Nutritional Lithium: A Cinderella Story: The Untold Tale of a Mineral That Transforms Lives and Heals the Brain Paperback – February 23, 2016

This is a good book, an important book, and needed to be written. I've been studying orthomolecular medicine as it pertains to mental health, for a long time, and lithium isn't a nutrient that gets hardly any attention. This book does a good job of explaining the benefits of lithium for the brain, cites some good studies, etc.However, I had a couple of issues with the book. On page it the authors say "When patients display signs of mania, or have suicidal thoughts, pharmaceutical lithium is clearly indicated." But then, throughout the book, they mention case studies of patients, even manic ones, who responded dramatically to nutritional doses, and low nutritional doses, at that. I'd like to have heard a more detailed discussion on perhaps why some patients respond so dramatically to such a low dose, whereas some need 600mg or more of prescription lithium. If a low dose can be some dramatic, why would someone ever need 5 or 10, 20 times as much? Also, I'd like to have heard more perspective on these amazing results at such low doses. Such as, how common is it to respond at such low doses? How many patients perhaps didn't respond at nutritional doses? I can only assume these miracle cases are rare in the extreme.My second issue with the book is that sections of it repeat in various chapters. The benefits of lithium are covered in at least two different sections, pretty much verbatim. I found myself thinking "didn't I already read this?" and I turned back a few pages, and sure enough, I had.So although it's not a perfect book, it fills a void in the literature on nutritional management of psychiatric disorders that was very needed.

This is an important contribution to the field of Integrative Psychiatry. The most important lesson from this book is that Nutritional Lithium may prevent several disorders including Bipolar Disorder, Dementia and even violence. Patients who suffer with these disorders may be suffering from a Lithium deficiency and require a higher dose of this mineral than the general population. While Nutritional Lithium may prevent these disorder from developing once a patient suffers with an episode of psychosis it is unlikely that Nutritional Lithium alone will solve the problem. Psychosis literally causes brain damage probably as a result of an inflammatory reaction in the brain. Once this occurs anti-psychotic medications may be the only thing that can keep these disorders under control. This may well be because antipsychotic medications have been found to be anti-inflammatory and so they calm the "Brain on Fire" that occurs as a result of psychosis. An interesting question is whether long term treatment with Nutritional Lithium may help the brain to heal allowing the dosage of anti-psychotic medications to be reduced.

This book has been a godsend to me. Nowadays my recurrent depression is lifting very well with a daily regimen of nutritional lithium orotate, a very low dosage of this trace mineral, which is very different than the well-known drug, Lithium, used for treating bipolar depression. Dr. Greenblatt's belief that many people have lithium deficiency because of long time usage of drinking filtered water or bottled water, is very interesting, and could be the reason that I have a lithium deficiency.

Very good book. I have been on the trail of information about lithium orotate for my own practice, and now your book comes out. I bought a couple bottles a few weeks ago and tried it myself. It helped with my impulsiveness very quickly. If I can use LiOr instead of carbonate, and the side effect profile is that much better, why would I want to continue to prescribe lithium carbonate? Lately I've been using Nassir Ghaemi's theoretical framework in which you address mood first. If mood can't be ruled out, treat mood. Once mood is resolved, down the list to psychosis. Interestingly enough, I have heard of the orthomolecular treatment of schizophrenia with niacin... my first two moves in treating a patient might be LiOr and niacin. How disappointed my professors must be that I don't use STAR*D as my evidence for practice. Just this one simple opening move has clarified my practice. Now knowing that LiOr is safe to use, I'm moving forward. I've had quite a few patients with suicidal ideation, and multiple possibly lethal attempts, who seem to have no suicidal ideation anymore, it's just fantastic. Four stars instead of five because I think the discussion of Hans Neiper's research should include his controversial status, and because your treatment of the methylation cycle does not seem to be up to date. That said, I am very happy to have your book on the patient reading materials table in my waiting room. I encourage my patients to pick up a copy of their own. Thank you very much for gathering all these sources and putting the information in a very easy to understand format.What's old is new again.

Good book and provides a lot of hope over and over and over again. A little too many time that could have been condensed. Bummed it didn’t discuss dosage more in regards to low dose supplementation but going to try low and work up and see what happens. Diet ultimately matters most and saved me but hopeful this will improve brain function.

Great book with amazing information. I have recommended it to many people already.Thank you!

Very well written, researched and up to date. I have read other books on lithium and many research publications. This is well worth the read.We have also found the addition of lithium a life saver for our son with neuro-lyme.

Very interesting book.

Very informative and interesting.

Ich habe das Buch gelesen, war begeistert, habe mir Lithium über das Internet bestellt und in geringen Konzentrationen eingenommen. Ich fühlte mich zunächst besser, jedoch bekam ich von Anfang an ein Ziehen in der Nierengegend. Ich musste deutlich häufiger auf die Toilette. Irgendwann wurde aus dem Ziehen ein leichter Schmerz, dann habe ich es gleich wieder gelassen. Ich finde es gefährlich, dass Lithium, und speziell Lithium-Orotate hier als so ungefährlich angepriesen wird. Ich persönlich kann verstehen warum es keine Zulassung in Deutschland hat. Und das liegt nicht daran, dass es zu billig ist und böse Pharmakonzerne damit kein Geld verdienen könnten, sondern weil es - zumindest in meinem Fall - starke Nebenwirkungen haben kann.

Having had Bipolar for about 20 years, I know the value of Lithium. My last episode was in 2007, have been well since then, (on Lithium). Am showing signs of tremors though, so as suggested in the book have started on a dose of Flaxseed oil, here's hoping. I'm 69yrs.Dorothy.