6 Foods to Reverse Aging with Lithium
Could a microscopic dose of the psychoactive drug lithium, which occurs naturally in mineral water and certain foods, actually be the secret to less heart disease, better moods, and a longer life? In this article, I share how eating six foods may reverse aging with lithium.
What is Lithium?
Lithium is a naturally occurring mineral in food and water. It isn't just a psychoactive medication.
In fact, lithium is increasingly being recognized as an essential nutrient to human health. Indeed, it is now recommend that we get 1 mg daily of this nutrient daily. To put this tiny 1 mg dose in perspective, most physicians start patients at 600 mg daily when treating mood disorders.
Lithium for mood disorders
During my medical school training at Johns Hopkins in the early 1990s, I remember my first exposure to lithium being used as a drug. Many of our patients were on lithium for bipolar disorder, depression, or headaches. Without lithium, these people couldn’t function.
Lithium had a profound calming effect. It also helped them be less stressed and more focused. Until I recently came across a number or articles on its life-extending benefits, I thought it was just a mood-stabilizing drug.
Lemon, Lime and Lithium
Lithium isn’t just a drug for people suffering from bipolar, depression, or migraines. In fact, the original 1929 recipe for 7-Up contained lithium. I suspect that early 7-Up drinkers were less stressed, less depressed, and overall just felt better. Perhaps it was this calming effect that made this soda pop so popular.
Perhaps this is also why — thousands of years ago — Greek physicians treated their patients with mineral water, which is naturally high in lithium...
Is there something in the water?
While mainstream media has yet to pick up on the lithium story, quietly researchers have been publishing studies on naturally occurring lithium for years. Many studies have shown that naturally occurring lithium helps people (as well as animals, worms, and flies) live longer and healthier lives.
For example, studies show that cities around the world with mineral water, high in natural lithium, have low rates of suicide and depression. When it comes to longevity, a study of 1,206,172 people, showed that those with the most lithium in their drinking water lived much longer.
But lithium’s benefits extend far beyond depression or longevity. Worldwide, people who drink “hard water” — or natural mineral water — have been shown to not only live longer but also have less cardiovascular disease.
How can you reverse aging with lithium?
There are a few theories about how microscopic doses of naturally occurring lithium may extend life. For example, some researchers have reported that the stress reduction effects of lithium may be the answer. As readers well know, stress at least doubles your risk of a heart attack.
A second theory is that lithium increases NAD+, which is well-known to increase longevity. How to naturally boost NAD levels is a topic I discussed in a previous article.
A third theory is that lithium prevents age related degeneration of the mitochondria. For those unfamiliar with the mitochondria, it is the power plant portion of the cell. Without a normally functioning mitochondria, an organism can no longer produce energy and soon dies.
Lithium May Preserve Brain Function
As an added bonus, naturally occurring lithium may also help to preserve brain function. For example, recent evidence suggests lithium may protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s. In animals, low dose lithium has been shown to enhance cognitive performance.
What Are the Side Effects of Lithium?
High-dose lithium therapy, used to treat bipolar, depression, or migraines has many side effects.