Cholinergic brain supplement refers to any supplement or drug that affects the brain’s cholinergic system, which receives, transmits, and produces the acetylcholine transmitter. Acetylcholine plays a role that is critical in our focus and memory.

Based on its definition, a cholinergic enhances, inhibits, and mimics the acetylcholine neurotransmitter. Many of the cholinergics only functions as acetylcholine production booster. Others have more functions such as increasing receptor’s efficiency or inhibiting acetylcholine breakdown. More than these, cholinergics have other benefits that are significant to the body. These benefits help in boosting overall cognitive functionality, recall, perception, and concentration.

There are now more research studies being conducted to find out everything about the connection of cholinergic system and Alzheimer’s. But it is now a proven fact today, that low levels of brain acetylcholine are the cause of Alzheimer’s and other brain degenerative conditions.

Acetyl L-Carnitine, Alpha GPC, Centrophenoxine, and Citicoline are among today’s most popular cholinergic supplements. These supplements deliver cognitive benefits that are powerful because of the high levels of acetylcholine contained in them.

Acetylcholine: Facilitating Brain Communication and Recall of Information

Acetylcholine is a term that nootropic users mention a lot like other people know about it. Bu the truth is, acetylcholine is a term that nootropic non-users don’t even know about. Well, except for neuroscientists.

Acetylcholine or Ach is found within the brain as a simple neurotransmitter. Many organisms have this simple and organic molecule. Choline is where it is derived. Like other neurotransmitter, acetylcholine facilitates communication in the brain. It plays a role that is essential in cognitive functionality’s multiple levels. It is particularly important to the process of memory formation. It has been found that the process helps in recalling new information and boosting storage.

The neurotransmitter that was discovered first is acetylcholine. Henry Hallett Dale, who is an English physiologist, discovered it in 1915. It played an active role that is critical on heart tissues according to research. The research was conducted for 20 years. After that, Dale received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work with the acetylcholine neurotransmitter in 1936.

In many organisms such as humans, the neurotransmitter affects the peripheral nervous system, somatic nervous system, central nervous system, and autonomic nervous system. In many parts of the brain, the acetylcholine neurotransmitter plays a role that is critical to the organ.

When the cholinergic system is damaged, the brain begins to degenerate, which could lead to devastating brain conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s. When the levels of acetylcholine are boosted, doctors are now able to control and treat degenerative conditions.

Choline Enhances Cognition 

In simple terms, acetylcholine’s basic form is choline. When in our body, choline is transformed into acetylcholine. When this happens, the brain can now use it for its function.

Many of the foods that we eat contain choline, so it is not something like a magical nutrient. For example, shrimps and eggs are very high in choline. Surprisingly though, many of us have a diet that is deficient in choline. You won’t be productive and won’t stay healthy if it doesn’t get the right amount of choline, unless you’re eating more than five eggs daily.

Satisfying your brain’s choline needs isn’t simply about being “smart”. It is necessary so that your brain would be able to create enough acetylcholine crucial to the organ’s processing of numerous tasks. This is why headache occurs when there’s low levels of choline.

However, you’re not required to eat a lot of eggs daily all throughout your life. The consumption of cholinergic is the healthiest and safest way to achieve it.

How Do Cholinergics Work? 

There are several ways by which cholinergics enhance the cholinergic system. The cholinergic system gets its food from cholinergic supplements.

This provides the brain to have the necessary nutrients to build and improve a healthy cognition. This how cholinergic benefits are created.

Below are some of the ways how cholinergic supplements increase the levels of acetylcholine in the brain:

1. The supplements inhibit acetylcholine metabolism, which increases the levels and prolongs the neurotransmitter’s effects.
2. Cholinergics block and stimulate the autonomic ganglia’s receptors, which is the autonomic nervous system’s critical part.
3. Any cholinergic works as an antagonist, which inhibits the cholinergic receptor’s actions resulting to the breakdown of acetylcholine.
4. Every cholinergic works as an agonist, which stimulates cholinergic receptors and enhances their efficiency.

A cholinergic nootropic, technically speaking, is a nootropic that produces acetylcholine actively. Anything that involves acetylcholine is considered as cholinergic, which includes Alpha GPC and other acetylcholine precursors. Allosteric modulators, acetylcholine inhibitors, and acetylcholine precursors are the three most common cholinergic categories.

The “true” cholinergics are the acetylcholine precursors, which boost acetylcholine production. They also function as a contributor to nootropic benefits that are provided in many areas of the brain. Below is a list of the available and most popular types of cholinergic nootropics. It includes the benefits of each nootropic.

