David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

This is an area of research I have been watching closely.

11 May 2026 · 1 min

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1:18

In this brief commentary, Dr. David Perlmutter reviews recent literature on lithium’s potential role in Alzheimer’s disease. He notes a study that found reduced lithium concentrations in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, and a laboratory mouse experiment where restoring lithium (via lithium orotate) in the diet dramatically slowed cognitive decline in an Alzheimer’s mouse model. Perlmutter explains that lithium targets microglia, shifting them away from a pro‑inflammatory state, and cites a 2025 study stating that endogenous lithium maintains microglial homeostasis and prevents inflammatory changes linked to Alzheimer’s. He mentions a human dosage under discussion—approximately 5 mg per day—but emphasizes he is not recommending it, urging viewers to keep an eye on emerging research and consider lithium as a potentially powerful tool.

Chapters

Will taking lithium reduce your risk of Alzheimer's? Hi, I'm Dr. David Perlmutter. We're seeing a lot of literature come out about lithium these days. One recent study looked at lithium levels in the Alzheimer's brain, found that they were lower. Another laboratory mouse study looked at the Alzheimer's mouse and gave these mice lower levels of lithium in their diet versus normal levels, and they found that when they restored the lithium levels, the rate of cognitive decline in the Alzheimer's mouse Was dramatically reduced. What does lithium do? Lithium targets our brain's immune cells called microglia and tends to shift them away from being pro-inflammatory. Here's a quote from a recent study dated 2025 September 18th: These findings indicate that endogenous lithium, meaning inside the brain, maintains microglial homeostatic function and prevents pro-inflammatory changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. The recommendation is that we at least look at lithium. The type of lithium that was studied is lithium orotate in the laboratory mouse. The human dosage that people are discussing is 5 milligrams per day. Of course, I'm not making that as a recommendation, but I think it's really important that we keep our eyes on this emerging literature. Lithium could be a powerful tool.