Lithium Orotate

What Is Lithium Orotate?

Lithium is the third element on the periodic table: a soft, light alkali metal that occurs naturally in rock, soil and water. Orotate is the salt of orotic acid. The two are paired here as a water-soluble salt, made by neutralizing orotic acid with a lithium base.

How It Works in the Body

Lithium is a trace element, taken in through food and water in small amounts. Most of it arrives through drinking water and plant foods, in amounts that differ from one water supply to the next.

It is the smallest alkali metal and carries a single positive charge, so it travels the routes the body uses for sodium and potassium, and the kidneys handle it much as they handle sodium. Orotic acid is an intermediate of pyrimidine synthesis and turns up in milk. In the stomach the salt dissolves and the two parts separate.

What It Supports

• A calm, balanced mood: Lithium orotate supports a calm, balanced mood.
• An alkali metal: Lithium sits in the first column of the periodic table, beside sodium and potassium.
• A trace in the diet: Most intake comes from drinking water and plant foods, and the amount varies by region.
• The orotate half: Orotic acid is an ordinary intermediate of pyrimidine synthesis and occurs in milk.
• A stated amount: There is 5 mg of lithium per serving, from lithium orotate.

Who It May Suit

Adults who want one plainly labeled element rather than a blend, in a one-capsule serving. The capsule is hypromellose with rice flour, so vegetarian and vegan eating are both covered.

Good To Know

Lithium is also a prescription medicine, given at far higher amounts and monitored by blood test. Talk with your healthcare provider before use, and do not take this alongside prescription lithium. Tell your provider about any diuretic, NSAID or ACE inhibitor you take, since all three change how much lithium the kidneys hold on to. Skip it in pregnancy and while nursing.