Lithium has been a staple medication for treating mood disorders for more than 50 years.
However, while most lithium salts are only available via prescription due to the concentrated dosage, lithium orotate may offer a suitable low-dose alternative that is more readily accessible.
Low-dose lithium orotate offers a vast range of benefits for your health without the common side effects seen with other medications.
In total, there are nine “essential amino acids” – amino acids that the body cannot make itself. L-lysine is an essential amino acid, meaning that if you’re not getting enough of it from your diet, you could become deficient, with problematic knock-on effects for your body.
L-lysine isn’t just any old amino acid: research suggests that it may have profound benefits for human health. Let’s take a look.
What Is Lithium Orotate?
Lithium is a naturally occurring element commonly found in the Earth’s strata. Many types of lithium salts are found frequently in drinking water and some foods. This means your body often has trace amounts of lithium circulating through your system.
Lithium orotate is a salt formed by the combination of lithium and orotic acid, which enhances its ability to function in the body. Orotic acid is produced naturally in your body by microorganisms in your gut and allows the lithium salt to be more readily absorbed by your body.
How Does Lithium Orotate Work?
Lithium salts have been used for decades as the primary treatment for bipolar disorder, a notoriously difficult condition to treat without medication. However, the exact mechanism by which lithium orotate works in the body is still unknown.
Many believe lithium orotate directly affects the way chemical messages are relayed in the brain, which in turn, has a chain reaction effect in the body.
What is known is that lithium orotate is highly bioavailable, which means your body can absorb and efficiently use the compound effectively. This may be because of the structure of the compound and its ability to cross cell membranes.
Lithium orotate has a unique structure due to the orotic acid ion. The ion allows it to pass easily through tissue-dependent membranes such as the blood-brain barrier and glial cells, which are used for supporting neuron function. This enables you to enjoy the benefits of lithium without worrying about significantly raising blood serum lithium levels.
How Lithium Orotate Can Improve Your Health
While lithium carbonate has been used for decades to treat a range of physical and mental health issues, lithium orotate is less well-known and often taken at a lower dosage.
However, lithium orotate can still have some powerful benefits for your health and well-being, including:
Decreasing Inflammation
While acute inflammation is a natural immune response to trauma and pathogens, chronic inflammation is considered to be the primary cause of many human diseases. These can include rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Crohn’s disease, and atherosclerosis.
Most chronic inflammation is caused by poor diet and environmental irritants. However, studies suggest that lithium can help to produce anti-inflammatory compounds such as 17-OH-DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid derivative, while simultaneously reducing the inflammatory compound arachidonic acid in the body.
Managing Anxiety and Depression
Low doses of lithium, such as those found in lithium orotate, may help to manage anxiety and depression. Studies on animal models suggest that lithium can increase the rate of 5H-neurotransmission, which is a group of receptors that respond to serotonin, the neurochemical responsible for giving people a feeling of happiness.
Other research on the presence of lithium in drinking water indicates that cities with lithium-enriched water had lower rates of suicide.
Regulating Mood
Mood swings are a common symptom of many mental health disorders and can make every day functioning a challenge. There is substantial anecdotal evidence to suggest that lithium orotate can help to regulate the neurological and hormonal system responsible for controlling mood.
In addition to regulating the hormone and enzymes that control mood, lithium has an impact on insulin-like growth factor-1, which supports neuron stem cell renewal. This can improve overall brain function and enhance mood regulation.
Improving Brain Health
Inflammation and certain age-related brain disorders can cause plaques to form in the brain, affecting neuron transmission. This can cause a range of symptoms, including memory loss, poor coordination, and mania.
Studies have shown that lithium can disrupt the production of glycogen synthase kinase-3, an enzyme responsible for creating amyloid plaques in the brain.
Lithium is also suggested to improve cognitive function by boosting the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
Treating Headaches
Headaches and migraines are common symptoms of many brain and mood disorders. These painful conditions often do not respond to over-the-counter pain relievers and can be debilitating.
Lithium orotate has shown promising results as a remedy for a serious, but rare type of headache known as a cluster headache. Lithium can have a positive impact on serotonin and histamine levels, which tend to be dysregulated in people suffering from cluster headaches.
Lithium’s cell renewal properties may also help to correct bilateral neuronal asymmetries, which are related to the symptoms of cluster headaches.
Is Lithium Orotate Safe?
While lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are approved by the FDA, current scientific findings are not yet substantial enough to allow the FDA to give lithium orotate their stamp of approval.
Lithium does have a small level of toxicity when consumed in high doses, which is why lithium-based medications are usually only available by prescription. Lithium levels in the body should be measured periodically to avoid unwanted side effects such as nausea, dizziness, skin conditions, and kidney problems.
However, lithium orotate is only available as a low-dose supplement, which significantly reduces the risk of complications or side effects of lithium on the body. Most of the research on lithium orotate supplements suggest that low doses of lithium may be just as effective as higher doses and that the benefits of the lithium orotate far outweigh any potential side effects.
If you suffer from renal conditions or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should avoid using lithium orotate, as not enough evidence is available to support safe consumption for these populations. You should also be aware that lithium orotate may have some drug interactions similar to those found with lithium carbonate and lithium citrate.
If you take any medications that have potential interactions with lithium, consult your doctor before including low-dose lithium orotate in your wellness regime.
Final Thoughts
Lithium orotate can offer a wide range of benefits for your health and well-being without the side effects of prescription lithium due to the low dosage and fast-acting formulation. If you are considering using lithium orotate as part of your wellness routine, consult your doctor first to ensure it is compatible with your current medications.
To find out more about the range of natural supplements that we have available or to buy lithium orotate, contact Age Immune at (732)-416-6656 to talk with our knowledgeable and experienced staff about how lithium orotate can improve your quality of life.
