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Choline donors & cholinergic compounds

Dimethylethanolamine

2-(dimethylamino)ethanol (deanol; DMAE)

Dimethylethanolamine, usually sold as DMAE or DMAE-bitartrate, is a small amino alcohol marketed with cholinergic products. The 1 August 2026 catalog snapshot maps 30 listings, chiefly title-labelled DMAE-bitartrate powders plus capsules, but it also contains a multi-ingredient choline sample pack and invalid or duplicate-like rows that are excluded from comparison. The 1979 deanol study found no cognitive enhancement in normal elderly participants, while a later positive result used DMAE-pyroglutamate under a scopolamine challenge rather than routine DMAE-bitartrate use. Compare only verified single-ingredient products by exact salt, labelled amount, and form; no transferable nootropic dose, onset, or benefit is established.

CholinergicClinical ResearchMixed EvidenceForm Dependent EvidencePopulation Specific EvidenceLow Risk ProfilePregnancy Caution
Updated August 2026/6 min read/8 citations
Reviewed by the NootropicsIndex editorial team.Method: prioritize cited human research and official safety or regulatory sources; compare retailer-listed prices without endorsing products.Affiliate disclosure
01

What is it?

What dimethylethanolamine is

1

Dimethylethanolamine is commonly labelled DMAE or deanol. DMAE-bitartrate is a salt form of dimethylethanolamine; chemical naming alone does not establish equivalence with other cholinergic-marketed ingredients.

The direct older human study was negative4
In normal elderly participants, deanol did not enhance word learning, reaction time, or serial decoding over 21 days. This does not support a broad memory or focus claim for current DMAE-bitartrate listings.
The later positive result used a different model5
The 2009 study tested DMAE-pyroglutamate after an induced scopolamine deficit in healthy young men. It does not establish an ordinary DMAE-bitartrate product result.
02

Names, aliases and forms

Common NamesDimethylethanolamine; Deanol
AbbreviationDMAE
Iupac Name2-(dimethylamino)ethanol
Chemical NameN,N-dimethylethanolamine
Salt FormDMAE bitartrate
Cas Number108-01-0
03

Mechanisms of action

Cholinergic marketing is not outcome evidence

5

DMAE is often marketed beside choline products. That positioning and mechanistic discussion do not establish a cognitive outcome for standard DMAE-bitartrate products.

04

Potential effects and evidence map

The human DMAE evidence does not establish a routine nootropic benefit. In 1979, deanol 900 mg/day for 21 days did not enhance word learning, reaction time, or serial decoding in normal elderly participants. A 2009 positive study used DMAE-pyroglutamate with an induced scopolamine deficit, and a 2003 EEG study used a multi-ingredient combination; neither result transfers cleanly to ordinary DMAE-bitartrate listings.

Effect domainMagnitudeGrade
Memory / learning4
UnknownConfidence: High

No reliable standard-DMAE memory benefit is established: the direct 1979 deanol trial did not enhance cognitive performance in normal elderly participants.

Note A single older null trial does not establish a transferable standard-DMAE benefit or a routine consumer protocol.

0/5
E
05

Typical dosages and timing

Form and serving3DMAE-bitartrate

The 1 August 2026 snapshot maps 30 DMAE listings across 4 vendors, chiefly title-labelled DMAE-bitartrate powder rows plus capsules. Compare only a verified single-ingredient product's labelled salt, ingredient amount, serving size, and format; the cited studies do not establish a transferable routine dose.

06

Timing & effect horizon

Effect horizonUnknown
Unknown
Study design is not routine timing5

The cited human studies do not establish an onset, duration, schedule, or cycle for ordinary DMAE-bitartrate use.

