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Full-Text Excerpt of Smart Drugs & Nutrients - Section 5 - DMAE

How to Improve Your Memory and Increase Your Intelligence Using the Latest Discoveries In Neuroscience

VOLUME 1 in the Smart Drugs Series

by Ward Dean, M.D. & John Morgenthaler 
$12.95 - 224 pages, softcover (Out of Stock)

Sec 5: Other Cognitive Enhancers

DMAE

DMAE, or dimethylaminoethanol, is normally present in small amounts in our brains. DMAE is known for its remarkable brain?enhancement effects. It is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in seafood such as anchovies and sardines. Perhaps this explains why fish has often been called brain food.

DMAE elevates mood, improves memory and learning, increases intelligence, extends life span of laboratory animals (Hochschild, 1978), and increases physical energy. It is used by many people for its mild, safe stimulant effect, and yet DMAE also makes it easier for most people to get to sleep. Many people report less fatigue in the day and sounder sleep at night as well as needing less sleep when taking DMAE.

The stimulant effect of DMAE is significantly different from the stimulation produced by coffee, amphetamines, or other stimulant drugs. DMAE does not have a drug?like quick up and quick come down. People who take DMAE have reported that after three to four weeks, they feel a mild stimulation continually, without side effects. Also, when DMAE is discontinued, no depression or let-down occurs.

Riker Laboratories developed a prescription drug called Deaner (also called Deanol). This substance is the p?acetamidobenzoate salt of DMAE and has very similar effects. Riker marketed their DMAE?like product for learning problems, under?achievement, shortened attention span, hyperactivity, reading and speech difficulties, impaired motor coordination, and behavior problems in children.

DMAE works by accelerating the brain's synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which in turn plays a key role in maximizing mental ability as well as in preventing loss of memory in aging adults.

Precautions: Overdosage can produce insomnia, dull headaches, or tenseness in muscles (especially those of the jaws, neck, and legs). These side effects disappear if the dosage is lowered slightly. No serious adverse effects have ever been reported with DMAE. Patients with certain types of epilepsy should be closely monitored by a physician. DMAE should not be used by people who are manic depressive because it can deepen the depressive phase.

Dosage: DMAE is used initially at low dosages, with a gradual build up to 500mg or 1000mg per day. In some cases, lower dosages can result in a good response. DMAE can take as long as three weeks to take effect.

Sources: DMAE is considered a nutritional supplement and can be found at health food or drug stores. It comes in bulk powder form, capsules, or liquid. Liquid DMAE may spoil if left open or if stored at high temperatures. Keep it tightly sealed in the refrigerator. For sources of DMAE, see Appendix A (see page 165). Other names include: Acumen, Atrol, Atrol, Bimanol, Cervoxan, Deaner, Diforene, Dimethaen, dimethylaminoethanol, Elevan, Pabenol, Paxanol, Risatarun, Tonibral, and Varesal.

References:

Anderson, K., Anderson, L. Orphan Drugs. Los Angeles, CA: The Body Press, 1987, p. 69.

Ceder, G., et al. "Effects of 2?Dimethylaminoethanol (Deanol) on the Metabolism of Choline in Plasma." Journal of Neurochemistry. 1978, Vol. 30, pp. 1293?96.

Hochschild, R. "Effect of Dimethylaminoethyl p?Chlorophen­oxy?acetate on the Life Span of Male Swiss Webster Albino Mice." Experimental Gerontology. 1973, Vol.8, pp. 177?83.

Honegger, C., Honegger, R. "Occurrence and Quantitative Determination of 2?Dimethylaminoethanol in Animal Tissue Extracts." Nature. 1959, Vol. 184, pp. 550?52.

Murphree, H.B., et al. "The Stimulant Effect of 2?Dimethyl­aminoethanol (Deanol) in Human Volunteer Subjects." Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 1960, Vol. 1, pp. 303?10.

Oettinger, L. "The Use of Deanol in the Treatment of Disorders of Behavior in Children." The Journal of Pediatrics. 1958, Vol. 3, pp. 671?5.

Osvaldo, R. "2?Dimethylaminoethanol (Deanol): A Brief Review of Its Clinical Efficacy and Postulated Mechanism of Action." Current Therapeutic Research. 1974, Vol. 16, No.11, pp. 1238?42.

Pearson, D., Shaw, S. Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Ap­proach. New York: Warner Books, 1982.

Pelton, R., Pelton, T.C. Mind Food & Smart Pills. New York: Double­day, 1989.

Pfeiffer, C.C. "Parasympathetic Neurohumors. Possible Precursors and Effect on Behavior." International Review of Neurobiology. 1959, pp. 195?244.

Pfeiffer, C.C., et al. "Stimulant Effect of 2?Dimethyl?l?amino­ethanol: Possible Precursor of Brain Acetylcholine." Science. 1957, Vol. 126, pp. 610?1.

Zuckerman, B., Barrett, K."Effects of PCA and DMAE on the Nema­tode Caenorhabditis Briggsae." Experimental Aging Research. 1978, 4 (2) pp. 133?9.