The Optispan Podcast with Matt Kaeberlein

The $40 Cure They Don't Want You to Know About

24 snips
Oct 28, 2025
Dr. Jon Berner, a psychiatrist and clinician-scientist specializing in lithium and rapamycin, uncovers the hidden potential of these compounds in health. He discusses lithium's emerging role in mitigating Alzheimer's risk and the importance of individualized dosing strategies. The conversation shifts to rapamycin and its promising application for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, delving into its connection to inflammation and potential reproductive benefits. Dr. Berner advocates for personalized treatment and explores innovative dosing methodologies that could reshape therapeutic approaches.
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ANECDOTE

Decades Of Clinical Observations

  • Berner describes lithium as a metabolic drug with broad effects beyond psychiatry, based on decades of observation.
  • He mentions longer telomeres, less MRI atrophy, and lower Alzheimer's rates in lithium-treated people.
INSIGHT

Cheap Drug, Big Implications

  • A single inexpensive drug like lithium can regain legitimacy as an Alzheimer's candidate after rigorous research.
  • Jon Berner highlights the Nature study as a breakthrough because lithium costs ~$40/year and was previously ignored.
INSIGHT

Locality Over Global Levels

  • Local (paracrine) lithium depletion in brain regions matters more than global blood levels for Alzheimer's mechanisms.
  • Berner frames this as a quantum/locality problem versus classical endocrine signaling.
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