- What is lithium? Lithium is a mineral used in large doses (hundreds of milligrams) as prescription medicine to treat bipolar disease but at much lower doses (fractions of a milligram to a few milligrams) as a dietary supplement. The form in supplements is typically lithium orotate or lithium aspartate, while prescription medicine is lithium carbonate or lithium citrate. (See What It Is). Although all forms will provide lithium, read labels carefully to understand how much lithium is being promised because lithium is only a small portion of lithium-containing compounds, e.g., only about 4% of lithium orotate is elemental lithium (See Forms of Lithium). Use the Results table to easily compare amounts of lithium in tested supplements.
- What do lithium supplements do? There is no conclusive evidence that supplemental lithium helps. However, some observational studies and small clinical studies suggest that low-dose lithium may improve mood, reduce the risk of suicide and reduce the risk and/or progression of dementia. (See What It Does).
- How much lithium should I take? Suggested daily doses of supplemental lithium range from about 0.3 mg to 5 mg — similar to, or slightly above, the amounts of lithium obtained per day from what we normally eat and drink (See Dosage).
- Best choice for lithium supplements? Many products passed our tests for quality, in which products were tested for their amounts of lithium and potential contaminants (lead, cadmium, and arsenic) (See What CL Found). Three supplements were selected as Top Picks. Be aware that many supplements on the market provide more lithium than you want, but it is possible to use partial dosing (See Dosage).
- Safety and side effects of lithium: Too much lithium can cause toxicity and affect thyroid function (See Concerns and Cautions).
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Low-Dose Lithium Supplements Review
Choose the Best Low-Dose Lithium Supplement. CL Tests Reveal Which Low-Dose Lithium Supplements Offer the Best Quality and Value
Reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.
Low-dose lithium supplements compared in this review
Advanced Research Lithium Orotate
American Biologics Lithium
Good State Health Solutions Ionic Lithium
KAL Lithium Orotate - Lemon Lime
Life Extension Memory Protect
Pure Encapsulations Lithium (Orotate) 5 mg
Solaray Lithium Aspartate 5 mg
Swanson Ultra Lithium Orotate
Vital Nutrients Lithium (Orotate) 20 mg
Weyland Lithium Orotate 10 mg
Make sure the low-dose lithium supplement you take passed our quality review and is right for you!
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Summary
You must be a ConsumerLab.com member to get the full test results along with ConsumerLab.com's findings, recommendations, and quality ratings. You'll get results for ten lithium supplements -- nine selected by ConsumerLab.com and one which passed testing in our voluntary Quality Certification Program.
In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
- Which low-dose lithium supplements passed or failed testing
- Which low-dose lithium supplements are the best value and CL's Top Picks
- What low-dose lithium can and cannot do for your health
- How forms of lithium (orotate, aspartate, and carbonate) differ from one another
- The dose of lithium recommended for specific uses
- Cautions when using lithium, including potential side-effects, and interference with thyroid and kidney function
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