Lithium’s range of beneficial effects, from mood modulation to neuroprotection, may be linked to its ability to boost levels of certain enzymes and other large molecules—in particular the protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Sometimes called “brain fertilizer,” this protein fosters the growth of new brain cells and is normally stimulated by healthy activities such as exercise. (It’s the reason why I always tell myself, when I don’t feel like dragging myself to the gym, “This is more for my brain than it is for my body.”) But cell culture studies suggest that tiny lithium doses can also boost BDNF; raise levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); reduce levels of “oxidative stress”; modulate levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate; and reduce inflammation in glial cells (the “support” cells for neurons, essential for brain function).
A handful of studies also seem to suggest that lithium’s cellular trickery could even help protect against the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
