"If you could only choose ONE supplement, what would that be?".
There's only one correct answer and that is................a mineral supplement (with trace minerals).
Minerals orchestrate thousands of functions, including:
-Tens of thousands of enzymatic reactions that rely on minerals as cofactors (magnesium activates 300+ enzymes for ATP production, zinc a few hundred as well like carbonic anhydrase).
-Nervous system regulation: Sodium, potassium, and calcium maintain nerve impulses and muscle contractions via ion channels.
-Detoxification: Selenium and zinc support liver enzymes like glutathione peroxidase for example.
-Energy production: Iron in hemoglobin and cytochromes for example and magnesium in mitochondria fuels ATP production.
-Blood cell production: The go-to examples for these are copper and iron for red blood cells and zinc for white blood cells.
-Oxygen metabolism and vitamin utilization/metabolism: Minerals like zinc are crucial for vitamin A metabolism for example and manganese and copper are crucial for superoxide dismutase (SOD).
-Blood sugar/insulin regulation: The go-to examples are that magnesium improves insulin sensitivity, zinc modulates glucose uptake and chromium enhances insulin signaling.
-Gut Health: Zinc aids hydrochloric acid (HCl) and enzyme production, copper has antimicrobial properties, chloride supports HCl as well.
-Hormonal support: Iodine and selenium for thyroid hormones T4/T3, boron, zinc and magnesium for steroid hormone metabolism.
-Oxidative stress defense: Selenium, zinc, copper, and manganese are crucial for antioxidant enzymes like GPx and SOD.
-Immune function: Zinc boosts T-cells and NK cells for example.
-Cholesterol conversion.
-Hydration: Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, and chloride regulate fluid balance through the Na/K-ATPase pump.
The list is endless.
Minerals are also crucial for bone health, joint health, DNA repair, skin health, brain development, detoxing and more.
This is why deficiencies create so many issues.
Some classic examples include:
-Low calcium (macro): Muscle spasms, osteoporosis (via parathyroid hormone dysregulation).
-Low magnesium (macro): Cramps, arrhythmias, anxiety (affects GABA receptors).
-Low potassium (macro): Fatigue, arrhythmias (disrupts cardiac action potentials).
-Zinc deficiency (micro): Gut permeability ("leaky gut"), low libido, acne/eczema.
-Iodine shortage (micro): Goiter, hypothyroidism.
Copper deficiency (micro): Anemia (impairs ceruloplasmin for iron mobilization), premature gray hair (reduces tyrosinase for melanin, lowers SOD activity, increasing oxidative damage), sun sensitivity (impairs collagen and melanin synthesis).
-Molybdenum deficiency (micro): Sulfur intolerance.
And mineral deficiencies become more and more common since compared to the 1950s, the food mineral content has been reduced by 20-50% (depending on region/type of mineral).
But that's not all.
In an industrialized world, we are all exposed to heavy metals that compete with both macro and micro minerals for absorption, transport and binding sites.
This "molecular mimicry" occurs because many metals are divalent or trivalent cations (for example Pb²⁺ mimics Ca²⁺ or Zn²⁺), hijacking transporters like DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1 for Fe, Zn, Mn, Cd, Pb), ZIP (zinc-regulated transporters for Zn, Ni, Cu) or calcium channels.
They also bind proteins like metallothioneins (MT, which sequester Cu, Zn, Cd), transferrin (Fe carrier), or calmodulin (Ca-binding protein).
Let's put in perspective the importance of these nutrients by talking about lithium.
Just one trace mineral that most people never even think about.
Lithium is often misunderstood, conjured up as a heavy-duty drug for bipolar disorder with a laundry list of side effects but lithium is just a naturally occurring trace alkali metal.
Our bodies contain about 7 mg of lithium, and while it’s not officially classified as an essential nutrient (yet), animal studies suggest that a lithium-deficient diet can lead to problems in the spleen, immune system, reproduction and the brain.
Lithium orotate, the form that will be in your trace mineral supplement, combines lithium with orotic acid, a compound involved in DNA and RNA synthesis.
Unlike lithium carbonate, the pharmaceutical form used in high doses (400–1200 mg/day) to treat bipolar disorder, lithium orotate is typically taken in much smaller doses (5–20 mg/day), delivering elemental lithium in the range of 0.2–1 mg per dose.
Why the difference?
Lithium orotate is thought to cross the blood-brain barrier more efficiently, meaning you need less to achieve therapeutic effects in the brain.
