DMAE
Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) is a naturally occurring, mild cerebral stimulant nutrient found in such “brain” foods as anchovies and sardines. A closely related substance—Diethylaminoethanol (DEAE)–was at one time approved as being possibly effective for supporting the following areas:
1. Learning and shortened attention span.
2. Behavior and hyperactivity.
3. Combined hyperkinetic behavior, reading and speech, motor coordination, and impulsive/compulsive behavior.
DMAE possesses all of the properties that were claimed for its close cousin, DEAE.
Safe, Effective Approach to Supporting Normal Adult and Childhood Learning
The learning issues just mentioned, although usually occurring in childhood, are also seen in adults, and not infrequently. DMAE provides a safe and non-addictive approach. It has been used for years to support normal behavior in children, and results in positive effects on intelligence and grades as well. DMAE produces a mild stimulant effect, which develops slowly over a period of several weeks. There is no drug-like letdown or mood alterations if it is discontinued.1
In 1958, Dr. Leon Oettinger, Jr., found that DMAE:2
- Accelerated mental processes
- Improved concentration
- Stopped early morning “fogginess”
- Relieved lassitude and enhanced mood
- Decreased irritability and reduced overactivity, leading to a much better overall social adaptation and improved scholastic functioning
- Increased attention
- Did not cause drowsiness
- Improved IQ!
Furthermore, Dr. Oettinger found that DMAE has a high level of safety in that there were no effects on heart rate or blood pressure and no induced “jitteriness.” He found that DMAE actually improved appetite in many patients and caused no interference with sleep. In fact, he found that DMAE actually reduced sleep requirements. Dr. Oettinger concluded that DMAE “was a most useful tool in the handling of the child with behavioral problems.”
In 1960, Dr. Stanley Geller reported on a double-blind study of 75 children that found DMAE in doses of 50 mg twice daily resulted in improved functioning capacity, puzzle-solving ability and organization of activity.3
In another double-blind study of fifty children DMAE was administered in doses up to 500 mg/day (300 mg in the morning; another 200 mg at lunch). The authors concluded that DMAE, “when administered at doses of 300 to 500 mg per day for 12 weeks to moderately disturbed hyperkinetic children (six to 12 years of age) produces greater overall improvement in comparison to patients similarly treated with a placebo.”4
Although most of the human studies involving DMAE and cognitive enhancement seem to have been conducted in the 1950s and 1960s, a recent animal study confirms the memory/intelligence-enhancing effects of DMAE.5
Reducing Fatigue, Enhancing Mood and Dreaming
DMAE has been demonstrated to be a promising approach to overcoming fatigue and decreased affect in children,6 inducing lucid dreaming and normalizing brain function and mood.7
A recent study in Germany evaluated the effects of DMAE in subjects with emotional health concerns and lowered mood, using a combination of EEG (electroencephalogram) and psychometric testing. The scientists found that DMAE use results in decreased theta and alpha1 waves, characteristic of increased vigilance and attention. In addition, the subjects reported increased activity and better mood. The authors concluded that DMAE induces a psychophysiological state of enhanced well being as corroborated by mood analysis and brain electrical activity.8
DMAE Improves Movement Disorders and Prevents Adverse Effects of L-DOPA
In 1974, Dr. Edith Miller added DMAE in doses ranging from 300 to 900 mg per day to the regimen of Parkinson’s patients, who had begun to exhibit adverse effects from high dosages of L-DOPA (L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, administered to treat Parkinson’s Disease).9 DMAE administration resulted in a complete resolution of the L-DOPA-induced abnormal movements (diskenesias) in a majority of the patients.
Dr. Miller concluded that “DMAE seems to be the first effective measure to combat L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias safely and effectively without interfering with the beneficial effects of L-DOPA therapy.” Studies in an animal model subsequently produced similar results.10
In a subsequent study, Dr. E. Daniel of the Portland VA Hospital used doses of DMAE ranging from 400 to 600 mg per day in a variety of patients with involuntary movement disorders, including benign essential tremor, tardive dyskinesia and even blepharospasm (eyelid twitching). Use of DMAE resulted in improvement in all symptoms, with the exception of those suffering from Huntington’s chorea.11 These research results suggest that DMAE may support the production of normal movement patterns in the brain.
Improves Skin Tone
In a double-blind study of the effects of DMAE on the skin of human volunteers, scientists in Belgium applied a gel containing a three percent concentration of DMAE to areas of “loose skin.” They used a technique known as shear wave propagation, and found that the DMAE formulation resulted in an increased shear wave velocity. They concluded that the DMAE formulation increased skin tone and firmness.12 While it remains to be studied, it is likely that the same benefits will result from long-term oral ingestion of DMAE.
DMAE Inhibits Formation of “Aging Pigment”
One of the most dramatic and well-documented effects of DMAE is its ability to inhibit the formation of aging pigment (lipofuscin)—the brownish pigment that causes “liver spots” (lentigo) on the backs of the hands of many people over 50 years of age.
Lipofuscin is believed to be formed by the inefficient metabolism of fatty acids, and its accumulation in the cells is one of the most obvious and regularly reported cytological (cellular) changes with age. Lipofuscin accumulates with age in all body tissues—especially, the heart, muscles, kidneys, nerves and brain.
Although no known adverse effects are known to result from lipofuscin accumulation, it certainly does no good, acting as “intracellular garbage.” Even if it is not harmful, lipofuscin is often cosmetically unacceptable.
