Posted 3/16/07 |
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| NAME: | Lithium, Lithium Orotate | |
| DESCRIPTION: | Lithium is the lightest element of the alkali-metal group and the lightest metal. | |
| FUNCTION: | Lithium is best known for its pharmaceutical use in the treatment of bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness. Lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are the forms prescribed.
Lithium orotate is a safe form of lithium combined with orotic acid, which makes very low levels of lithium highly absorbable. It was developed in Germany by Dr. Hans Nieper and is likewise used in combating depression and stabilizing bipolar moods. |
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| SOURCES: | Lithium is found naturally as lithium salts.
Lithium is found in minute amounts in: fish, processed meat, milk, milk products, eggs, potatoes, and vegetables. |
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| DOSAGE: | No standard dosage - follow manufacturer's or (preferrably) a qualified doctor's instructions. | |
| DATA: | According to proponents of lithium orotate treatment, the orotate form allows the lithium to cross the blood-brain barrier more effectively, and significantly reduces the amount of lithium required in order for the lithium to have a therapeutic effect in treating conditions including stress, manic depression, alcoholism, ADHD and ADD, aggression, PTSD, Alzheimer's disease, and to improve memory. The smaller amounts required reduce the potential of side effects, they argue.
May also restore liver enzyme levels in people with hepatitis C. Recently, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine reported results from a study funded by the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. They have found that too high a dose of lithium (and other drugs that inhibit an enzyme called GSK-3 beta) can impair, rather than improve, neurological function in patients with Alzheimer's disease and should be used with caution. |
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| CAUTIONS: | One potential concern is that long-term administration of orotates may increase cancer risk or damage to the kidneys, as orotic acid has been shown in a test tube study to enhance proliferation of tumorous cells. Whether this happens in humans is not at all clear.
Do not use if you have: hereditary orotic aciduria or ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. Do not use lithium orotate if you have a disorder of the heart or kidneys; do not use if pregnant or if using diuretics. Definitely consult with your healthcare provider before beginning lithium orotate therapy. |
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| FOR MORE INFORMATION: |
Wikipedia has an interesting entry on Lithium pharmacology (avoid the questionable entry on lithium orotate). | |
| RELATED PRODUCTS: |
Lithium Orotate (Advanced Research) Each bottle, 200 tablets, each tablet 120 mg lithium orotate (4.6 mg elemental lithium). | |
| PRODUCT NOTES: | This is a salt of lithium and orotic acid, which is also known as uracil- 6-carboxylic acid, a precursor in the formation of pyrimidine nucleotides (DNA building blocks). The NYBC Members Store has more about lithium orotate's primary proponent, the late Dr. Hans Nieper of Germany and his studies. | |
| DISCLAIMER: | These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. | |
