#149: James Greenblatt, MD- Lithium and Brain Health Optimization

A pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, James M. Greenblatt, MD, has treated patients with mood disorders and complex eating disorders since 1990. After receiving his medical degree and completing his psychiatry residency at George Washington University, Dr. Greenblatt went on to complete a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School.

On today’s podcast, he reminds us that violent criminals commonly have low levels of lithium in their bodies.

Scientists have proposed that lithium deficiency may increase aggression. When people hear “lithium,” many think of lithium carbonate, the high-dose, prescription-only drug that’s used to treat bipolar disorder, but lithium could also be one of the most important (but often neglected) minerals under discussion in the narrative of brain health and Alzheimer’s disease prevention.

Dr. Greenblatt says a few milligrams per day of lithium can do remarkable things for the brain, including:

02:34 Minerals and Neurologic Health

03:47 Causes of Mineral Deficiencies

05:47 Sauna Therapy and Mineral Loss

07:25 Nutritional Lithium and Mental Health

09:39 Lithium and Brain Chemistry

07:25 Nutritional Lithium and Mental Health

09:39 Lithium and Brain Chemistry

11:43 Lithium to Optimize Brain Function

23:07 Low Serum B12 and Mood Disorders