DMAE supports healthy aging by preventing the formation of lipofuscin and facilitating its removal from the body.13 Many people gauge the rate of lipofuscin removal from their body by watching their “liver spots” disappear with long-term supplementation of DMAE. It usually takes about six months for significant changes to take place—with many spots resolving completely.
Mechanisms of Action
DMAE has long been known to stimulate the production of choline, which in turn allows the brain to optimize production of acetylcholine (Fig. 1).14-16
Acetylcholine is the primary neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory. However, Professor Imre Zs.-Nagy believes that enhanced acetylcholine is not the only explanation for DMAE’s effect, since he believes that a choline-rich diet alone should have the same acetylcholine-increasing effect, which he believes is not the case. Zs.-Nagy proposes that other mechanisms of DMAE include its being a free radical scavenger (with particular ability to protect cellular membranes); cross-linkage inhibitor; and spin trapper (a type of free radical scavenger).17
In addition, Dr. Richard Hochschild proposed that DMAE’s principal healthy aging mechanism is that of acting as a “cell membrane fluidizer.”18
Life-Extending Effects of DMAE
In 1973, Dr. Hochschild evaluated the potential life-extending effect of DMAE on old mice. He administered DMAE in the drinking water to 21-month-old A/J mice. The DMAE-fed mice experienced a significant reduction in mortality and an increase in both mean and maximum survival time (Fig. 2).
Conclusion
DMAE deserves high ranking on the list of effective healthy aging supplements. Its multiple mechanisms of action (acetylcholine enhancer; antioxidant; cross-linkage inhibitor; spin trapper and membrane fluidizer) amply support an extensive body of well-documented clinical benefits, including:
- Enhancing cognitive processes;
- Inhibiting lipofuscin formation;
- Promoting healthy mood;
- Improving skin tone and appearance, and;
- Extending life span of experimental animals.
DMAE has a long track record of safety and efficacy, and ongoing research continues to add to the already impressive list of potential benefits.
Recommended use for children over 12 and adults is 250 to 500 mg per day. Overdosage may be manifested by slight headache, or jaw or neck tightness (due to overstimulation of the muscles), but these symptoms are transient, and can be relieved by simply reducing the amount consumed.
References
1. Pfeiffer G.C. Parasympathetic neurohormones. possible precursors and effect on behavior. Int Review of Neurobiology 1959;195-244.
2. Oettinger L. The use of Deanol in the treatment of disorders of behavior in children. J Pediat 1958;53:761-675.
3. Geller, S. J. Comparison of a tranquilizer and a psychic energizer. JAMA 1960;174:89-92.
4. Coleman, N., Dexheimer, P., Dimascio, A., Redman, W., and Finnerty, R. Deanol in the treatment of hyperkinetic children. Psychosomatics 1976;17:68-72.
5. Levin E.D., Rose J.E., Abood L.Effects of nicotinic dimethylaminoethyl esters on working memory performance of rats in the radial-arm maze. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1995 Jun-Jul;51(2-3):369-73.
6. Kugel R. B., Alexander T. The effect of a central nervous system stimulant (Deanol) on behavior. Pediatrics 1963;31:651-655.
7. Sergio W. Use of DMAE in the induction of lucid dreams. Med Hypotheses 1988;26(4):255-257.
8. Dimpfel W., Wedekind W., Keplinger I. Efficacy of dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) containing vitamin-mineral drug combination on EEG patterns in the presence of different emotional states. Eur J Med Res 2003 May 30;8(5):183-91.
9. Miller E. Deanol (DMAE) in the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesias. Neurology February, 1974, 116-119.
10. Davis K.L., Hollister L.E., Vento A.L., Beilstein B.A., Rosekind G.R..Dimethylaminoethanol (deanol): effect on apomorphine-induced stereotype and an animal model of tardive dyskinesia. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1979 May 25;63(2):143-6.
11. Daniel E. Mood alterations during deanol therapy. Psychopharmacology 197962 (2):187-191, 1979.
12. Uhoda I., Faska N., Robert C., Cauwenbergh G., Pierard G.E.Split face study on the cutaneous tensile effect of 2-dimethylaminoethanol (deanol) gel. Skin Res Technol 2002 Aug;8(3):164-7.
13. Zs.-Nagy I., Floyd R.A.Electron spin resonance spectroscopic demonstration of the hydroxyl free radical scavenger properties of dimethylaminoethanol in spin trapping experiments confirming the molecular basis for the biological effects of centrophenoxine. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 1984 Dec;3(4):297-310.
14. London E.D., Coyle J.T. Pharmacological augmentation of acetylcholine levels in kainate lesioned rat striatum. Biochem Pharmacol 1978;27:2962-2965.
15. Haubrich D.R., Wang P.F., D.E. Clody D.E.,Wedecking P.W. Increase in rat brain acetylcholine induced by choline or deanol. Life Sci 1975;17:975-980.
16. Jope R.S., Jenden D.J. Dimethylaminoethanol (deanol) metabolism in rat brain and its effect on acetylcholine synthesis. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1979;211:472-479.
17. Zs.-Nagy I. Pharmacological interventions against aging through the cell plasma membrane —a review of the experimental results obtained in animals and humans, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2002;959:308-320.
18. Hochschild R. Effect of dimethylaminoethanol on the life span of senile male A/J mice. Exp Gerontol 1973;8(4):185-191.