Fun fact: A study found that lithium orotate (1.5 mg/kg) was more effective than lithium carbonate (15–20 mg/kg) at blocking amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, a model of mania.
This suggests lithium orotate punches above its weight due to its superior brain penetration.
Here’s why this matters: lithium deficiency, even at subtle levels, may contribute to mood instability, cognitive decline and even neurodegenerative diseases.
A 2018 study in Nature found that, out of 27 metals analyzed, lithium was the only metal significantly reduced in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
This same study showed that lithium orotate reduced amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque burden by ~70% and tau phosphorylation in AD mouse models.
Lithium’s effects on the brain are multifaceted, influencing neurotransmitters, enzymes, inflammation and even the brain’s ability to repair itself.
Here are some examples/MOAs:
1. GSK3β inhibition.
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) is a serine-threonine kinase that plays a central role in several brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Overactive GSK3β promotes amyloid-beta aggregation, tau protein phosphorylation and neuroinflammation.
2. IMPase inhibition
Inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) is an enzyme in the phosphoinositol cycle, which regulates inositol levels.
Dysregulated inositol is implicated in bipolar disorder, where mania is associated with elevated inositol and depression with reduced levels.
Lithium inhibits IMPase, which helps stabilize our mood.
It's also great for reducing IP3-mediated calcium release from ER stores.
A word of caution: combining lithium with inositol supplements can be tricky.
In unipolar depression, inositol may enhance lithium’s antidepressant effects, but in bipolar disorder, it could trigger mania if taken during a manic phase.
Always consult a healthcare provider before combining these.
3. General anti-inflammatory effects.
Lithium orotate reduces neuroinflammation by modulating microglial function—the brain’s immune cells.
In the Nature study, lithium deficiency increased microglial expression of pro-inflammatory markers like CD68, Apoe, and GPNMB, impairing Aβ clearance.
Lithium supplementation reversed this, enhancing the brain’s ability to clear toxic proteins.
Lithium also:
Lowers cytokine levels: It reduces IL-6, TNF-α, and other inflammatory molecules, creating a less hostile environment for neurons.
Protects against oxidative stress: Lithium counteracts oxidative damage, which is linked to neuronal death in conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
4. Neurotransmitter modulation.
Serotonin: Lithium enhances serotonin receptor sensitivity.
Dopamine and Norepinephrine: Lithium stabilizes these neurotransmitters, boosting them during depressive phases and dampening them during mania.
GABA: While lithium may enhance GABA activity, its effects on anxiety are less pronounced in clinical practice.
5. Boosting neuroplasticity.
*Mainly BDNF.
And of course we can add more niche effects such as reduced suicidality where:
A 1990 study in Texas found significantly higher suicide rates in counties with low or no lithium in drinking water.
A 2013 follow-up confirmed these findings across 226 counties.
A 2017 study of 51,000 patients showed a 14% reduction in suicide-related events in bipolar patients treated with lithium compared to other drugs.
Or improved B12 absorption (some individuals with high B12 blood levels despite not supplementing may have a lithium deficiency, as lithium appears to facilitate B12 transport into cells).
Now keep in mind that this is just one trace mineral and this supplement stack also has:
-Magnesium
-Potassium
-Chloride
-Molybdenum
-Silica
-Boron
-Maybe zinc + copper
*I am not a big fan of trace mineral supplements that have things such as vanadium.
all of which are equally or more important than lithium.
Let's take silica as an example.
Silica is also a natural mineral that can:
Assist in aluminum detoxification since it competes with aluminum for binding sites in the body, mobilizing it from tissues like the brain and kidneys.
Protects against alzheimer’s risk, a 2008 study found that consuming 10 mg/day of silica from drinking water was associated with a reduced risk of dementia, counteracting the effects of aluminum-rich water.
Support skin and hair health since it is essential for collagen formation.
That's all.
As always, everything is one quick search away and leave a like/RT in case you found this useful.
There's only one correct answer and that is................a mineral supplement (with trace minerals).
Minerals orchestrate thousands of functions, including:
-Tens of thousands of enzymatic reactions that rely on minerals as cofactors (magnesium activates 300+ enzymes for ATP production, zinc a few hundred as well like carbonic anhydrase).
-Nervous system regulation: Sodium, potassium, and calcium maintain nerve impulses and muscle contractions via ion channels.
-Detoxification: Selenium and zinc support liver enzymes like glutathione peroxidase for example.