Types of Cholinergics 

Alpha GPC 

As a popular nootropic, Alpha GPC is used typically as acetylcholine supplement. On its own, it can be used to gain powerful cognitive benefits. This includes better concentration, neuroprocessing and memory. But typically, the nootropic is taken typically with racetams as part of the same stack. When it is stacked with any racetam, the Alpha GPC helps in boosting production of the brain’s acetylcholine neurotransmitters that are highly efficient.

Though it sounds like a brand name, it is actually not. It is a choline compound that is naturally found within the brain. L-Alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine is its chemical name. This is the reason why the name is shortened.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine 

As an amino acid, Acetyl-L-Carnitine is used to treat numerous mental disorders that includes alcoholism, depression, Alzheimer’s, Down syndrome, and others. Amino acids are important because they are the building blocks of proteins. The body naturally produces Acetyl-L-Carnitine. It has a critical role in the daily production of physical energy and mental energy in the body.

Many of us are Acetyl-L-Carnitine deficient even if it is produced naturally in our body. The supply of this nootropic comes from red meats, which makes vegetarians and vegans the most deficient in Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

Unlike other choline supplements, there are various ways which this nootropic works. As a cholinergic, it helps in improving memory when it raises the levels of acetylcholine. At the same time, it also improves the levels of energy and mood like Pyritinol does.

People use it as part of a stack or on its own. There are also men that use it for “male menopause” treatment and to boost the natural production of testosterone in the body.

Centrophenoxine 

Known also as Lucidril or Meclofenoxate, Centrophenoxine is a drug used to treat Alzheimer’s and dementia. Today, it’s used more often as nootropic. This cholinergic boosts the brain’s levels of acetylcholine and also works as a powerful antioxidant, which helps in targeting free radicals found in the brain and reverses the aging process.

Centrophenoxine has several benefits such as improvement of learning capability, memory and neuroplasticity. Several clinical trials have shown that this cholinergic is promising in terms of its ability to treat degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. Nootropic users usually stack it with Piracetam, Oxiracetam or Aniracetam.

Citicoline 

As one of the most popular cholinergics, Citicoline is currently being sold in 70 countries situated all throughout the world. When it crosses the brain-blood barrier, Citicoline is broken into two components that have different functions each. Choline, of the components, helps in boosting the levels of choline, which in effect raises the levels of acetylcholine.

Cytidine, the other component, helps in activating the components’ synthesis inside the cell membranes. As a result, the metabolism of cerebral energy is boosted. This leads to a better mental focus and energy. This makes Citicoline very popular to users who need a cholinergic that will boost their concentration and memory.

Cytidine Diphosphate Choline is the full chemical name of Citicoline.

Pyritinol 

One of the cholinergics, Pyritinol is the most unique that is available today in the market. Pyritinol, like other cholinergics, helps in boosting the levels of acetylcholine in the brain and in improving learning capabilities and memory.

Pyritinol, at the same time, helps in boosting the levels of dopamine while also improving the utilization of glucose. Dopamine affects stress and mood. When the levels of dopamine is raised, tis cholinergic can significantly improve mood and can provide an anti-stress effect that is very calming. Similar to this is how anti-depression medications work in improving mood when it raises the levels of dopamine.

Two molecules of Pyridoxine is combined together to synthesize it. Vitamin B6 is the original name of Pyridoxine. This is why both have similar effects.

It is interesting that there are people who use Pyritinol as hangover cure. It has been shown that Pyritinol is effective in boosting neuroprotectivity. This makes it easier for the brain cells to function well and to remain healthy even when too much alcohol are bombarded to the cells.

Typically, Pyritinol is taken as part of a stack, usually with racetams like Piracetam or Oxiracetam. This can result to several cognitive benefits that are really powerful. The benefits include enhanced learning, reasoning, focus, mental clarity, and thought processing.

Maximize Cognitive Benefits Using Cholinergic Stacks 

When stack with other nootropics, cholinergics offer more and effective benefits such as:

1. Higher levels of highly functional brain acetylcholine resulting to powerful cognitive benefits.
2. Delivers Choline the brain needs, resulting to greater production of acetylcholine.
3. Acetylcholine functions more when stacked with racetams.

It is recommended to start with Piracetam when stacking racetams with cholinergics. Citicoline and Alpha GPC are the most popular cholinergics for stacking. These two cholinergics provide racetams all the materials needed for acetylcholine production and provision of enhanced learning ability, focus, and memory.

Buy Cholinergics Online 

Cholinergics are available in offline and online stores. Unlike other nootropics that are not strictly regulated, cholinergics are legal and widely accessible all throughout the world. There are numerous stores that sell cholinergics online. Aside from a wide range of selection available on the Web, online options are also offered at a more affordable prices. Online purchasing is also the most convenient for many because only few drugstores and pharmacies sell the nootropic. With all these, I recommend that you buy cholinergics online.

Brain boosters.

Cognition accelerators.

Memory enhancers.

Smart drugs.

