Alpha-GPC is a crucial element for the mind and a favorite nootropic nutritional supplement. It may boost physical and mental performance and supply cooling to protect the nerves. However, the clinical study supports only a portion of encouraged supplementation benefits. Keep reading to learn everything about alpha-GPC.
What’s Alpha-GPC?
Alpha-GPC (L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine or choline alphoscerate) is a phospholipid essential for brain health. It supplies choline for cell membranes and myelin manufacturing, and thus soothes the nervous system.
Choline out of alpha-GPC also assembles acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that maintains your muscle and cognitive functions.
Natural resources include only trace amounts of alpha-GCP, but your body can make it out of choline. Foods rich in choline comprise:
- Beef liver
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Entire grains
- Soybean
In some European nations, alpha-GPC is a prescription medication for Alzheimer’s disease (Gliatilin, Delecit). In the united states, it is sold as a nutritional supplement for memory improvement. Supplement and drug manufacturers usually derive alpha-GPC from egg or soy lecithin.
Snapshot
Proponents:
- Encourages cognition
- Helps with dementia
- Enhances athletic performance
- May support stroke recovery
Skeptics:
- May cause headaches and digestive problems
- May increase irritability
- Not safe for children and pregnant women
CDP-Choline vs. Alpha-GPC
Let’s begin with the fundamentals. CDP-choline or citicoline is made from choline (with two phosphate groups) and cytidine, while alpha-GPC is created from choline (with a single phosphate group) and glycerol. This may sound quite similar, but it gives rise to some interesting, distinct effects from your system.
For starters, alpha-GPC raises blood choline levels to a greater extent than CDP-choline. As a result, it’s a more powerful impact on age-related cognitive decline and physical performance. Second, alpha-GPC may stimulate fat burning and growth hormone production, which makes it an advantage over CDP-choline among bodybuilders.
On the other hand, CDP-choline is vital for the creation of phosphatidylcholine. It has a broader range of active metabolites and potential advantages of psychological health.
How It Works
Alpha-GPC supports the nervous system by boosting acetylcholine and cholinergic activity. It may also raise the levels of other brain-protective messengers for example:
As previously mentioned, it might increase growth hormone levels also.
Health Benefits of Alpha-GPC
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Possibly Effective:
1) Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
Older people often suffer from progressive cognitive decline and memory loss (dementia). The causes range from brain injury to poor blood flow to many others.
Comprehensive reviews looked at the effects of alpha-GPC in over 20 clinical trials and 4,000 elderly people with dementia.
Each one confirmed alpha-GPC’s potential to protect the brain and protect against cognitive decline, independent of their trigger. In addition, it improved memory and attention better than choline or lecithin with no significant side effects.
Scientists analyzed its brain-protective and nootropic effects in animal trials. In rats, alpha-GPC enhanced mental performance and reduced cognitive decline caused by:
- Brain harm
- Poor blood supply
- Seizures
Alzheimer’s Disease
In Alzheimer’s disease, bundles of mutated proteins kill nerves and deplete acetylcholine, resulting in an array of cognitive issues.
At a clinical trial of 260 patients, alpha-GPC improved all symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. In another trial of 113 patients, it fostered the effects of regular treatment (donepezil).
Younger people use alpha-GPC because of its supposed nootropic (cognition-enhancing) effects. The above-mentioned effects may justify such applications, but clinical trials have not tested the pro-cognitive effects of alpha-GPC in young adults.
Alpha-GPC may reverse and prevent cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer’s disease, inadequate brain circulation, and other ailments. Some healthy people use it to improve cognitive performance, but its nootropic effects have yet to be investigated.
2) Athletic Performance
Alpha-GPC has gained popularity among weight lifters athletes, and bodybuilders due to its supposed ergogenic properties.
In two studies on 61 young guys, alpha-GPC (250 — 600 mg) enhanced speed, power, and pull force. Additionally, it had more profound effects on the reduced body.
Reduced doses of alpha-GCP (200 milligrams ) improved vertical jump power by 8.5percent in 22 people.
In seven male volunteers, pre-workout supplementation using alpha-GPC (600 mg) generated a staggering 44-times spike in growth hormone (short term ). It delivered a 14% greater bench press drive but did not affect recovery or power.
Two more trials confirmed that alpha-GPC may boost growth hormone (GH) production and fat burning. But its effects on GH were temporary and more conspicuous in the elderly.
Alpha-GPC seems to boost athletic performance in healthy young people. It might stimulate muscle growth by increasing growth hormone at both the old and young, however, the evidence is limited and indicates a temporary effect.
Insufficient Evidence:
No legitimate clinical evidence supports using alpha-GPC for any of the conditions in this section. Below is an overview of up-to-date animal studies, cell-based research, or low carb clinical trials that ought to spark a further investigation. But, you shouldn’t interpret them as supportive of any health advantage.
3) Stroke Recovery
According to a review of three clinical trials with 2,500 stroke survivors, alpha-GPC can help recover mental functions after a stroke. It improved cognition up to 70 percent of the instances.
