Supplements for Brain Health Support Series Week 30 Alpha-Glycerophosphocholine (alpha-GPC)

Welcome to the Brain Health Support Series where each week we will bring you one scientifically studied nutritional supplement to help support brain function including stress and mood elevation. Follow me on twitter to see all previous posts https://twitter.com/nettrain

This week we are looking at: Alpha-Glycerophosphocholine (alpha-GPC)

One insidious way mood and stress affect your body and brain is by depleting essential vitamins and minerals just when you need those most. Stress consumes excessive key vitamins and minerals and, if you don’t replace them with the right foods and supplements, stress, anxiety and mood swings can worsen.

The production of stress hormones and neurotransmitters consume a big chunk of these nutrients’ reserves and because stress largely shuts down the digestive system, less of them get absorbed from the food you eat. Consequently, your supply of anti-stress vitamins and minerals is decreased … and your tolerance to stress is lowered.

Many bad habits that people gravitate to when they’re stressed and anxious, like alcohol, caffeine, smoking, sugar, and recreational drugs, also deplete ital nutrients and unfortunately, so do many prescription drugs. Ironically, this includes anti-anxiety medications!

How can you stop this downward spiral? You can start by eating a diet rich in the right vitamins and minerals as a first step, and then supplement with quality, high-purity supplements that will top-up any deficiencies.

The following nutritional supplementation information purported to help support stress, anxiety, and other cognitive issues is based on my own research online through articles, medical papers, and online seminar events. You are welcome to do your own research.

Alpha-Glycerophosphocholine (alpha-GPC)

Alpha-GPC rapidly delivers choline to the brain across the blood–brain barrier and is a biosynthetic precursor of acetylcholine.[2] It is a non-prescription drug in most countries. The FDA determined that intake of no more than 196.2 mg/person/day is considered generally recognized as safe (GRAS).[4]

-Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-GPC

Macronutrient for the Brain, Liver, Muscular Tissues

Choline is one of the most important nootropics for brain health, memory and mental clarity. Choline is a vitamin-like macronutrient essential to the functioning of the liver, muscular tissue, and, yes, the brain. Think of it as one of the basic brain building blocks to cognition itself, given its precursor status to the following compounds:

·        Acetylcholine (ACh) - a neurotransmitter that facilitates communication between neurons as well as within the neuromuscular junction.

·        Phosphatidylcholine (PC) - a key component of the cellular membrane and a conditional reservoir of choline for acetylcholine production.

By improving ACh, PC, and other brain chemicals, raw choline donors benefit cognition by supporting memory and learning, attention and focus, brain energy, brain regeneration, and muscular performance.

L-alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC or α-GPC) nearly matches choline bitartrate in density but has one major significant advantage over standard choline supplements.

That advantage being the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

By weight, alpha GPC carries 40% choline, allowing for a potential 40 mg choline per 100 mg alpha-GPC. While sold as a synthesized supplement, alpha-GPC is a naturally occurring compound, found as a natural nutrient in red meats and organs. However, to achieve nootropic effects through this pathway, you'll need to consume a lot of red meat.

And we're certain the non-nootropic side effects of heavy red meat consumption is likely to nullify any potential benefits of its alpha-GPC content. As an alternative, alpha-GPC supplements are available and backed by promising research, including:

·        Study #1 - Among healthy, young volunteers with scopolamine-induced memory impairment, alpha-GPC supplementation alleviated impairment on attention and memory, as compared to placebo.

·        Study #2 - This review on 13 clinical trials, encompassing a total of 4,054 human subjects, found significant improvements in memory and attention impaired by cognitive decline with alpha-GPC supplementation.

Alongside the brainy bio-hackers, athletes and bodybuilders have also taken a liking to alpha-GPC for its sports nutritional benefits, likely due to the cholinergic compound's suggested links with enhanced growth hormone secretion and fat oxidation.

As a nootropic choline source, alpha-GPC is spot-on.

Other Cholinergic Nootropics

Aside from these raw choline donors, there are other nootropic compounds that benefit the cholinergic pathways through other direct and indirect bio-mechanisms, most notably:

• Bacopa Monnieri - believed to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme responsible for the breakdown of acetylcholine.
• Phosphatidylserine - a phospholipid constituent within the cholinergic pathway, and a key component in brain cell membrane fluidity.