However you want to call them, nootropics are simply creating a buzz in today’s health conscious society that view these substances as nothing less than superbly amazing in terms of unlocking the true potential of the human brain.

The Quest for Unlocking the True Potential of the Brain

Since time immemorial, man has always been fascinated with the inner workings of the brain. Starting out so pure, the brain slowly developed and evolved into what could otherwise be the human equivalent of a super computer. Yet, the true computing prowess of the human brain far exceeds the complex algorithmic capabilities of the world’s best and smartest super computer. It is humans, in the first place, who built these super computers.

When man began to understand the unique relationship between cells and the different chemicals that are found inside the body, he has already started on a quest, an exploration of sorts, which led to the discovery of a unique group of compounds that hastened the speed of nerve impulse transmission in the brain. The discovery led some experts to believe that the human brain’s full potential can be harnessed leading to greater memory retention and recall, much more efficient cognitive processes, improved focus and concentration, and better learning.

The ramifications of such findings are astounding, to say the least. If the true power of the brain can be unleashed at will, the implications for human development as well as technological advances are far and wide. Scholastic endeavors will be spurred into full gear and the scientific community will never run out of brilliant minds who can become the next Einstein, Newton, or even Hawking. As such, this will also turn the wheels of development at an even faster rate such that what we know now today may already be obsolete tomorrow. It is this inherent inquisitive nature of man that is creating a demand for the establishment of a credible source of information regarding such discoveries as nootropics.

While we are going to go there eventually, it is truly remarkable to see that a lot of people are buying into the current media hype regarding memory enhancing drugs or smart drugs. What are highly suspect in this situation are not necessarily the questions about the supposed effectiveness of nootropic agents per se but rather the potentially harmful side effects of these substances on the human body. This concern is more readily apparent when talking about nootropic agents that have been synthesized under laboratory conditions. While laboratory testing will ensure that the chemicals used to manufacture a synthetic nootropic are safe, its potentially unseen harmful effects on the body might as well negate the perceived beneficial effects on the brain’s true potential.

This is why a lot of people are getting anxious because of what they read on paper related to some of the side effects of memory enhancing drugs. Some members of the medical community have also voiced concern about the possibility of dependence issues as nootropics are generally taken as cerebral stimulants. The current notion on cerebral stimulants is such that it can lead to dependence and addiction in later stages. This concern had been voiced ever since the very first nootropic agent came out in the early 70s.

The Need for Facts About Nootropics

Faced with a dizzying array of nootropic products – from pharmaceuticals to nutraceuticals as well as supplements and even functional food varieties – the general public deserves to know the truth about these so-called memory enhancing substances.

The main concern lies on the veracity of reports and published documents purporting the effectiveness of such products in the enhancement of one’s memory, learning, and cognition. As there are so many products that claim to have memory enhancing features, consumers need to be equipped with the right knowledge in order to identify the right nootropic agent for their use. As concerns on the relative safety of synthetic nootropics continue to mount, despite official claims saying otherwise, people are more inclined to getting nootropics that contain all-natural ingredients.

These natural nootropics are undoubtedly more preferred in sharpening one’s memory, improving the ability to learn new things, and enhancing overall cognitive processes in the human brain without worrying about any potentially harmful side effects.

Nonetheless, it is our duty to provide the reading public all the facts necessary to make an informed decision related to the purchase and use of the correct type and brand of nootropic product. Only then can the full benefits of nootropics on cerebral functioning and mental and cognitive health be fully realized.

A Glance at History

Based on the Greek words ‘nous’ and ‘trepein’ which literally means ‘mind’ and ‘to turn or bend’, respectively, the term nootropic was first introduced into usage in the medical scientific community by the Romanian chemist and psychologist, Corneliu E. Giurgea in 1972.

The term was used to describe the effect of a particular substance that was able to show significant improvements in the person’s working memory, attention, and motivation.

This first memory boosting and cognitive enhancing drug was called piracetam and had been a mainstay in the treatment of several cognitive disorders as well as in the management of sensory-deprived patients after a cerebrovascular accident.

Giurgea described nootropics as essential substances that are helpful in aiding the brain perform many of its mental functions, primarily related to memory and learning. It is viewed that piracetam, and any other nootropic agent that follows, should be able to provide ample protection to the brain against injuries – physical or otherwise.

The discovery of Giurgea of nootropics spurred the use of these memory enhancing drugs among students at highly competitive universities and colleges all over the world. Their use in the academe was largely to improve scholastic achievement and enhance academic productivity without necessarily leading to recreational use.

Mechanism of Action of Nootropics

Crucial to understanding nootropics is how they work in the first place. As there are different classes of nootropics, each one acting on a different neurotransmitter on the brain, it is important to understand these individual mechanisms of action in order to achieve insight into the effectiveness of nootropics.

