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INTRODUCTION TO CENTROPHENOXINE
We all want to keep our brains sharp, our memory powers strong, our learning quick and easy, and our speech witty and smart. But to live longer too? That’s even better.
Centrophenoxine is a nootropic that promises to deliver every one of these things plus more.
Curious to know more? Read on to find out more about this compound and whether it should play a part in your life.Â
History
Also known as Meclofenoxate or Lucidril, centrophenoxine is an extremely well known smart drug, being one of the earliest in the industry. It was developed in 1959, and many people with brain disorders have benefited from treatment. These include epileptics, those with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.
But it is not only sick or older people who have received treatment from it. Healthy, younger people who just wanted to achieve elevated mental focus and enhanced cognition, or who wanted to keep the symptoms of advancing age at bay have also tried their hand at it.
In many other countries, centrophenoxine is available as a prescription drug. However, in the US, this is an over the counter product.
Benefits
So what are the benefits to expect from centrophenoxine? The benefits to expect from centrophenoxine are the following:
- Memory and learning – we don’t usually get better at this as we age. Fortunately, this drug may help you jog your memory better if you are getting stuck with your recall powers. Dementia-afflicted people have benefited hugely from this drug and have seen their learning process transformed.
- Can improve your mood – Feeling grouchy and blue today? Centrophenoxine promises to lift you from your lows and put you in back in high spirits. This is true at least for rats, so why not humans? Studies had shown that the anxiety of rats was relieved when they were treated with centrophenoxine. Another study, this time of humans, showed improvement of mood as a result of DMAE, the active ingredient of centrophenoxine.
- Is neuroprotective – studies have shown that centrophenoxine has a role in providing our brains and nerve cells with protection. Whether it is damage caused by a stroke, toxins, physical trauma, or the oxidative damage of free radicals, this drug helped the affected areas recover and restore normal functioning.
A recovery in memory, movement, and cognitive function was seen in brain-injured rats when they were treated with the drug. It can do this by increasing brain energy through more glucose and oxygen consumption, which releases energy. It also ramps up the action of glutathione, an enzyme that has antioxidant properties
- Increases longevity – if you want to live longer, then this molecule may have you covered. Researchers saw lab rats have their lifespan increased by a whopping 30% to 40% as a result of the drug. There’s a bonus too because aging was reversed by the elimination of free radicals and lipofuscin buildup (waste that accumulates in cells as we advance in age. They cause damage to the cells)
- Anticancer properties – this drug also works to make some anticancer drugs do their job even better. These anti-cancer drugs kill cancer cells by targeting their DNA
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Side effects
Centrophenoxine is generally safe with very few experiences of adverse side effects among users. The few side effects that have been encountered are:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Sleepiness
- Stomach problems
- Muscle tremors
- insomnia
These effects may come from excess acetylcholine which the drug may induce–
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Ingredients of centrophenoxine and how it works
Centrophenoxine is really two chemicals joined together, each with a forbidding long name which has been shortened hopefully into some more palatable! Here they are:
- Dimethylethanolamine or DMAE – This is a choline source also found in small quantities in our brains where it plays a stimulating role. It is also found in animals, especially fish and seafood. So now we know. DMAE too packs its own choline
- Parachlorphenoxyacetic acid (pCPA) – this synthetic molecule is similar to auxins, which are plant growth hormones. This is a man-made molecule and nowhere in nature will you find anything like it
What’s interesting is that even though DMAE is the main active ingredient of centrophenoxine, it can’t cross the brain-blood barrier. So how does it get in and get to work?
Simple, it hitches a ride on centrophenoxine which can cross the brain barrier quite easily. Keep in mind that other body organs also claim a share of centrophenoxine and not just the brain. For example, the liver—which is just as hungry for choline as the brain—breaks some centrophenoxine into its parts, DMEA, and pCPA. It then converts DMEA into choline and goes ahead to use it.
DMEA is needed by the brain to fight age-related impairment and oxidation. Over time, these problems can become an obstacle for the brain to function properly, so this is why DMEA is critical.
Here is what centrophenoxine does in the brain
- Increase acetylcholine – this is the neurotransmitter that is responsible for learning and memory. More of it and you boost these two important cognitive functions
- Reduce lipofuscin – this waste product accumulates in brain cells, run-down cells, and accelerates their aging and death. It is DMEA’s job to slow or stop this process
- Increase blood flow –with better circulation, the brain cells have an adequate supply of nutrients ( glucose and oxygen) and can maintain optimum health
- Provide antioxidant defense –this protects neurons against oxidative damage
DMEA not only ensures that learning, recall, and quick thinking are maintained it also works to reverse the damage. Of course, our own bodies will usually make enough DMAE on their own, but with advancing age, this ability reduces, and we make less and less of it.
Eventually, the absence of DMAE will lead to accumulating damage to the brain, and we start to have diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Centrophenoxine supplements can noticeably restore your previous cognitive performance and health. It can also prevent further damage.
Dosage
Centrophenoxine comes in either powder form or capsules.
The following dosages are recommended
- For medical use by older people to remove lipofuscin – 250 mg in 3 to 6 doses
- For younger people looking to improve brain health and elevate cognition – 250 mg taken in 1 to 3 doses
Stacking can get you even more fantastic results. Typically, centrophenoxine can be stacked with racetams.
For example, researchers saw very impressive results in old rats that took the drug stacked with piracetam. The rich choline content of centrophenoxine made the racetams produce more pronounced positive effects on their memory and cognition.
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People who should not use centrophenoxine
Those with
- Major depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Parkinson’s disease
For these people, too much acetylcholine will escalate their condition
Others who should not take these supplements are:
- Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should not take the supplement. DMAE can cause birth defects in pregnant women
- If you are on other medication, don’t take the supplement or consult first with a doctor
- For all persons who want to start taking the supplement, first check with your doctor
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Price and availability
The are several centrophenoxine supplements available in the US. Some examples of some brand names include
- Absorb Health
- Double Wood supplements
- Relentless Improvement
- Nootropic Depot
Centrophenoxine normally lies at a higher price range compared with other supplements that feature a single ingredient.
You can buy centrophenoxine online where there are many vendors, including on Amazon.
Pros
- Well tolerated in general
- Has proven results of improving memory and cognition especially in older people or people with injuries
Cons
- Most studies on the drug have been done animals; there are few human studies
- Taking too much may cause the body to stop producing its own normal supplies, causing faster cognitive decline
- Is expensive
- Some users say it didn’t do anything for them
Conclusion
Centrophenoxine is your ideal choice if you are looking to prevent cognitive decline or recover from symptoms of brain injury. However, this will mostly only benefit older people. despite the hype, this product cannot get you a
Cognitive elevation at the spur of the moment to perform a particular temporary task. For example, the tale about youngsters using it to ace an exam is more fictional than real.
It is more geared to aiding older people who have a deficiency in the body or people who have suffered a traumatic injury. Younger people who don t have any deficiency will not see any change. Keep in mind that if you take an excessive dose of centrophenoxine (i.e., DMAE), this does not make it more potent. The body simply excretes out the excess because it uses only a particular amount.
It brings no additional benefit if you take the substance above what the body needs. For this reason, younger healthy people who have no deficiency will most likely not benefit from supplemental DMAE for current use.
However, it is possible that the supplements can play a protective role against future problems such as cognition decline.