ProEndorphin: Energy, Mood and Neurotransmitters
DMAE/Deanol in PROENDORPHIN
What is DMAE / Deanol? 
DMAE and deanol are the abbreviated names for 2-dimethyl-aminoethanol, a chemical compound that is one of the raw materials for the production of the B complex vitamin, choline, and is produced in small amounts within the human brain. In the brain, choline is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is associated with a wide variety of processes throughout the body, including cognitive functions such as memory and attention. DMAE is found in foods such as anchovies, sardines, and other fish. In supplement form, DMAE is available in many salt or ester forms under a number of different name endings; all of these chemical versions are given the first name of 'deanol', thereby assisting in its identification. DMAE is considered to be a non-essential nutrient, however supplementation can increase natural levels of choline, which is an important physiological agent that the body is unable to produce on its own. Therefore, DMAE should be replenished everyday through the diet or through dietary supplementation. [31 ]
General Functions
DMAE is a memory enhancing substance common to a number of European drugs and has shown positive results for a variety of cognitive and disruptive disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). [32] It has been shown to stabilize cell membranes. Cell membrane degradation has been proposed as one of the prime mechanisms of aging. [33] DMAE has been known as a "smart drug" as far back as 1959 when treatment with DMAE was demonstrated to result in significantly improved test scores. [34] Given the ever-increasing pressures to achieve in modem society, it was only natural that a compound long used to treat brain dysfunction and memory disorders would be explored for its potential use as a memory and brain "booster." [35]
Research has shown that DMAE's cholinergic effects, help produce brain chemicals such as acetylcholine that are necessary for mental sharpness. [36] Some individuals accordingly report that DMAE supplementation causes a noticeable boost in their ability to concentrate. DMAE users also routinely report better memory (especially short-term memory), as well as improved focus and mental clarity, which may be particularly valuable for those who work in high-pressure or deadline-oriented environments. [37]
DMAE is a precursor to choline and acetylcholine. It is the choline inside cells that is converted to phosphatidylcholine, used in the building and repair of cell membranes, especially in the brain. DMAE is believed to work primarily by speeding the production of acetylcholine, a crucial neurotransmitter responsible for carrying messages between brain cells and from the brain to the muscles that control body movements. Acetylcholine, a synthesized product of choline, is also involved in higher brain functions such as learning, recall, and memory. [38] Animal studies show that taking DMAE, can boost levels of choline in the brain, [39] which in turn increases the body's ability to produce acetylcholine, resulting in a corresponding increase in memory ability and potency. Studies suggest that DMAE crosses the blood-brain barrier more effectively than choline itself enabling
it to reach the brain and increase the brain's choline levels more efficiently. [40]
DMAE/Deanol Affects choline Metabolism
*In an animal study by Haubrich et aI, adminIstration of deanol caused an increase in the concentration of both choline and acetylcholine in the corpus striatum, indicating that synthesis of brain acetylcholine can be stimulated in vivo by elevating the tissue concentration of its precursor. This finding suggests that the concentration of free choline in the brain is below that necessary for a maximal rate of syntheSIS of acetylcholine, and raises the possibility that the availability of choline in the brain may regulate the rate of synthesis of acetylcholine. These results also provide biochemical evidence for the view that the clinical effects of deanol result from its conversion to acetylcholine. [41]
DMAE/Deanol Effects on Cerebral Cortical Neurons
*In another animal study by Kostopoulos and Phillis, sixty-seven spontaneously firing neurons in the sensorimotor area of rat's cortex were tested, including 19 identifiescorticospinal cells. Deanol excited all 19 corticospinal cells and of the 48 unidentified neurons, 71 % were excited and 8% inhibited. [42] Their results showed that injection of labeled DMAE into animals is rapidly taken up by bniin tissue and incorporated into lipids. [43] Deanol has been shown in this study to activate muscarinic receptors on neurons of the rat cerebral cortex, including corticospinal cells. [42]
DMAE Influence on the Mental and Physical Efficiency in Man
*This study involved 120 healthy soldiers, volunteers 20 years old, receiving DMAE in the dose 100-200 mg or 150-300 mg daily during 2 weeks. It was found that DMAE increases the ability to remember in evaluation of Wechsler, Kirschner and Babcoc test. It also significantly increased the concentration of attention, logical understanding, and improved the ability of association mathematical calculation and reasoning, with the greater dose having a better effect. There was increased muscle strength, an increase of the index of physical efficiency, an increase in speed, a greater ability to learn and a good general feeling.[36]
The Effect of DMAE on Life Span
*Cellular membrane degradation has been proposed as a prime mechanism of aging. DMAE is common to a number of drugs known to stabilize cellular membranes. Of additional significance with respect to tests of the membrane hypothesis is the fact that DMAE is the immediate precursor of choline in the biosynthesis and repair of cellular membranes. Of particular interest to the present investigation is the fact that dietary choline is inferior to dietary DMAE as a source of choline for membrane biosynthesis. DMAE has a remarkable ability to cross the blood-brain barrier; choline does not. Aging is associated with an increasing biochemical imbalance and age changes may be partly the result of cells not having optimum or correct amounts of vital substances needed for their function. Because of its essential role in membrane biosynthesis, DMAE is one such vital substance. In this study done by Hochschild, senile mice from a long-lived strain were used and divided into a control group and a drug-treated group. The DMAE group outlived the control group by 36%. The author considered this a sizeable life span extension even though drug administration was started late in the animals' life. It was concluded that life span may be influenced pharmacologically well into old age. [33]
SAFETY
DMAE is safe to use for adults. With proper dosage, no adverse effects have been reported as a result of DMAE supplement intake. Consult your physician prior to taking DMAE, or any other supplement for the first time or with an existing treatment.
GUIDELINES FOR USE
Normal daily doses of DMAE in single-ingredient form range from 100 mg to 500 mg.
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