Dear Health Conscious Reader,
Did you ever hear that suicides increase on Christmas? Well, how about some good news? It’s just not true. I looked it up in every database I could find. And, well … it’s a myth.
But it is true that when Christmas rolls around, and the days are shorter, your bodily rhythms get out of kilter, and you may experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD syndrome. SAD is what we used to call the “winter blues.” Even here in sunny Florida, the days aren’t quite as bright or as long, and we start feeling the effects.
The thing about SAD is you may not even know you have it. You just know you feel a little down. And the added stress of the holidays can add to the problem.
Don’t count on your doctor to recognize it either. Your symptoms may not be severe enough to fall into the “official” standards, so they may be downplayed or go completely unaddressed.1
The good news is you don’t need to fall into an official category to feel better. Taking a simple mineral can be a big help.
Lithium orotate is a safe and simple way to help beat the blues.
You may have heard of lithium in medical circles – it’s used to treat mental disorders such as depression and bi-polar disorder. Lithium itself is not a drug; it’s a naturally occurring mineral salt like potassium, and something you need for proper mental and physical health.
But don’t worry… lithium orotate is not the same lithium used to treat bi-polar disorder. It’s a different animal altogether.
The forms of lithium used for treating mental disorders are generally lithium carbonate or lithium citrate. And both have to be handled with kid gloves. That’s because these types of lithium do not readily enter the cells, and patients have to take very high doses to “force” it into their cells. At the same time, these high doses are extremely close to toxic levels and must be used under the close supervision of a physician.
The safe form of lithium – lithium orotate – provides just the right boost for winter blues, or whenever you want to be mentally sharp.2 It’s much safer than its prescription-strength counterparts, yet it’s just as effective. Because of this, you can get a similar lift on a much lower and completely safe dose.
Lithium orotate differs from the carbonate and citrate forms mainly in the ion it’s bound to. But this tiny distinction makes all the difference in the world where safety is concerned.
The mineral can also improve your spacial memory,3 increase your brain mass and function (providing excellent “everyday” brain cell protection and re-growth), and alleviate the pain of migraine and cluster headaches, low white blood cell counts, juvenile convulsive disease, alcoholism, and liver disorders. If you suffer from nearsightedness or glaucoma, you may benefit from the slight dehydrating effect of lithium on the eye, which can improve your vision and reduce intraocular pressure.4
So now there’s no need to take the winter blues lying down.
To keep your brain functioning at peak performance, and maintain an optimistic mood, just take 10 to 20 milligrams of elemental lithium per day. Many lithium supplements contain 5 milligrams of elemental lithium (be sure to read labels carefully), so you would need two to four tablets or capsules for the correct dose.5
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
Happy Holidays from all of us at Dr. Sears’ Center for Health & Wellness!
1,3 Barker, Jason E. ND, “Lithium Orotate The Mood-Enhancing Mineral,” Vitamin Research Products, http://www.vrp.com
4,5 Nieper HA. The clinical applications of lithium orotate. A two-year study. Agressologie. 1973;14(6):407-11
3 “Lithium and spatial memory: A new pathway?” Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 2001; 27(1): 845
4 Nieper, H.A. “The clinical application of lithium orotate,” Agressologie 14(6). 407-411, 1973
5 Wright, Jonathan V., “The elements of lithium supplementation,” Nutrition & Healing, http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/etips/ht200812/ht20081210b.html