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Alternative Names: Dimethylaminoethanol; brand names Deaner and Deanol.
DMAE supplements won't work for everybody and are not intended as a cure. But they are safe and may be helpful.
Closely related to DEAE (Diethylamino-ethanol) in GH3, a European anti-aging drug.
Source
DMAE is found as a supplement, although it is not widely available. It is sold in many health food stores.
It can take the form of tablet, liquid, cream, or capsule. Tablets or capsules in doses of 50mg, 100mg, or 130mg should not be hard to find. Pills containing 350mg or more of DMAE bitartrate, which typically contain about 130mg of "active" DMAE, are also available.
DMAE by itself is relatively inexpensive. It is, however, sometimes sold in costly "brain-boosting formulas" that contain other supplements such as phosphatidylserine (PS) or acetyl-L-carnitine; these additions may or may not be right for you but they will definitely increase the cost of the product.
DMAE is a compound found in high levels in anchovies and sardines. Small amounts of it are also naturally produced in the human brain.
Function; Reasons For Use
Medical researchers have speculated that the means by which DMAE increases brain acetylcholine levels is by inhibiting choline metabolism in peripheral tissues, thereby allowing free choline to accumulate and subsequently enter the brain where it is converted to acetylcholine.
DMAE increases the concentration of choline in the bloodstream because it enhances the rate at which free choline enters the blood from other tissues. DMAE increases the levels of choline in the brain due to DMAE's superior ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
DMAE has been reported to offer the following benefits:- Alleviates the behavioral problems and hyperactivity associated with Attention Deficit Disorder (increases attention span, decreases aggression, improves learning ability and sometimes increases intelligence in 70% of ADD patients).
- Inhibits and reverses the cross-linking of proteins.
- Decreases the incidence and severity of hangovers in people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol (subjects reported freedom from the depression or headaches associated with hangovers).
- Increases the body's production of energy.
- People who use DMAE supplements report that after 3-4 weeks of DMAE use, they notice a continual mild stimulation of their CNS without side effects and a possible boost energy.
- Alleviates anxiety (subjects administered 1,200mg of DMAE per day for 5 days exhibited better control of anxious reactivity)
- Increases assertiveness (subjects reported having a more outspoken personality).
- Reduces apathy and increases motivation in persons afflicted with depression.
- Improves creativity and verbal thinking (fluency).
- Improves the behavior and mental function of children afflicted with Down's Syndrome.
- Exerts favorable effects on those chronic dyskinesias (including tardive dyskinesia) that occur as a result of long periods of major tranquilizers use.
- Increases intelligence, improves learning and memory.(especially in children). Several studies have shown no memory benefit in senile dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.
- Elevates mood.
- Reduces the amount of sleep required by about 1 hour per night, causes dreams to become more lucid (vivid), and users experience sounder sleep.
- Increases daytime motivation and physical energy in persons afflicted with insomnia.
- Increases willpower (subjects who previously were unable to stop smoking reported success).
- Increases acetylcholine levels within the brain.
- It is a cell wall stabilizer.
- Apparently removes lipofuscin (accumulation of toxic pigments) from cells, including nerve and brain cells (neurons), and age spots from the skin.
- Improves free-radical scavenging of other antioxidants. Increases life span, including maximum life span, in experimental animals. Has extended life span of older animals.
No deficiencies of DMAE have been reported or are believed to occur.
Directions
DMAE supplementation is not recommended at this time.
Dosages start at 100mg per day and extend up to 600mg per day as needed. Clinical studies of DMAE have used up to 1,600mg per day with no reports of side-effects and is believed to be relatively nontoxic.
Start slowly. DMAE can over-stimulate the nervous system and cause headaches, tense muscles, or insomnia, although these side-effects are uncommon. Drowsiness has also been reported. Begin with a low dose and see how you respond before gradually increasing the amount you take. If side-effects develop, stop taking the supplement for a day or two and begin at a lower dose.
For ADHD, memory problems or Alzheimer's: 100 to 300mg, taken orally twice a day.
Overdosage can produce insomnia. Take in the morning to avoid this. Take DMAE with meals for best absorption. To help jump-start your day, open the capsules and pour the contents into a smoothie or fruit juice as part of your morning routine.
