DMAE

(Dimethylethanolamine)

Evidence: Low
Possible Benefits: Low
Safety: Reasonable

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is DMAE?

Dimethylethanolamine, also known as DMAE, is a popular nootropic used for slowing down cognitive decline and improving various cognitive functions, especially in older people. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem too effective for these or any other uses. This article is about the main benefits of DMAE, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

Possible benefits

All of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. As with other nootropics, there is a sweet-spot dose that allows you to get most of the benefits without causing meaningful side effects or tolerance buildup in the body. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Minor benefits

  • Increased alertness – This nootropic can act as a stimulant, making you more alert and energetic.
  • Slower cognitive decline – DMAE can be helpful for older people experiencing cognitive decline. The supplement can help reverse or slow down some aspects of it.
  • Neuroprotective effects – The supplement may have mild neuroprotective effects, but more research is needed to determine whether or not this is the case.

Possible side effects

The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

  • Difficulty sleeping – The nootropic can increase energy levels and make you more alert. When taken later in the day, it can make it harder to fall asleep and worsen your sleep quality.
  • Allergic reaction – An allergy to this nootropic is rare but possible.
  • Nausea – This side effect is most common when people take the supplement on an empty stomach.
  • Diarrhea – You can usually prevent diarrhea or stomach discomfort by taking this supplement with a meal.
  • Toxicity – While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking high amounts of this nootropic could lead to chronic toxicity and cause health problems over time. Regularly taking high doses can also cause the body to develop a tolerance to the supplement. To prevent chronic toxicity or the buildup of tolerance, staying below 700 mg in a day is best unless you have a great reason to take more.
  • Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. Always read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, supplement companies can change their manufacturers without announcing it to the FDA.

Who should not take DMAE?

You should probably avoid taking DMAE if you:

  • experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
  • don’t notice any effect on brain function even after a long period of taking the supplement
  • are allergic to this nootropic
  • are pregnant or breastfeeding (while it can be safe to take this supplement during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it can put some unnecessary risk to the child)

Who will benefit the most?

You should consider taking the supplement if you:

  • are older and experience cognitive decline
  • have a high budget for supplements and are willing to experiment with a variety of them (assuming you don’t fall into any of the categories that should avoid this supplement, DMAE appears relatively safe and is unlikely to do more harm than good for most people)

How much DMAE should you take?

The sweet spot typically ranges between 300-500 mg daily for most people. This amount should provide most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

The higher end of this range usually provides slightly more benefits in the short term. If you plan to take this nootropic for a longer time (multiple months or years), the lower end is probably a better way to go since it is safer and you would develop tolerance faster if you were to take higher doses.

The upper safety limit for this nootropic is not well-established. To stay on the safe side, don’t take more than the recommended dose unless you have a great reason to do so. Higher amounts may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period.

Like most other nootropics, it is best to cycle DMAE and take about two days off weekly to reset your tolerance. That will allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.

Best time to take DMAE

The best time to take DMAE is about 90 minutes after you wake up.

In the early morning, a natural increase in cortisol is responsible for waking you up and getting you ready for the day. By taking any stimulant that has the potential to increase cortisol levels right after you wake up, you would interrupt this natural increase in cortisol, and your body would not be producing as much of it in the following days. That would lead to increased production of cortisol at the wrong times of the day, such as in the evening.

After the morning cortisol increase that typically lasts 90 minutes, you want to take DMAE as soon as possible so that most of it leaves your system before it’s time to go to bed.

Do not take this nootropic later in the day unless you have a great reason to. It could worsen your sleep quality.

The best way to determine whether or not DMAE is damaging your sleep is to listen to your body and specifically look at how easily you fall asleep and how refreshed you wake up.

DMAE is water-soluble, so you don’t have to take it with food to absorb it well. Taking the supplement with food is better if it causes stomach upset when you take it on an empty stomach.

If you take this nootropic on an empty stomach, the short-term effects will kick in faster and be more pronounced.

Where to buy DMAE?

In most countries, Amazon is the best option for ordering DMAE and other nootropic supplements. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the Internet.

Some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

FAQ

As with most other nootropic supplements, it is best to cycle DMAE and take a break from it for about two days per week to reset your tolerance back to baseline. That will keep your body sensitive to the supplement and allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.

All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes time which can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they are often made of bovine gelatine, which rarely comes from ethical sources.

Taking the supplement before you go to bed is generally not recommended. The best time to take this nootropic is in the morning because it can increase your energy levels and make you more alert.

This nootropic should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date. However, it can lose potency over time. Keep this supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place so it remains as potent for many months or even years.

While acute toxicity is rare, taking very high amounts of this supplement could lead to various problems over time. High doses can also make you develop tolerance much faster than lower doses.

While you could safely take higher doses, there is usually no point in taking more than 700 mg of this nootropic daily. This amount should give you most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

The half-life of this nootropic in the body is about 30 hours. The supplement stays in your system for about a week after you consume it.

Many cognitive benefits will become notable shortly after you start taking the nootropic. As for the long-term benefits, you need to take the supplement for about 2-4 weeks to begin noticing most of them.

Most DMAE supplements on the market are vegan-friendly, but always check the label to make sure. If you buy the supplement in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

No, it does not. The supplement should not interfere with fasting in any significant way.

References

Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

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We hope this guide has helped you determine if you should add DMAE to your supplement stack and how to do it right.

If you have any further questions or want to share your feedback, feel free to send us an email!

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