DMAE Capsules Review, Side Effects, Doses and Benefits

DMAE capsules are used as memory-enhancing supplements and for their purported ability to promote focus and brain function.

Dimethylaminoethanol is available as a natural dietary supplement and is commonly used to promote cognitive function, memory, attention and focus in nootropic stacks.

It is sometimes sold in combination with choline or with other natural nootropic brain supplements like Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba and certain Vitamins.

DMAE is purported to have some benefits for athletic performance enhancement. Research shows that it can increase total work load and maximal oxygen consumption in athletes during exercise.

There are several different brands of DMAE capsules for sale today from Twinlab to Now Foods to Life Extension to Vitacost. These capsules may come in 100 mg or 250 mg dosages per pill.

However, recently there have been studies that call into question how effective DMAE is due to its poor ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reach your neurons. Centrophenoxine, which is derived from the DMAE molecule, is now considered to be a much stronger option.

DMAE

Cholinergic Supplement

Focus

Brain Health

Anti- Aging

How It Works:

• Found to enhance mental concentration
• Supports memory by boosting acetylcholine
• Neuroprotective with anti-aging effects

Dosage:

Between 300 - 2,000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

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DMAE Capsules

DMAE is an abbreviation for Dimethylaminoethanol. This is a type of amino acid that is found in small amounts within the brain. It is also a common dietary supplement, used in skin care products, energy supplements and memory and brain boosters.

The primary purpose of this supplement is to act as a building block or precursor of the important vitamin-like compound Choline in the body.

Choline has an integral role to play in supporting vital cognitive processes including memory formation, learning capacity, attention, and more.

DMAE can be found in a small number of food sources such as anchovies and sardines, but due to the limited quantities found in these foods, taking DMAE capsules is the only realistic way to use this product as a brain supplement.

DMAE was previously sold as a prescription drug under the names Deanol and Deaner by Riker Laboratories. It was originally used for treating children with behavioural conditions, learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Currently, Deaner is not an approved medication in the United States by the FDA. It also does not qualify as an orphan medication.

Research into its effects on ADHD in children have provided inconclusive results. It is unclear whether this supplement works, with some studies reporting positive effects and others reporting no effects.

Why Take DMAE Tablets?

There are a number of known benefits from DMAE supplementation. These primarily relate to conditions and illnesses associated with the brain and central nervous system. One of the most important of these is an increase in memory and overall brain power.

Users typically report an expanded or enhanced learning capacity and a faster speed of memory recall. Benefits include being able to focus and concentrate better, with a lengthened attention span that is less likely to succumb to distractions or mental fatigue.

This supplement may also improve your mood and help treat a number of disorders and conditions. It is said to help relieve stress, anxiety and reduce symptoms of depression. Some research suggests there may be benefits to taking DMAE capsules as a treatment for ADHD.

Other studies show that it could help to alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Additional data demonstrated it can relieve tardive dyskinesia caused by anti-psychotic drugs which are prescribed for schizophrenia.

DMAE capsules may also be able to boost athletic performance. It seems to improve energy metabolism throughout the body while also promoting faster reaction times and better coordination of movement.

These subtle changes can lead to improved overall performance and it is also associated with faster recovery times after a workout. Additional evidence suggests that DMAE can help to engage more muscle fibers in the contraction process, which can lead to enhanced muscular strength and growth.

Finally, the supplement helps to ensure fats are transported from the liver to the cells where they can be burned which could lead to weight loss results.

DMAE Effects in the Brain

One of the main reasons why people buy DMAE pills is to improve cognitive performance or to use in a nootropic stack. DMAE is known to be a source of choline which the body can use to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

This neurotransmitter is key to your brain function and it dictates much of how memories are formed, how we learn and even the speed of our thoughts and ability to reason. For many years, DMAE capsules were sold as superior forms of Choline for individuals who wanted better, healthier brains.

However, this is now a point of contention among researchers since recent studies show the choline from DMAE molecules may not in fact be able to reach the brain. For this reason, the nootropic supplement Centrophenoxine was developed.

This is a modified version of DMAE which is specifically designed so that it can cross over the Blood-Brain Barrier to reach our neurons. The effects of Centrophenoxine largely mirror the supposed effects of DMAE, but this supplement is believed to have a far more profound impact on memory and intelligence.

The Anti-Aging Effects of DMAE for Skin

DMAE also has some interesting applications as a life-extension supplement. It is able to slow the body’s production of arachidonic acid, which is known to lead to wrinkles and signs of aging in the skin.

This means that taking DMAE capsules or creams may be able to firm up the skin and potentially reduce signs existing damage.

DMAE and Centrophenoxine also lead to healthier cell membranes throughout the body, which can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and cellulite. Centrophenoxine in particular is able to significantly eliminate age spots on the skin which are signs of lipofuscin build-up.

Within 4 weeks of starting to take this supplement, the appearance of these spots is greatly diminished and skin looks younger.

How to Use DMAE Capsules

How many DMAE capsules should you use in one day for the best results? According to most of the scientific literature, a daily range of somewhere between 300 and 1,200 mg is ideal. For most people, it is strongly recommended to start out on the lower end of this range.

Only increasing the dosage slowly and carefully. It may also be more effective to spread out your daily dose over 2 or even 3 daily administrations, rather than taking it all at once.

Although DMAE tablets and powder are very safe with virtually no adverse effects reported, there may be some mild side effects.

This could include headache, muscle tension, insomnia, stomach upset, irritability, and elevated blood pressure. Most of these side effects are uncommon and only present themselves when taken in excessive amounts.

Are DMAE Capsules Safe?

DMAE is generally well tolerated and has been rated as Possibly Safe by the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.

This means that in research studies conducted so far, there have been few adverse reactions reported. However, more research is needed to determine the safety of this dietary supplement at high dosages or for long-term use.

In some cases, individuals taking oral DMAE pills have experienced the following side effects:

• Insomnia
• Headache
• Drowsiness
• Urticaria
• Constipation
• Overstimulation
• Vivid Lucid Dreams
• Confusion or Irritation
• Depression
• Elevated Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• Hypomania
• Orofacial and Respiratory Tardive Dyskinesia

DMAE may interact with certain health conditions and cause a worsening of symptoms. It is not recommended to take this supplement if you have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or clonic-tonic seizures.

Use of a DMAE supplement may cause interactions with certain medications such as ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE (AChE) INHIBITORS, ANTICHOLINERGIC DRUGS or Cholinergic Drugs.

Be careful if taking this supplement with any of the following medications:

• Donepezil (Aricept)
• Tacrine (Cognex)
• Rivastigmine (Exelon)
• Galantamine (Reminyl/Razadyne)
• Atropine
• Benztropine (Cogentin)
• Biperiden (Akineton)
• Procyclidine (Kemadrin)
• Trihexyphenidyl (Artane)
• Ethanechol (Urecholine)
• Echothiophate (Phospholine Iodide)
• Edrophonium (Enlon/Reversol/Tensilon)
• Neostigmine (Prostigmin)
• Physostigmine (Antilirium)
• Pyridostigmine (Mestinon/Regonol)
• Succinylcholine (Anectine/Quelicin)

IMPORTANT: DMAE should not be used by women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant. There is concern that use of this supplement at the beginning of a pregnancy may cause teratogenic effect (birth defects).

This supplement may interfere with the uptake of choline into cells, resulting in improper fetal development.

Due to a lack of available research, you should also not take DMAE if you are breastfeeding. It is unclear whether this supplement can pass through breastmilk to your nursing baby and caution is recommended.

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