-Energy production: Iron in hemoglobin and cytochromes for example and magnesium in mitochondria fuels ATP production.
-Blood cell production: The go-to examples for these are copper and iron for red blood cells and zinc for white blood cells.
-Oxygen metabolism and vitamin utilization/metabolism: Minerals like zinc are crucial for vitamin A metabolism for example and manganese and copper are crucial for superoxide dismutase (SOD).
-Blood sugar/insulin regulation: The go-to examples are that magnesium improves insulin sensitivity, zinc modulates glucose uptake and chromium enhances insulin signaling.
-Gut Health: Zinc aids hydrochloric acid (HCl) and enzyme production, copper has antimicrobial properties, chloride supports HCl as well.
-Hormonal support: Iodine and selenium for thyroid hormones T4/T3, boron, zinc and magnesium for steroid hormone metabolism.
-Oxidative stress defense: Selenium, zinc, copper, and manganese are crucial for antioxidant enzymes like GPx and SOD.
-Immune function: Zinc boosts T-cells and NK cells for example.
-Cholesterol conversion.
-Hydration: Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, and chloride regulate fluid balance through the Na/K-ATPase pump.
The list is endless.
Minerals are also crucial for bone health, joint health, DNA repair, skin health, brain development, detoxing and more.
This is why deficiencies create so many issues.
Some classic examples include:
-Low calcium (macro): Muscle spasms, osteoporosis (via parathyroid hormone dysregulation).
-Low magnesium (macro): Cramps, arrhythmias, anxiety (affects GABA receptors).
-Low potassium (macro): Fatigue, arrhythmias (disrupts cardiac action potentials).
-Zinc deficiency (micro): Gut permeability ("leaky gut"), low libido, acne/eczema.
-Iodine shortage (micro): Goiter, hypothyroidism.
Copper deficiency (micro): Anemia (impairs ceruloplasmin for iron mobilization), premature gray hair (reduces tyrosinase for melanin, lowers SOD activity, increasing oxidative damage), sun sensitivity (impairs collagen and melanin synthesis).
-Molybdenum deficiency (micro): Sulfur intolerance.
And mineral deficiencies become more and more common since compared to the 1950s, the food mineral content has been reduced by 20-50% (depending on region/type of mineral).
But that's not all.
In an industrialized world, we are all exposed to heavy metals that compete with both macro and micro minerals for absorption, transport and binding sites.
This "molecular mimicry" occurs because many metals are divalent or trivalent cations (for example Pb²⁺ mimics Ca²⁺ or Zn²⁺), hijacking transporters like DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1 for Fe, Zn, Mn, Cd, Pb), ZIP (zinc-regulated transporters for Zn, Ni, Cu) or calcium channels.
They also bind proteins like metallothioneins (MT, which sequester Cu, Zn, Cd), transferrin (Fe carrier), or calmodulin (Ca-binding protein).
Let's put in perspective the importance of these nutrients by talking about lithium.
Just one trace mineral that most people never even think about.
Lithium is often misunderstood, conjured up as a heavy-duty drug for bipolar disorder with a laundry list of side effects but lithium is just a naturally occurring trace alkali metal.
Our bodies contain about 7 mg of lithium, and while it’s not officially classified as an essential nutrient (yet), animal studies suggest that a lithium-deficient diet can lead to problems in the spleen, immune system, reproduction and the brain.
Lithium orotate, the form that will be in your trace mineral supplement, combines lithium with orotic acid, a compound involved in DNA and RNA synthesis.
Unlike lithium carbonate, the pharmaceutical form used in high doses (400–1200 mg/day) to treat bipolar disorder, lithium orotate is typically taken in much smaller doses (5–20 mg/day), delivering elemental lithium in the range of 0.2–1 mg per dose.
Why the difference?
Lithium orotate is thought to cross the blood-brain barrier more efficiently, meaning you need less to achieve therapeutic effects in the brain.
Fun fact: A study found that lithium orotate (1.5 mg/kg) was more effective than lithium carbonate (15–20 mg/kg) at blocking amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, a model of mania.
This suggests lithium orotate punches above its weight due to its superior brain penetration.
Here’s why this matters: lithium deficiency, even at subtle levels, may contribute to mood instability, cognitive decline and even neurodegenerative diseases.
A 2018 study in Nature found that, out of 27 metals analyzed, lithium was the only metal significantly reduced in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
This same study showed that lithium orotate reduced amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque burden by ~70% and tau phosphorylation in AD mouse models.