Although DMAE may help produce brain chemicals needed for mental sharpness, drowsiness, and cognitive impairment have been reported in some people. See how it affects you before you drive or handle heavy machinery.
If you have kidney or liver disease, consult your doctor before taking DMAE. These conditions can affect levels of the supplement in your body.
Expected Outcome; Side-Effects; Counter-Indicators and Warnings
Effects of supplementation are not immediate but should begin to be felt within several weeks.
Most people taking DMAE do not experience side-effects. However, isolated adverse reactions have cropped up in different studies. Drowsiness, confusion, and high blood pressure have occurred in people with Alzheimer's who were taking this supplement, particularly when high doses were used. DMAE can be over-stimulating for some people. Headaches, irritability, and tense muscles may result, including tightness in the jaw, neck, or shoulders. Weight loss and insomnia may also occur. Lucid dreams have also been reported. These effects should disappear when intake is lowered or stopped.
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with DMAE.
DMAE should not be used by epileptics or those with bipolar disorder (manic depression). Maximum safe dosages for children or for pregnant or nursing mothers have not been established.
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DMAE can help with the following:
KEY | | May do some good |  | | Likely to help |  | | Highly recommended |  | | Avoid absolutely |
GLOSSARY
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter widely distributed in body tissues with a primary function of mediating synaptic activity of the nervous system and skeletal muscles.
Age Spots (Liver Spots)
Flat, brown areas usually found on the face, hands, back and feet. They vary in size from 1/8 of an inch to several inches (0.3cm to several cm) and are associated with aging, but long-term sun exposure is also a major cause.
Alzheimer's Disease (Alzheimer's)
A progressive disease of the middle-aged and elderly, characterized by loss of function and death of nerve cells in several areas of the brain, leading to loss of mental functions such as memory and learning. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Antioxidant (Antioxidants)
A chemical compound that slows or prevents oxygen from reacting with other compounds. Some antioxidants have been shown to have cancer-protecting potential because they neutralize free radicals. Examples include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, the minerals selenium and germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q10, catalase, and some amino acids.
Anxiety
Apprehension of danger, or dread, accompanied by nervous restlessness, tension, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath unrelated to a clearly identifiable stimulus.
Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression, Manic-Depression, Manic-Depressive)
A disorder is characterized by alternating periods of extreme moods, usually swinging from being overly elated or irritable (mania) to sad and hopeless (depression) and then back again, with periods of normal mood in between. The frequency of the swings between these two states, and the duration of the mood, varies from person to person.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
A collective term for the brain, spinal cord, their nerves, and the sensory end organs. More broadly, this can even include the
neurotransmitting hormones instigated by the CNS that control the chemical nervous system, the endocrine glands.
Choline
A lipotropic substance sometimes included in the vitamin B complex as essential for the metabolism of fats in the body. Precursor to acetylcholine, a major neurotransmitter in the brain. Choline prevents the deposition of fats in the liver and facilitates the movement of fats into the cells. Deficiency leads to cirrhosis of the liver.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Dementia (Senile Dementia)
An acquired progressive impairment of intellectual function. Marked compromise exists in at least three of the following mental activity spheres: memory, language, personality, visuospatial skills, and cognition (i.e. abstraction and calculation).
Dyskinesia
A condition characterized by spasmodic, uncoordinated, or other abnormal movements; i.e., those which result from a reaction to phenothiazines.
Hangover (Hangovers)
A commonly used nonmedical term for the disagreeable physical effects following excessive consumption of alcohol (or the use of other drugs).
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Metabolism (Metabolic, Metabolize, Metabolizes, Metabolizing)
The chemical processes of living cells in which energy is produced in order to replace and repair tissues and maintain a healthy body. Responsible for the production of energy, biosynthesis of important substances, and degradation of various compounds. Also defined as the sum total of changes in an organism in order to achieve a balance (homeostasis): Catabolic burns up, anabolic stores and builds up; the sum of their work is metabolism.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Nervous System
A system in the body that is comprised of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, ganglia and parts of the receptor organs that receive and interpret stimuli and transmit impulses to effector organs.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
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