New study Can lithium protect people from dementia in drinking water?

How does lithium in drinking water affect the risk of developing dementia??
For a long time, doctors have been looking for ways to protect people from dementia. Researchers now found that consuming drinking water with an elevated level of lithium could lower the risk of developing dementia.

The researchers from the University of Copenhagen found in their study that lithium in drinking water could protect against the development of dementia. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "JAMA Psychiatry".

Our body needs enough fluid. Water is a good option, it is healthy and does not make you fat. Researchers now found that lithium contained in water could protect against dementia. (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com)

Scientists are studying the data of more than 800,000 subjects for their study
For their study, the experts examined more than 800,000 participants. The results suggest that consuming lithium with water could protect against the development of dementia. Lithium is a normal component in our drinking water, although the amount varies greatly, explain the researchers. The physicians looked at the medical records of 73,731 Danish people with dementia and 733,653 participants without the disease. In addition, the tap water in various areas of the country was examined.

Moderate lithium value increases the risk, high lithium value reduces the risk
The results of the study show that a moderate lithium level (between 5.1 and 10 micrograms per liter) increases the risk of developing dementia by 22 percent, compared to lower levels of lithium in water (below five micrograms per liter). , Interestingly, it was also found that drinking water with the highest lithium levels (over 15 micrograms per liter) reduced the risk by 17 percent, the researchers explain.

Lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder
This study shows that there is a link between lithium in drinking water and the incidence of dementia, which should urgently be further investigated, the researchers say. A higher long-term lithium exposure from drinking water could be associated with a lower incidence of dementia. Lithium is known to have an effect on the brain and is also used to treat bipolar disorder, for example, the authors add.

Lithium alters biological processes in the brain
However, the concentration of lithium in tap water is much lower than for a medical use, the experts explain. The experiments have shown that lithium alters a large number of biological processes in the brain.

Further studies are needed
The current study showed that lithium appears to have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease. In addition, lithium is already being used to treat people with bipolar disorders. Some research also found that this may also be the reason why affected people could be better protected against Alzheimer's disease. Further studies must now check whether regular doses of lithium can prevent the onset of dementia, say the doctors. At the moment, there is no drug that can stop, reverse, or slow down the progress of dementia. (As)