About Dimethylaminoethanol
DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol, also called deanol) is a choline analogue marketed for cognition, focus, mood, and skin firmness. Mechanistically it is proposed to support acetylcholine synthesis, but conversion to choline in humans is limited and the cognitive effects remain poorly demonstrated. The clinical literature consists largely of small, dated trials in childhood hyperkinetic syndromes (1970s) and cognitive aging — methodology is weak and modern replications are absent. The FDA classified deanol as Category III (not generally recognized as safe and effective) when withdrawing it from OTC drug status, and animal studies have raised teratogenicity concerns at high doses, leading several EU member states to restrict it in food supplements. Commonly sold as DMAE bitartrate (~37% DMAE by mass). Topical formulations are studied separately for skin firmness with modestly more support. No established RDA/UL; pregnancy/breastfeeding avoidance is generally recommended.
What Dimethylaminoethanol supports
- Marketed for focus and acetylcholine support; clinical evidence in healthy adults is weak
How much Dimethylaminoethanol to take
The RDA prevents deficiency. The effective range is what clinical trials used to actually move the outcome.
Effective
100–300
mg
Range reflects what older studies used (often as deanol bitartrate); not a clinically validated therapeutic dose. Bitartrate salt is ~37% DMAE by weight, so labeled mg may overstate active content.
Clinical evidence
Limited clinical evidence. Old, small trials with mixed results; FDA Category III for OTC drug use; modern RCTs in healthy adults essentially absent
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