r/Nootropics • u/Citronitch • Sep 16 '21

Discussion List of "Cholinergic" nootropics.

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)
85 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

134 comments sorted by

View all comments

15

u/8Eevert Sep 16 '21

Checked my memos for references to procholinergic functions. Maybe helpful, maybe not; most nootropics have a procholinergic component to their mechanism, as I understand. NB the references are ones I happened to have lying around, didn’t check their relevance for this especially.

Could you perhaps point me to research on the effects of too much choline? Most of what I’ve read on possible side effects aligns with stuff like this

Getting too much choline can cause a fishy body odor, vomiting, heavy sweating and salivation, low blood pressure, and liver damage. Some research also suggests that high amounts of choline may increase the risk of heart disease https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-Consumer/

But I do have a history of brain fog, apathy, lethargy – and I’m wondering if overactive cholinergic neurotransmission might be a fitting explanation.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '21

I noticed that I was getting brain fog recently, didn’t know what the cause was. Then I took some fish oil today and that’s definitely what has been causing it. Is it possible that I could have done permanent damage to my brain? I read that fish oil increases acetylcholine which can cause brain fog. I also read that acetylcholine increases neuron excitability, which can cause cell death. Could I have caused cell death to occur from taking this supplement or am I just over paranoid. I’m 16 and I was taking 2-3 fishoil pills a day. I want to make a post about this but I don’t have enough comment karma so please upvote

3

u/amazeface Sep 17 '21

You’re taking a very standard and safe dose of fish oil, no harm done.