While supplementing a quality, effective cholinergic nootropic is important to maintaining healthy cognitive patterns, establishing a solid diet of choline-rich foods is equally important to ensure there's a cognitive base with which to make cognitive enhancement a possibility.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the five most choline-rich foods, in terms of milligrams of choline per serving, include:

• 3 oz. Beef Liver, Pan Fried - 356 mg choline per serving
• 1 Egg, Hard Boiled - 147 mg choline per serving
• 3 oz. Beef Top Round, Braised - 117 mg choline per serving
• 1/2 cup Soy beans, Roasted - 107 mg choline per serving
• 3 oz. Chicken Breast, Roasted - 72 mg choline per serving

-Source: https://www.mindlabpro.com/blogs/nootropics/best-nootropic-choline-source/

Focus, Memory and Cognitive Ability

Alpha GPC (L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine), a unique form of choline, has been proven to boost attention, mental focus, memory, and cognitive ability. It helps build brain cell membranes as well as contribute to the formation of acetylcholine neurotransmitters that are vital for memory and cognitive function.

Alpha GPC is the exact form of choline found in human cells and in choline-rich breast milk. This special nutrient assists the formation of new brain cells and helps maintain brain plasticity, both key factors in brain anti-aging. Several dozen clinical trials support the use of this safe and effective nutrient for healthy brain function in people both young and old.

-Source: https://www.wellnessresources.com/news/alpha-gpc-for-focus-memory-and-cognitive-ability

Acetylcholine is the messenger that helps your brain cells communicate with each other. It helps you store memories and retrieve them quickly when you need them. It allows you to remember what you walked into a room to get … recall names with ease … remember what you need to buy at the grocery store.

But the problem is, as you get older, your brain makes less acetylcholine. In fact, if you notice that you get “senior moments” more often than before, it’s a tell-tale sign of low acetylcholine.

One way to boost acetylcholine levels is to take a choline supplement. Choline is the building block your brain needs to make acetylcholine.

The bad news is, choline is not easily absorbed and used by the body. Plus, it often has a fishy smell or taste to it.

But here’s the good news. Scientists recently found a special form of choline that your body can easily absorb and use. What’s more, unlike other forms of choline, it can cross the blood-brain barrier. So it gets into your brain, and works where it counts the most. Plus, it doesn’t have the fishy smell or taste.

What is this special form of choline? It’s called alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, or alpha-GPC for short. When you take alpha-GPC, your brain starts making more acetylcholine — almost instantly! This was shown in a placebo-controlled study.

In the study, scientists gave a group of volunteers a motion sickness drug called scopolamine. Why did they do that? It’s because scopolamine is known to deplete the body’s acetylcholine levels, and cause a condition called “scopolamine amnesia.”

Now here’s where it gets interesting. The scientists gave half of these volunteers alpha-GPC and half of them a placebo. Then, they had them perform a series of memory and attention tests.

What happened? The volunteers taking alpha-GPC didn’t show any sign of memory loss or attention deficits! In fact, they performed even better than before they took scopolamine! That means, alpha-GPC replenished their acetylcholine quickly, and completely blocked the negative effects of scopolamine.

Proven to Work Even on Patients with Severe Mental Decline

Over 20 clinical studies prove that alpha-GPC works. It’s so powerful; it works even on patients with severe mental decline. Here’s proof…

In a large study involving 176 hospitals, 2,044 patients who had severe mental decline after a stroke were given alpha-GPC. 3 Within 28 days, these patients saw a huge improvement in their verbal fluency, awareness, and orientation. Even more stunning, 71% of them showed no cognitive decline or forgetfulness—after 6 months!

But that’s not all. Studies show alpha-GPC also helps to...

·        Calm your mind and relieve stress.

·        Enhances the brain region responsible for coordination and movement.

·        Improves your focus and attention span.

·        Speeds up your thinking and reaction time.

-Source: https://www.advancedbionutritionals.com

For memory formation and learning, one of the most important brain chemicals is called acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is derived from a precursor called choline and alpha GPC is among the top sources of this essential nutrient. Unless you’re willing to eat liver and other organs, an alpha GPC supplement might be useful for your brain.

