In a major new finding almost a decade in the making, researchers at Harvard Medical School say they’ve found a key that may unlock many of the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging — the humble metal lithium.

Tiny amounts of lithium — a natural metal — may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s and signs of aging, new research shows. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and Rush University found that when mice were fed a low-lithium diet,

Lithium is a metal found in some foods, drinking water, and in trace amounts in our bodies. It has long been used to treat some psychiatric disorders. But its potential role in protection against brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease opens up new doors for developing medicines that may finally provide an effective tool for fighting this dreaded brain-robbing disease,