However, those studies lacked management groups, so we must wait for stronger clinical signs before jumping to conclusions.
4) Eyesight
The ocular ischemic syndrome occurs when plaque (atherosclerosis) clogs tiny blood vessels in the eye, causing pain and vision loss.
In 51 patients with the ocular ischemic syndrome, the addition of alpha-GPC to regular therapy:
- Helped recover the retina
- Improved blood circulation to the eyes
- Sharpened vision
We want stronger clinical evidence to verify the benefits of alpha-GPC for vision.
Animal Research (Lacking Evidence)
No clinical evidence supports using alpha-GPC for the illness listed in this part. Below is a summary of the existing animal research, which should guide further investigational attempts but shouldn’t be interpreted as supportive of any health advantage.
5) Radioprotection
Radiotherapy is a common part of cancer therapy, but it can cause significant side effects by damaging healthier tissue. In rats with brain tumors, researchers detected the ability of alpha-GPC to reduce brain damage and cognitive impairment caused by radiation.
Alpha-GPC also shielded zebrafish embryos from radiation. It blocked chief inflammatory molecules (IL-1B and NF-κB), averted mutations, and improved survival.
Did you know? Zebrafish have many genes in common with people and are frequently used in cancer research.
Given the current challenges with radiation treatment, clinical trials should investigate the prospective cardioprotective effects of alpha-GPC.
Side Effects & Safety
Alpha-GPC was safe in all clinical trials. At a fraction of patients, it caused mild side effects such as:
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Headache
In safety studies on dogs and rats, megadoses (around 3,000 mg/kg) only marginally reduced the animals’ actions. Researchers reasoned that long-term (26 weeks) alpha-GCP consumption of 150 mg/kg (over 10 g daily for mature men) bears no health dangers.
Due to the lack of safety data, kids and pregnant women might want to prevent alpha-GPC.
Alpha-GPC Dosage & Supplements
The below doses may not apply to you personally. If your doctor suggests using alpha-GPC, work with them to locate the perfect dosage in accordance with your health condition and other things.
In clinical studies, alpha-GPC dosage ranged from 250 to 1,200mg/day. Here’s a breakdown of this dosing regimens:
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: 400 mg, 3X daily for 6 — 12 months
- Stroke recovery: 1,000 mg per day for 1 month (as injections) 400 mg orally, 3X daily for 5 weeks then
- Athletic performance: 250 mg daily for 1 week, 600 mg daily for 1 — 6 weeks
- Eyesight: 400 mg, 2X daily for two months
According to anecdotal evidence, the dose for nootropic effects ranges from 400 to 1,200 mg/day, but no studies have confirmed that. You may want to begin on the lower end and monitor your response.
Supplements
Alpha-GPC nutritional supplements haven’t been approved by the FDA for medical use. In general, regulatory bodies aren’t promising the quality, safety, and efficacy of supplements. Speak with your physician before supplementing.
Most alpha-GPC products contain pills with 300 mg of the active component. Vegan pills and alpha-GPC powder will also be available.
A supplement called Alpha Brain includes a combination of alpha-GPC and stimulating herbal extracts, amino acids, and vitamins. However, they don’t state the alpha-PGC content on the tag (see its testimonials below).
User Reviews
The opinions expressed in this section are only from the users who may or may not have a health background. SelfDecode does not endorse any specific product, service, or therapy. Don’t consider user adventures as medical information. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice due to something you’ve read on SelfDecode.
The older take alpha-GPC nutritional supplements to boost memory loss and other cognitive difficulties. Younger people cherish their supposed effects on concentrate, mental clarity, and bodily endurance.
Many alpha-GPC reviews are positive, though some users report no cognitive improvement. The most frequent side effect is headaches, followed by nausea and heartburn. Some customers describe it as”overly stimulating”, especially in high doses.
“Alpha Brain” has more negative testimonials, and many consumers complain about side effects like severe nausea, trembling, and confusion.
Additional Tips
Some brands produce alpha-GPC from soybean. Read the labels carefully and prevent such products if you’ve got a soy allergy. GMO plants are another potential problem with soy, but many products comprise a GMO-free label.
Alpha-GPC is a phospholipid, so it may be better absorbed with fatty foods.
Your product might lose potency over time due to alpha-GPC breakdown. It attracts moisture in the surroundings, which means you need to pay extra attention to storage requirements. Some users recommend dividing the pills into smaller air-tight bags.
Takeaway
Alpha-GPC is a choline-containing supplement that boosts acetylcholine in the brain and protects the nerves. It may assist with age-related cognitive decline and dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Younger people also use it to boost cognition, but its nootropic effects aren’t well researched. Alpha-GPC may enhance physical performance, while there’s insufficient evidence for vision benefits and stroke recovery.
Different multi-ingredient formulas comprise alpha-GPC, but it might be advisable to try it alone in the researched dose first to better monitor the reaction.
Potential side effects include mild headaches, digestive problems, and irritability. Children and pregnant women should avoid alpha-GPC, though others need to talk to their doctor before supplementing.