DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) is a naturally occurring nutrient found in high concentrations in fish, sardines and salmon in particular. Also, is a hormone metabolically produced in small amounts by the brain, testes and adrenal glands. DMAE is essential to the production of acetylcholine. Choline is used by the body for many critical functions, which include cell membrane integrity and the wholesome functioning of neurotransmitters known as acetylcholines. Structurally, DMAE is similar to choline, however it crosses the blood-brain barrier more easily than choline. While choline is not able to be transferred to the brain, it can undergo a change called methylation, which would allow the brain to absorb it. Acetylcholine is released by the nerves in the central and peripheral nervous system. In the brain, this neurotransmitter regulates learning memory and mood.

DMAE Food Sources

Common food sources include anchovies, sardines, salmon, herring and other fish.

DMAE Benefits

DMAE or dimethylaminoethanol is a crucial substance that functions as a building block for choline, which allows the brain to manufacturer acetylcholine. In various studies, DMAE has been shown to reduce age-related decline in cognitive ability and memory. DMAE has shown beneficial results in the therapy of a variety of cognitive and disruptive disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and memory lapses.

In a double-blind, crossover study designed to measure the effect of DMAE on vigilance and mood,  four subjects categorized as anxiety ridden, and four participants used as controls, were given 1200 mg/day of DMAE for 5 days. The participants then had their EEG and inter-hemispheric coherence measured. In the participants  given DMAE, a important and progressive synchronization of the two hemispheres was noted. This synchronization was correlated with improved neuromotor control, enhancement of behavioral tasks, increased verbal memory, and better control in anxious and rhythmic reactivity.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD) is a behavioral condition that makes focusing on everyday requests and routines challenging. A ten-week study in 1974 involving 124 children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder found that those who took DMAE supplements (deanol) showed responses comparable to those taking Ritalin. Another double-blind study fifty children aged 6 to 12 years who had been diagnosed with hyperkinesia participated in a double-blind study comparing DMAE to placebo. The dose was increased from 300 mg daily to 500 mg daily by the third week, and continued for ten weeks. Findings revealed statistically significant test score improvements in the treatment group compared to the placebo group.

DMAE Serum

One of the important DMAE advantages is that it promotes healthful skin, by preventing the manufacture of arachidonic acid, which is a substance that leads to the formation of wrinkles. A randomized clinical study has showed that, 3% DMAE facial gel applied daily for sixteen weeks is safe and effective to soften the age-lines on the forehead and fine wrinkles on the face. Developments were noted in forehead lines and lines around the eyes, as well as in lip shape, fullness, and the appearance of aging skin.

DMAE serums are particularly noted for their capability to diminish the spots, that are common and visible signs of aging skin. Lipofuscin is a pigment that causes the brown marks on the skin that are usually called “liver spots”or “age spots”. In addition, in vitro studies  indicate DMAE is an efficient anti-inflammatory agent, especially in the skin, a site of acetylcholine synthesis, storage, secretion, metabolism, and receptivity.

DMAE Dosage

According to researchs have shown that use of 200 mg to 500 mg of DMAE on a daily basis is effective. For Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; 100 mg to 300 mg, taken orally once or twice a day. For memory;  100 mg to 300 mg, taken orally once or twice a day. For skin health; Apply a 3% DMAE solution.

Side Effects

It is not recommended for individuals with bipolar depression, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, or seizure disorders. Also, be avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women, except with a physician consent.

Trimethylglycine (TMG), commonly known as betaine, is naturally produced in the body to diminish hazardous homocysteine levels. Researches have suggested that TMG, along with other nutrients, helps to reduce potentially toxic levels of homocysteine a naturally occurring amino acid that can be harmful to blood vessels thereby contributing to the development of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular illness. Trimethylglycine works closely with other methyl donors including choline,  vitamin B12,folic acid  and SAMe, and is in addition a precursor of carnitine synthesis.

Trimethylglycine helps convert homocysteine to methionine by donating a methyl group. The process is called methylation, because a methyl group  detaches from a “donor” molecule and attaches onto the homocysteine molecule, converting this potentially toxic amino acid back into methionine.

Once trimethylglycine work has been completed in decreasing homocysteine levels in the body, it becomes another substance known as DMG (dimethylglycine). In Russia, TMG/DMG is used extensively as an sporty performance enhancer, and it has also become popular among American athletes.

Trimethylglycine Benefits

Trimethylglycine is a important aid to reduce homocysteine production and encourage normal heart and  liver function.

Homocysteine

Homocysteine is an amino acid, formed as a result of methionine metabolism. Healthy people, homocysteine is converted back into methionine as part of a closed-loop regulatory mechanism that prevents homocysteine levels from becoming too high. The process is called methylation, because a methyl group detaches from a “donor” molecule and attaches onto the homocysteine molecule, converting this potentially toxic amino acid back into methionine. Having high amounts of homocysteine is related to a higher risk of heart illness and stroke. Also, various researches show that high levels of homocysteine may encourage hardening of the arteries.

Trimethylglycine serves as a methyl donor in a reaction converting homocysteine to methionine. Works with vitamin B-6, folic acid and vitamin B12 to help regulate homocysteine levels. Trimethylglycine (500 mg) was administered to healthy male subjects (19-40 years old) finding homocysteine levels were reduced 4 to 6 hours after intake. Analysts concluded TMG capability to augment L-methionine production decreased homocysteine concentrations. In another study, participants who consumed 360 mg of betaine had, on approximate, 10 percent lower concentrations of homocysteine and 19 percent lower concentrations of Creactive protein than did those who consumed 260 mg.

