Subject: Re: DMAE

mtymp15@epx.cis.umn.edu (David Hutton) writes:
>This weekend, my parents discovered a foil packed that had fallen out of my
>pocket containing 6 (six) 350mg tablets of Dimethylaminoethanol Bitartrate.
>
>After explaining to them that "NO... it was legal and not* acid" they calmed
>down a little (meaning that the sound level is below 100 Db now).  They told
>me that if I am going to continue to experiment with these newfangled "smart
>drugs/nutrients" that I have to prove to them that they are good.

        Well, first of all, why don't you carry them around in the bottle
that they came in?  The bottle probably has a nice, typed label that will 
lend legitimacy to your use of DMAE.

        A good reference for DMAE, and for many other interesting (and legal)
compounds in Dean and Morgenthaler's book, "Smart Drugs and Nutrients."  It
is from this book that I obtained the basics of the following explanation of
the mechanism of action of DMAE (the rest is from a conversation with an 
informed friend):

        As any high-school biology student knows, the compound acetylcholine
is an important neurotransmitter.  High-school biology students are probably
less familiar with the blood-brain barrier, which (as you might gather from
the name) prevents certain compounds from entering the brain from the blood.
Acetylcholine is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier.  This makes sense:
if you consumed a meal with a high quantity of acetylcholine, you might
involuntarily stimulate your own nervous system.  Choline is the usual pre-
cursor of acetylcholine, but it does not cross the blood-brain barrier very
well.  The body makes acetylcholine from choline as it is needed.

        DMAE is basically a choline molecule with one methyl group missing
from the nitrogen.  DMAE is more able to cross the blood-brain barrier than
choline.  Once inside the brain, an enzyme performs a methylation that
converts DMAE into choline.  So, taking DMAE increases the brain's potential
to make neurotransmitters.

        Dean and Morgenthaler's book reports the following effects for DMAE:
mood elevation, improvement of memory and learning, intelligence increases,
and increases in the life span of laboratory animals.

        DMAE is a naturally-occuring compound that is present in signficant
amounts in fish.  Is this why some people consider fish to be "brain food?"

        And now, for my personal experiences:

        I have used DMAE for about six months now.  The first time I took it,
I was awake almost all night - this was before my roommate told me what its
effect was.  He merely told me that it was a "smart drug" that he had bought
at the local health food store.  The dose was 350 mg.

        The second time I took DMAE, I was on my way to work.  I had a very
productive morning, and I felt - well - lucid.  This is especially significant
for me, as I am not a morning person.  I felt that my ability to handle mul-
tiple tasks simultaneously was improved.  As for weird effects, I felt that
my vision was somewhat enhanced - and when I had the realization that "Gee,
I'm having a great morning!" I got a quick, involuntary smirk across my face.
That's all, though.

        When the DMAE ran out, my roommate and I discovered Source Natural's
Mental Edge vitamin, which contains 160 mg DMAE, but also a host of other
smart nutrients.  I'm taking about one of these vitamins per day - the recom-
mended dose is 4/day.  The vitamin is best taken on an empty stomach, so I
was putting one on top of my alarm clock to take in the morning.  I have this
nasty habit of setting my alarm 30 minutes ahead after it goes off, and going
back to sleep.  (My typical weeknight sleep schedule is about 6 1/2 hours.)
Well, the first few times I took the Mental Edge, I would roll over about 15
minutes after the first alarm - awake and ready to go as if I had slept for
nine hours!  The mornings that followed were generally productive ones.

        Over the course of these six months, the short-term stimulant effect
of DMAE/Mental Edge has worn off.  In other words, I'm no longer getting 
the instant pick-me-up that I used to get.  However, I have noted that I'm
generally more alert.  Of course, I'm only averaging about 200 mg/day of 
DMAE.  Dean and Morganthaler's books recommend "a gradual buildup to 500-
1000 mg per day."

        About three months ago, my roommate and I found DMAE in liquid
form.  A solution containing 100 mg/ml of DMAE and 150 mg/ml of PABA is 
available from Twinlabs.  The rationale for the PABA/DMAE combination is
probably similar to that for another product, xanthinol nicotinate (again
reference Dean and Morgenthaler):  the presence of PABA allows the formation
of a PABA/DMAE complex that crosses some barrier (a cell membrane, or the
blood-brain barrier) more readily than DMAE alone.  Mix some of this stuff
into your orange juice in the morning and you're ready to go.

        I have only had one negative experience with DMAE.  I was running 
an organic juice bar at a reggae party about six weeks ago.  We were selling
drinks with or without smart drugs, as people desired.  I had three glasses
of fresh-squeezed carrot juice, all containing about 300 mg of DMAE.  I had
a fun day - I ran around at the concert, and did sound for the band - but I
had a pretty good headache the next day.  The headache symptom is documented
in Dean and Morgenthaler.

        BTW, I do not use caffeine-containing beverages.  Well, maybe once or
twice a month I'll have a Coke or a cup of tea at dinner.  My point is that I
do not use any stimulants to stay awake.  So, I can't personally compare
the effect of DMAE to coffee.  However, my roommate says that the DMAE stim-
ulant effect is "cleaner" than coffee.  He also says that there is also a day
or two of "crash" if you stop taking it after taking it a lot.

>
>If anyone* has info on DMAE on file - or has personal accounts of it's power -
>could you post them or e-mail them to mtymp15@epx.cis.umn.edu ?
>
>My whole parental support system is in the balance.  If I cannot persuade them
>to let me continue to experiment, they will take away stuff from me if they
>ever find out.  =)

        Well, don't act too smart, and they'll never know! ;^)

>
>|=->The Muffster<-=|
>mtymp15@epx.cis.umn.edu
>muffman@tfsquad.mn.org
>

-- 
=============================================================================
 John J. Ladasky II ("ii")                              (ladasky@netcom.COM)

        "Great composers do not borrow - they steal."  - Igor Stravinsky

        (Actually, Picasso said it first, in reference to painting - but
                   Stravinsky has claimed it as his own! :^)

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