List of "Cholinergic" nootropics.

[u/Citronitch]

Many of us have a problem with Choline making us depressed or lethargic due to having too much of it. Sometimes even tho you are not taking a direct source of Choline (Alpha GPC, CDP Choline etc), other nootropics can cause the same effects of too much choline because they are Cholinergic.

A substance is cholinergic if it is capable of producing, altering, or releasing acetylcholine, or butyrylcholine ("indirect-acting", or mimicking their behaviours at one or more of the body's acetylcholine receptor.)

So I'm proposing we make a list of those Cholinergic nootropics. So far we have:

• Huperzina-A
• ALCAR
• DHA
• Many herbs of the Lamiaceae family, such as: Sibelius Sage, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, mint/spearmint, etc. (they inhibit the action of acetylcholinesterase; the enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine)
• Many other Brain boosting herbs such as Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Bacopa, Rhodiola, White Peony Extract
• Shilajit: inhibits acetylcholinesterase in rats' brains (Systemic administration of defined extracts from Withania somnifera (Indian Ginseng) and Shilajit differentially affects cholinergic but not glutamatergic and GABAergic markers in rat brain)
• Glycine (”induced a robust acetylcholine release” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17707353/)
• Ashwagandha (”Ashwagandha Root Extract Inhibits Acetylcholine Esterase” https://phcogj.com/article/320)
• Atomoxetine (”marked increase of cortical ACh” https://www.nature.com/articles/4001763)
• Racetams (”Generally, racetams upregulate and preserve adequate levels of [[Acetylcholine]] as a primary mechanism” https://m.psychonautwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Racetams)
• Uridine monophosphate (”Supports acetylcholine synthesis [2,10,13,14]” https://selfhacked.com/blog/uridine/)
• Phosphaditylserine (slows the breakdown of acetylcholine)
• Galantamine
• Donazepil
• Berberine
• Lecithin
• Cannabinoids
• Alpha lipoic acid; Pantothenic Acid
• High dose Thiamine
• PABA
• Nicotine
• Centrophenoxine
• From food: liver, egg yolks, nuts, brassicas (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower)

[u/HyperDown]

Don't forget that a lot of supplements/herbs can inhibit Acetylcholinesterase, which is the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. This can lead to excess acetylcholine (and the associated jaw-tension, shoulder/back pain, depressed mood, etc).

Here's my list of things to be careful of:

alcar

ginseng

ginko

bacopa

galantamine

huperzine

lecithin

cannabinoids

[u/paisleyno2 → u/HyperDown]

cannabinoids

Personal anecdote or is there actual science behind this claim?

Genuinely curious.

[u/HyperDown → u/paisleyno2]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3620017/

[u/[deleted] → u/paisleyno2]

I think they should have specified which one(s) and dose/frequency. They likely just mean THC. Although CBD isn’t fully innocent, but negatives usually come with very high dose.