A 2009 study examined the effect of trimethylglycine on atherosclerotic lesion progression in apolipoprotein e-deficient mice. Compared with mice not treated with trimethylglycine following fourteen weeks, mice receiving 1%, 2%, or 4% TMG had 10.8%, 41%, and 37% less lesion areas, respectively. Trimethylglycine furthermore reduced aortic expression of the inflammatory cytokine, TNF-alpha, in a dose-dependent way. These findings suggest that in addition to its homocysteine lowering effect, trimethylglycine may also exert its anti-plaque property by inhibiting aortic inflammatory responses mediated by TNF-alpha.

Homocystinuria

Homocystinuria, an inherited condition in which the body cannot break down a certain protein, causing build-up of homocysteine in the blood. This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved anhydrous trimethylglycine (Cystadane) for the therapy of homocystinuria, a disease caused by abnormally high homocysteine levels at birth.

Liver Health

Trimethylglycine, is a substance known as a methyl donor. Methyl molecule donation is important for liver and cells to function appropriately. In other words, TMG is necessary for ensuring appropriate liver function, cellular replication and detoxification reactions.

Trimethylglycine may remedy in treating hepatitis, alcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Works with folic acid, vitamin B12, folic acid, SAMe, (S-Adenosyl-L-methionine), and choline in your body to support normal liver health. In a trial, supplementation with betaine (20 g) for 12 months improved signs of liver inflammation in 7 patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a type of liver inflammation. No important  adverse effects were seen.

Foods Containing Trimethylglycine

Broccoli, beets, spinach, grains, seeds and shellfish contain low amounts of trimethylglycine. But, most trimethylglycine in nutrient is destroyed during cooking or processing, therefore food isn’t a reliable way to get a effective dosage.

Trimethylglycine Dosage

Trimethylglycine supplements, are available in powder, capsule and tablet forms. These supplements, are manufactured as a byproduct of sugar beet processing. Trimethylglycine is generally taken with vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12. 6 grams of TMG per day is considered a effective dose in the reduction of high homocysteine levels. Choline (2 grams per day) and trimethylglycine (6 grams per day) have each been shown to lower homocysteine amounts. The maximum safe dosage of TMG supplement has not been determined for pregnant or nursing women, children, or those with severe kidney or liver illness.

SAM-e (S-Adenosyl-L-methionine) is a naturally occurring molecule distributed to virtually all body tissues and fluids. SAM-e helps regulate your brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Using a process known as methylation, S-adenosylmethionine donates methyl groups to other chemical compounds, assisting in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, hormones and more. When S-adenosylmethionine, is low in the body, less dopamine and serotonin is produced. Being insufficient in either methionine, folate or vitamin B12 may reduce levels of SAMe in your body.

Benefits

SAMe was first discovered in 1952 in Italy. In the 1970’s, after an Italian laboratory learned to produce it in cell cultures, SAM-e was researched as an antidepressant. S-adenosylmethionine, known in Europe as the pharmaceutical drug Ademetionine, has been used to cure depression for years. Though reduced levels of serotonin and dopamine are associated with depression, these chemicals cannot be taken as oral supplements. But, S-Adenosyl-L-methionine is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, and may work by enabling the body to make more of these neurotransmitters directly within the brain. Because its encouragement of the methylation pathway, SAM-e may increase serum levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

Massachusetts General Hospital scientists have evaluated the efficiency of oral SAMe in combination with antidepressant drugs. Seventy-three patients with treatment-resistant major depression were randomized to take SAMe  or a placebo. Both groups continued to take their SSRI. Found that SAMe, in combination with standard depression therapy, was more effective than antidepressant treatment alone in improving measures of depression and remission rates of patients with significant clinical depression.

The 2009 Journal of Clinical Psychiatry published that when given by injection, S-adenosylmethionine, has been found to be as effective as some antidepressant drugs and more powerful than a placebo in the therapy of major depression. Nine people given intravenous SAMe and nine given low oral doses of imipramine were compared in a double-blind design for 14 days. The SAMe produced superior results by the end of the first week of therapy. By the end of the second week, 66 percent of the SAMe patients had a clinically important development in depressive symptoms, compared to 22 percent of the imipramine patients.

The researchers studied the antidepressant efficiency of oral SAMe in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for 15 inpatients with major depression.The findings suggest that oral SAMe is a safe, effectual antidepressant with few side effects and a rapid onset of action. S-adenosylmethionine, is a safe, efficient therapy for depression among people living with HIV. A study reported in the November 2004 edition of “BioMed Central Psychiatry” treated depression and anxiety in AIDS patients with dosages starting at 200 mg twice a day, increasing to as much as 1600 mg twice a day over the eight week course of treatment. The researchers concluded that SAMe was safe and efficient for patients living with HIV.

SAM-e Dosage for Depression

A typical recommended dose of SAMe is 400 mg taken 3 to 4 times per day. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), the recommended daily dose for depressed individuals is 800 mg to 1,600 mg per day. Starting with a low dose and increasing slowly helps prevent stomach upset. Some experts recommend taking oral SAMe with folic acid, vitamin B12, methionine and trimethylglycine to enhance absorption.

Side Effects

S-adenosylmethionine is contraindicated in individuals with a history of mania or bipolar disorder.