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Microdose lithium formulation is capable of halting signs of advanced Alzheimer’s and improving cognition

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microdose lithium formulation and alzheimer

In a new study, a team of researchers has shown that, when given in a formulation that facilitates passage to the brain, lithium in doses up to 400 times lower than what is currently being prescribed for mood disorders is capable of both halting signs of advanced Alzheimer’s pathology and of recovering lost cognitive abilities.

The above snippet is from a press release published last month on Science Daily: Can lithium halt progression of Alzheimer’s disease? Keep in mind that this is an animal study but the results are so promising.  I’m also very intrigued by the delivery method (more on that below).

In order to give this microdosing context, a typical adult prescription for is 900-1800mg lithium carbonate/day.  I reached out to the lead author for clarification about the dosing of this new formulation and lead researcher Dr. Cuello shared this with me:

I calculate that our lithium dosage is 285 times lower concentration than the 900 mg dose (based on 70 kg of body weight) and 570 times lower than the 1800 mg dose.

This translates to around 3.2 mg to 6.4 mg NP03 based on 70kg of body weight (which is around 154.3 lbs).

NP03 is a disease-modifying nano dose formulation of lithium citrate which is used sublingually. I assume it’s not yet commercially available.

Also from the press release: “our findings show that microdoses of lithium in formulations such as the one we used, which facilitates passage to the brain through the brain-blood barrier while minimizing levels of lithium in the blood, sparing individuals from adverse effects, should find immediate therapeutic applications.”

Here is a link to the actual paper: NP03, a Microdose Lithium Formulation, Blunts Early Amyloid Post-Plaque Neuropathology in McGill-R-Thy1-APP Alzheimer-Like Transgenic Rats

Can we compare NP03 to low dose lithium orotate?

What is really interesting is that low dose lithium in the form of lithium orotate is commonly recommended by integrative practitioners for anxiety, mild mood swings, brain fog, ADHD and insomnia. I have found it to be extremely beneficial for many of my clients and have used it personally with success (for brain fog and insomnia).

Just how much lithium orotate is low dose? Typical doses are 5-10 mg per day, increasing to 20mg per day.

Can we compare NP03 to low dose lithium orotate? It’s too early to know for sure but we I believe we can start to make extrapolations, especially given that both are very low doses.

Integrative psychiatrist, Dr. James Greenblatt, MD has written extensively about low dose lithium orotate for the above purposes and for Alzheimer’s too. In this article, Lithium: The Cinderella Story About a Mineral That May Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, he shares that

Scientists first became interested in the use of lithium for treating neurodegenerative disorders when they observed that bipolar patients using lithium therapy seemed to have lower rates of cognitive decline than peers on other medications.

He writes how an enzyme called Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK-3) – a serine/threonine protein kinase – normally plays a major role in neural growth and development and how lithium

works as a direct GSK-3 inhibitor… halting inappropriate amyloid production and the hyper-phosphoryation of tau proteins before they become problematic.

If all this fascinates you as much as it does me, Dr. Greenblatt writes more about lithium orotate in his excellent book: “Nutritional Lithium: A Cinderella Story: The Untold Tale of a Mineral That Transforms Lives and Heals the Brain” (my Amazon link).

Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline have many root causes

Keep in mind that Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline have many root causes that must be considered. This may include inflammation, stress and candida, and even insecticide exposure.

Benzodiazepines have also been linked to increased Alzheimer’s risk which is why a nutritional approach for anxiety is the best approach. Let’s use the amino acids like GABA (for physical anxiety), and tryptophan (for worry and fears), as well as dietary changes and improving gut health instead of anti-anxiety medications.

The best Alzheimer’s book

The best Alzheimer’s book is “The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline” by Dr. Dale Bredeson (my Amazon link). He doesn’t mention lithium orotate so I look forward to hearing his thoughts on this new research. [I’ll come and update the blog when I do]

You can read about some of Dr. Bredesen’s work here: Alzheimer’s disease, mercury and mycotoxins

I look forward to human clinical trials of NP03. Dr. Cuello “ believes that there is an excellent opportunity to launch initial clinical trials of this formulation with populations with detectable preclinical Alzheimer’s pathology or with populations genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, such as adult individuals with Down Syndrome.”

I would also love to see lithium orotate compared to NP03 in future research.

In the meantime I feel this early research is exciting because it supports some of what is being seen clinically with lithium orotate.

Have you used lithium orotate with success? How much has helped you and have you seen cognitive benefits? What about a more even mood, better sleep and less anxiety?

And have you or a family member seen improvements with the Bredesen protocol?

Tryptophan for PMS: premenstrual dysphoria, mood swings, tension, and irritability

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tryptophan for pms

In a study published in 1999, A placebo-controlled clinical trial of L-tryptophan in premenstrual dysphoria, tryptophan was found to reduce symptoms of PMS when used in the luteal phase or second half of the cycle (i.e. after ovulation):

37 patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder were treated with L-tryptophan 6 g per day, and 34 were given placebo. The treatments were administered under double-blind conditions for 17 days, from the time of ovulation to the third day of menstruation, during three consecutive menstrual cycles.

They looked at dysphoria, which is defined as a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life, plus mood swings, tension (and anxiety), and irritability and they found a 34.5% reduction of symptoms with tryptophan compared to 10.4% with placebo.

The paper concludes:

that these results suggest that increasing serotonin synthesis during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle has a beneficial effect in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Let me share what I see with the women with PMS that I work with:

  • This is very typical when I’m working with someone with PMS and anxiety and other mood symptoms. It typically takes 2 to 3 cycles for an amino acid like tryptophan to have an impact on PMS itself. But it does typically start to work right away on the less severe anxiety and mood symptoms that may also be a factor during the rest of the month.
  • I don’t start with 6g per day of the tryptophan but rather have each person do the amino acid questionnaire, review the precautions and do a trial of tryptophan, increasing as needed to find the optimal amount for their needs (you can read more about this here on anxiety and the amino acid overview
  • We often find that adding GABA helps too, as this supports progesterone production
  • Many anxious women I work with also have pyroluria or signs of low zinc and low vitamin B6 and adding these nutrients, together with evening primrose oil, provide additional hormonal support (and help with the social anxiety).
  • Other factors to consider with PMS: low total cholesterol (as cholesterol is needed to make hormones), gluten issues, adrenal function and blood sugar control, gut health and the microbiome, and liver support
  • And finally, we can’t forget diet and need to switch to eating a real whole foods diet free from sugar, gluten and caffeine. Coffee and chocolate in the second half of the cycle can be especially problematic for many women

Together with the tryptophan and the above approaches (if needed as we are all so different), it’s not unreasonable to get the reduction of symptoms from 34.5% (as seen with the tryptophan) down to 100%. It breaks my heart when I hear women think they have to live with PMS symptoms when they don’t have to!

Have you used tryptophan for PMS? Do you take it all month or just in the 2nd half of your cycle? What about other changes that have helped: GABA or liver support or quitting caffeine? Or something else?  Please share.