Lithium’s effects on the brain are multifaceted, influencing neurotransmitters, enzymes, inflammation and even the brain’s ability to repair itself.
Here are some examples/MOAs:
1. GSK3β inhibition.
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β) is a serine-threonine kinase that plays a central role in several brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Overactive GSK3β promotes amyloid-beta aggregation, tau protein phosphorylation and neuroinflammation.
2. IMPase inhibition
Inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) is an enzyme in the phosphoinositol cycle, which regulates inositol levels.
Dysregulated inositol is implicated in bipolar disorder, where mania is associated with elevated inositol and depression with reduced levels.
Lithium inhibits IMPase, which helps stabilize our mood.
It's also great for reducing IP3-mediated calcium release from ER stores.
A word of caution: combining lithium with inositol supplements can be tricky.
In unipolar depression, inositol may enhance lithium’s antidepressant effects, but in bipolar disorder, it could trigger mania if taken during a manic phase.
Always consult a healthcare provider before combining these.
3. General anti-inflammatory effects.
Lithium orotate reduces neuroinflammation by modulating microglial function—the brain’s immune cells.
In the Nature study, lithium deficiency increased microglial expression of pro-inflammatory markers like CD68, Apoe, and GPNMB, impairing Aβ clearance.
Lithium supplementation reversed this, enhancing the brain’s ability to clear toxic proteins.
Lithium also:
Lowers cytokine levels: It reduces IL-6, TNF-α, and other inflammatory molecules, creating a less hostile environment for neurons.
Protects against oxidative stress: Lithium counteracts oxidative damage, which is linked to neuronal death in conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
4. Neurotransmitter modulation.
Serotonin: Lithium enhances serotonin receptor sensitivity.
Dopamine and Norepinephrine: Lithium stabilizes these neurotransmitters, boosting them during depressive phases and dampening them during mania.
GABA: While lithium may enhance GABA activity, its effects on anxiety are less pronounced in clinical practice.
5. Boosting neuroplasticity.
*Mainly BDNF.
And of course we can add more niche effects such as reduced suicidality where:
A 1990 study in Texas found significantly higher suicide rates in counties with low or no lithium in drinking water.
A 2013 follow-up confirmed these findings across 226 counties.
A 2017 study of 51,000 patients showed a 14% reduction in suicide-related events in bipolar patients treated with lithium compared to other drugs.
Or improved B12 absorption (some individuals with high B12 blood levels despite not supplementing may have a lithium deficiency, as lithium appears to facilitate B12 transport into cells).
Now keep in mind that this is just one trace mineral and this supplement stack also has:
-Magnesium
-Potassium
-Chloride
-Molybdenum
-Silica
-Boron
-Maybe zinc + copper
*I am not a big fan of trace mineral supplements that have things such as vanadium.
all of which are equally or more important than lithium.
Let's take silica as an example.
Silica is also a natural mineral that can:
Assist in aluminum detoxification since it competes with aluminum for binding sites in the body, mobilizing it from tissues like the brain and kidneys.
Protects against alzheimer’s risk, a 2008 study found that consuming 10 mg/day of silica from drinking water was associated with a reduced risk of dementia, counteracting the effects of aluminum-rich water.
Support skin and hair health since it is essential for collagen formation.
That's all.
As always, everything is one quick search away and leave a like/RT in case you found this useful.
Pathogen overgrowths -> Zinc, iodine
Migraines -> Magnesium
Fatigue -> Selenium, magnesium, zinc, iron/copper
Low vitamin D -> Magnesium, zinc, boron
Low free T -> Zinc, boron, magnesium
Brittle nails → Silica, Zinc
Unipolar-depression -> Selenium, zinc, magnesium
Bipolar-depression -> Selenium, lithium
Brain fog -> Zinc, selenium, magnesium
Hair loss -> Zinc, heme iron, selenium, magnesium
Low B12 -> Lithium
Dry skin -> Silica
Etc.
Migraines -> Magnesium
Fatigue -> Selenium, magnesium, zinc, iron/copper
Low vitamin D -> Magnesium, zinc, boron
Low free T -> Zinc, boron, magnesium
Brittle nails → Silica, Zinc
Unipolar-depression -> Selenium, zinc, magnesium
Bipolar-depression -> Selenium, lithium
Brain fog -> Zinc, selenium, magnesium
Hair loss -> Zinc, heme iron, selenium, magnesium
Low B12 -> Lithium
Dry skin -> Silica
Etc.
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