If you thought your zip code only determined how fast Amazon Prime gets to your doorstep, think again. It may also be tinkering with your brain chemistry.
Researchers at Harvard’s Yankner Lab recently stripped lithium from the diets of aging mice. The result? Their brains lit up with Alzheimer’s-like changes — plaques, tangles, memory loss, the works — in just five weeks. Add back a whisper of lithium orotate (at doses 1,000x lower than psychiatric meds) and those same mice regained memory, navigated mazes, and basically turned back the clock (Aron et al., Nature Communications 2023; Nature 2025).
Here’s the kicker: lithium isn’t officially a nutrient, but it shows up in water, soil, plants, fish, and animals. And because it’s wildly uneven across geography, your zip code might be shaping your dementia risk without you even knowing it.
In parts of Chile, Austria, and Texas, naturally higher lithium in drinking water correlates with lower dementia and suicide rates.
Northern Europe and plenty of U.S. regions? Far less lithium — and higher rates of decline.
In the Bolivian Amazon, where soil is lithium-rich, dementia prevalence hovers around 1%. Compare that to America’s 8–11%.
That’s not just a fun fact for trivia night. It’s a reminder that place matters — not just for schools and property taxes, but for brain health.
Why MiM? Because the canyon is real.
When Tim was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the advice was brutal in its simplicity: “Take away his keys and lock him in the house.” That wasn’t a care plan; that was a canyon. And no one was offering a bridge.
That moment is why I’m bootstrapping MiM (Memory in Motion) from my work in real estate. MiM isn’t another miracle drug pitch. It’s a daily support system for people in the early stages — people still living, thinking, doing, loving. And for the supporters beside them, who need guidance that isn’t condescending or wrapped in pity.
📍 Maps don’t lie
Researchers have charted lithium concentrations across the U.S. and Europe, and the patterns are striking. Northern Europe is lithium-poor, Southern Europe richer. Parts of Texas and Chile score high, while much of New England and the Northeast show up on the low end. These aren’t just colors on a map — they may be early warnings that where you live silently shapes your brain’s resilience.
Looking at these maps, I half-joked to Tim that maybe we should have moved west. But no family should have to change zip codes just to protect their brain health. That’s why I’m bootstrapping MiM — to bridge the canyon between diagnosis and dignity, wherever you live.
Back to the kitchen
Which is why I love that the original Substack piece doesn’t stop with the science. It ends with recipes — Portuguese Garlic Shrimp with Kale, Greek Bruschetta, Fennel-Orange Salad — reminders that food, community, and joy are as much brain health strategies as any supplement.
If lithium is hiding in leafy greens, seafood, and even your tap water, then eating well isn’t just about taste — it’s about resilience. And honestly, I’ll take shrimp with kale over “lock him up” any day.
📌 Sources
Kornmehl, E. (2025). Eating & Feeding [Substack]. https://ellenkornmehl.substack.com
Szklarska, D., & Rzymski, P. (2019). Is lithium a micronutrient? Biological Trace Element Research, 189(1), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1455-2
Aron, L., Qiu, C., Ngian, Z. K., et al. (2023). A neurodegeneration checkpoint mediated by REST protects against the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature Communications, 14, 7030. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42704-6
Aron, L., Ngian, Z. K., Qiu, C., et al. (2025). Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09335-x
United States Geological Survey (USGS). Maps of lithium occurrence in U.S. groundwater and drinking water sources. https://www.usgs.gov
Topol, E. (2025). Ground Truths in Alzheimer’s Research. [Substack]. https://erictopol.substack.com
Editor’s note: Citations updated on August 18, 2025 to reflect Aron and Yankner’s work and USGS data. For readers who want a science-minded overview of current Alzheimer’s trials and evidence, see Eric Topol’s recent summary (2025).
Is it just me, or was Dr. Kornmehl destined to either run a bakery or write about food and brains? Lucky for us, she went with science — and still gave us recipes. From lithium in water to shrimp with kale, this one really does prove: food, place, and memory are all connected.
Now I’m curious — what’s your go-to brain food? (And yes, wine counts if you can justify it with a Mediterranean diet study…) 🍷