The primary benefit and purpose of alpha GPC is as a pro-drug for choline, which it is considered one of the (if not the) most efficient supplement for this purpose. By providing your brain with rawer choline, it can convert that into acetylcholine and this contributes to a host of downstream effects.

Namely, alpha GPC contributes to improved memory formation and learning. Acetylcholine is utilized by the hippocampus to create memories. It is also a powerful tool against cognitive decline and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Luckily, alpha GPC side effects are few, rare, and mostly positive. Studies suggest one side effect of alpha GPC is increased power output, which shows the supplement can improve physical strength and vitality as well as mental characteristics.

-Source: https://www.nootropedia.com/alpha-gpc/

Acetylcholine Neurotransmitter Synthesis

A wealth of research on this compound supports a role for enhancing cognitive function, increasing strength and stimulating the release of growth hormone.

Alpha GPC contains a lipid tail that permits the uptake and incorporation into neuronal cell membranes. The membrane-bound choline molecule supplies the necessary and rate limiting compound for acetylcholine neurotransmitter synthesis.

Though found both within the central and peripheral nervous system, cholinergic neurotransmission is the cornerstone for memory formation that takes place in a specialized brain region known as the hippocampus.

Studies in animal models and humans taking place since the 1990’s have shown administration of Alpha GPC improves memory performance. Clinically studied to help healthy individuals support memory, focus, and processing speed.

The study gave subjects ten days of Alpha GPC or placebo before inducing temporary amnesia with a potent drug called scopolamine. AGPC supplementation reduced the scopolamine-induced memory impairments as measured by subjects performed on memory and attention tasks.

Recent studies on Alpha GPC have shown a potential benefit to athletic performance. A Japanese study investigated the effects of a single dose of Alpha GPC on hormone release in healthy young males. Surprisingly a single dose of Alpha GPC resulted in a substantial change in growth hormone release within one hour.

At 60 minutes, growth hormone levels acute increased by 290% from the baseline hormone level and returned to baseline by the second hour. Also observed, was the growth hormone’s actions of increasing fatty acid oxidation, as indicated by rises in free fatty acids and ketone bodies. -Source: https://www.onnit.com/academy/alpha-gpc-benefits/

The Effect of 6 Days of Alpha Glycerylphosphorylcholine on Isometric Strength

Ergogenic aides are widely used by fitness enthusiasts and athletes to increase performance. Alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (A-GPC) has demonstrated some initial promise in changing explosive performance. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if 6 days of supplementation with A-GPC would augment isometric force production compared to a placebo.

Methods

Thirteen college-aged males (Means ± SD; Age: 21.9 ± 2.2 years, Height: 180.3 ± 7.7 cm, Weight: 87.6 ± 15.6 kg; VO2 max: 40.08 ± 7.23 ml O2*Kg?1*min?1, Body Fat: 17.5 ± 4.6 %) gave written informed consent to participate in the study. The study was a double blind, placebo controlled, cross-over design.

The participants reported to the lab for an initial visit where they were familiarized with the isometric mid thigh pull in a custom squat cage on a force platform and upper body isometric test against a high frequency load cell, and baseline measurements were taken for both.

The participant then consumed either 600 mg per day of A-GPC or placebo and at the end of 6 days performed isometric mid thigh pulls and an upper body isometric test. A one-week washout period was used before the participants’ baseline was re-measured and crossed over to the other treatment.

Results

The A-GPC treatment resulted in significantly greater isometric mid thigh pull peak force change from baseline (t = 1.76, p = 0.044) compared with placebo (A-GPC: 98.8. ± 236.9 N vs Placebo: ?39.0 ± 170.9 N). For the upper body test the A-GPC treatment trended towards greater change from baseline force production (A-GPC: 50.9 ± 167.2 N Placebo: ?14.9 ± 114.9 N) but failed to obtain statistical significance (t = 1.16, p = 0.127).

Conclusions

A-GPC is effective at increasing lower body force production after 6 days of supplementation. Sport performance coaches can consider adding A-GPC to the diet of speed and power athletes to enhance muscle performance. -Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4650143/

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