In high doses lithium can be used as a drug to treat mental illness such as manic depression through its stabilising effects on mood. However, at high doses lithium can have serious negative effects and care should be taken when using it pharmacologically. However, at low doses lithium is a nutrient that may be essential for human health. In particular, lithium is required for the transport of vitamin B12 and folate uptake and transport and for neurotransmission. Lithium is also able to stimulate the proliferation of stem cells and may upregulate important brain chemicals such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is responsible in part for the stabilisation of mood through neuroprotective mechanisms. There may also be a role for lithium as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, perhaps through its modulation of BDNF. Studies suggest that in low doses, when considered a nutrient, lithium may have significant therapeutic effects against the development of mood disorders including anxiety and depression.
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