced in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by amyloid-beta sequestration
- see lithium carbonate
Comparative biology
- depleting lithium from the diet of wild-type & AD mouse models reducing endogenous cortical lithium by ~50% increases deposition of amyloid-beta & accumulation of phospho-tau leading to pro-inflammatory microglial activation, loss of synapses, axons & myelin, & accelerated cognitive decline[2]
- effects at least partially mediated via activation of GSK3-beta[2]
- see investigational treatment of Alzheimer's disease <studies in rodents>
- lithium orotate has superior efficacy, potency, & tolerability to lithium carbonate in mice due to selective transport-mediated uptake & pentose pathway incorporation[5]
More general terms
References
- ↑ Prescriber's Letter 16(2): 2008 Lithium Orotate Dietary Supplements Detail-Document#: http://prescribersletter.com/(5bhgn1a4ni4cyp2tvybwfh55)/pl/ArticleDD.aspx?li=1&st=1&cs=&s=PRL&pt=3&fpt=25&dd=250207&pb=PRL (subscription needed) http://www.prescribersletter.com
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Peeples L New hope for Alzheimer's: lithium supplement reverses memory loss in mice. Nature News. 2025. Aug 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02471-4
Aron L, Ngian ZK, Qiu C et al Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Nature. 2025 Aug 6. PMID: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40770094 PMCID: PMC12443616 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09335-x - ↑ Murbach TS, Glavits R, Endres JR, et al A toxicological evaluation of lithium orotate. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2021 Aug;124:104973. PMID: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34146638 Free article.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pauze DK, Brooks DE. Lithium toxicity from an Internet dietary supplement. J Med Toxicol. 2007 Jun;3(2):61-2. PMID: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18072162 Free PMC article.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pacholko AG, Bekar LK. Different pharmacokinetics of lithium orotate inform why it is more potent, effective, and less toxic than lithium carbonate in a mouse model of mania. J Psychiatr Res. 2023 Aug;164:192-201. PMID: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37356352 Free article.