• Cholinergic nootropics increase the levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is primarily involved in the retention of new data or information, the performance of calculations and analyses, control of inhibitions and attention span, and providing direct access to both short- and long-term memory. Examples of cholinergic nootropics include choline bitartrate, centrophenoxine, and huperzine A.

• Racetams are direct descendants of the first nootropic – piracetam – and are often described as similar to cholinergics in mechanism of action, except that they do not increase the levels of acetylcholine. Instead, racetams enhance the sensitivity of the acetylcholine receptors. Aside from piracetam, other racetams include phenylpiracetam, aniracetam, pramiracetam, and oxiracetam.

• Dopaminergic nootropics improve cognitive processes, heightens alertness, and increases energy levels while at the same time offering a sense of happiness and pleasure. Examples of dopaminergic nootropics include sulbutiamine, l-tyrosine, and l-dopa.

• Serotonergic nootropics improves the overall mood of the individual. Examples of serotonergic nootropics include 5-hydroxytryptophan and l-tryptophan.

• Adaptogenic nootropics are plant-derived nootropic agents that work by reducing the sensitivity of the brain to stressors in the environment which can significantly damage brain cells. Examples of adaptogens include Kava Kava, St. John’s Wort, ginseng, Passion flower, and Gotu Kola.

• Metabollics nootropics are agents that improve blood supply to the brain, thus enhancing the cognitive and mental processes. Examples of metabollics include vinpocetine, Ginkgo Biloba, phosphatidylserine, and creatinine.

• Stimulant nootropics act by increasing energy levels, promoting wakefulness, and enhancing alertness. Examples of stimulant nootropics include amphetamines, caffeine, and modafinil.

All-natural nootropic products often contain a variety of nootropic agents that can work synergistically. For example, some products contain Ginkgo Biloba, vinpocetine, Ginseng, l-tyrosine, and huperzine A which should give these products a mechanism of action that closely resembles that of cholinergic, dopaminergic, adaptogenic, and metabolic nootropics.

A Brief Overview of the Human Brain

Since we are talking about how to unleash the power of the brain, it is important to spend some time understanding a few important things about the human brain.

The brain is composed of four major lobes that are grouped in two hemispheres. The frontal lobe is responsible for memory, learning, and motor while the parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes are primarily tasked with sensory integration. The brain is composed of billions of neurons as well as other neuronal support structures.

While the brain only weighs 2 to 4 percent of your total body weight, it is one of the most energy-dependent organs in the body, accounting for roughly 15 percent of the total blood volume. Your brain uses the oxygen and glucose found in blood in order to burn about 20 percent of the body’s energy molecule, the adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.

Powering up the Brain

The brain is entirely dependent on a steady supply of oxygen and glucose in order to perform its many metabolic processes. Glucose is the primary food for the brain. In the resting state, the human brain consumes more than 60 percent of the total glucose in the body.

Glucose is taken up in the mitochondria of neurons where it is converted into ATP. A three-step process yields no more than 38 ATP molecules for every molecule of glucose. However, in oxygen starvation, each molecule of glucose can only yield two ATP molecules.

Neurons use ATP for three distinct purposes: neurotransmission, maintenance of the electrical membrane potential, and the maintenance of neurons and neuronal structures.

Adenosine triphosphate is needed to facilitate the effective nerve impulse transmission along the entire length of the neuron. This is achieved by the depolarization of the membrane potential to allow for the movement of sodium and potassium ions across the membrane channels. This is needed in order to propagate the electrical impulse. ATP is also required in the secretion, packaging, re-uptake, and transport of neurotransmitters at the synaptic junction. While other cells of the body have the ability to regenerate after serious injury, brain cells, unfortunately cannot grow again once damaged. It is for this reason that massive amounts of ATP are utilized to maintain the integrity of the nervous system.

Cutting Off Blood Supply to the Brain

As the brain is entirely dependent on oxygen and glucose that is present in the blood, cutting this lifeline will have grave consequences to the brain. Depending on the length of time that brain was deprived of both oxygen and glucose and depending on the part of the brain that was affected, serious complications can arise. While the body has a backup system when such situations arise, it can only buy you just enough time to get yourself to the hospital. Otherwise, you will be left with permanent neurological deficits, if not your ultimate demise.

Thus, any condition that significantly reduces the amount of oxygen and glucose in the blood can have significant effects on the overall functioning of the human brain. In such cases, mental and cognitive functioning will be severely hampered.

Relating to what has been presented earlier, the importance of supplying the brain with adequate oxygen, glucose, and other important nutrients cannot be simply overstated. It is also for this reason why a combination of all-natural nootropic agents is believed to be generally more effective than single-ingredient nootropics. The synergistic effect of these ingredients provide for a more well-rounded approach to ensuring optimum brain functioning.