07

Safety, side effects and risk profile

Human safety evidence remains limited2
The NTP review summarizes historical oral reports of mild stimulation at 10-20 mg DMAE tartrate and, with larger or unspecified doses, insomnia, muscle tension, or sporadic twitches. The report also describes severe cholinergic adverse effects in a historical tardive-dyskinesia clinical context. These reports do not provide routine-product frequency estimates or establish the same effects for current DMAE-bitartrate labels; the low healthy-adult baseline is not a general safety assurance.
Rat prenatal data are not a human conclusion2
In NTP's oral rat prenatal study, there was no overt maternal toxicity, but fetal variations at 1,000 mg/kg/day were considered potentially exposure related. This animal finding does not quantify risk or establish safety for a human DMAE-bitartrate supplement in pregnancy or lactation, where direct data were not identified.
Pregnancy / lactation caution2
Confidence: High

NTP's oral rat prenatal study found no overt maternal toxicity but potentially exposure-related fetal variations at 1,000 mg/kg/day. This animal result does not quantify risk or establish safety in human pregnancy or lactation, where direct data were not identified.

Note Special-population caution based on an official animal report; it does not raise the profile-wide healthy-adult baseline risk.

2/5
D
Overstimulation / insomnia2
Confidence: Medium

The NTP review summarizes historical oral reports of mild stimulation at 10-20 mg tartrate and, with larger or unspecified doses, insomnia, muscle tension, or sporadic twitches. Frequency and transfer to current DMAE-bitartrate products are uncertain.

Note A separate historical tardive-dyskinesia clinical context included severe cholinergic adverse effects; it is not a routine-product frequency estimate.

1/5
D
Evidence uncertainty4
Confidence: High

The main practical risk is transferring null, model-specific, or combination-product evidence into a standard DMAE-bitartrate claim.

Note The 1979 trial was negative for cognitive-performance enhancement; the 2009 result used a different compound and challenge model.

1/5
E
08

Interactions and cautions

Interaction evidence5

The cited sources do not define specific DMAE drug interactions. Standard DMAE-bitartrate, other cholinergic-marketed ingredients, and DMAE-pyroglutamate in the 2009 study should not be assumed interchangeable.

09

Legal and regulatory status

United States - FDA, 20268

As of 2026, FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are marketed. This U.S. regulatory context does not determine legal status in other markets.

10

Practical buying and quality notes

  • The 1 August 2026 snapshot maps 30 DMAE listings: 25 powder and 5 capsule rows, with 26 titles containing DMAE-bitartrate. One listing is a multi-ingredient choline sample pack rather than a single-ingredient DMAE product; exclude it from DMAE comparison. Repeat-crawl and title/form-conflicting rows also need label-level review.3
  • Compare only verified single-ingredient DMAE-bitartrate rows by stated mass and price per gram, and capsules by labelled DMAE amount and price per serving. Exclude the multi-ingredient choline sample pack, two zero-quantity rows, three zero-normalized-price rows, and repeat or title/form-conflicting rows from price, availability, and per-dose comparisons.3
11

FAQ

Is DMAE the same as deanol?

1

Yes for most product and literature comparisons. Deanol is an older name for dimethylethanolamine/DMAE, while supplement products often use the DMAE-bitartrate salt form.

What DMAE dose or cycle is established?

4

No transferable consumer dose, onset, duration, or cycle is established by the cited research. Compare the labelled salt and serving rather than borrowing a study protocol.

Does DMAE improve memory or focus?

4

No reliable standard-DMAE memory or focus benefit is established. In normal elderly participants, the direct 1979 deanol study did not enhance word learning, reaction time, or serial decoding.

What safety questions remain open?

2

Human pregnancy/lactation safety and product-specific interaction data are not established by the cited sources. Generic adult product copy cannot answer those contexts.

12

References

  1. PubChem. 2-Dimethylaminoethanol / Dimethylethanolamine (CID 7902).
  2. National Toxicology Program. Prenatal developmental studies of dimethylaminoethanol bitartrate in Sprague Dawley rats: DART Report 04. 2020.
  3. NootropicsIndex product catalog snapshot for DMAE, queried 1 August 2026.
  4. Marsh GR, Linnoila M. The effects of deanol on cognitive performance and electrophysiology in elderly humans. Psychopharmacology. 1979;66(1):99-104.
  5. Blin O, Audebert C, Pitel S, et al. Effects of dimethylaminoethanol pyroglutamate against scopolamine-induced memory deficits. Psychopharmacology. 2009 Dec;207(2):201-212.
  6. Dimpfel W, Wedekind W, Keplinger I. DMAE-containing vitamin-mineral combination and EEG patterns. Eur J Med Res. 2003.
  7. Malanga G, Aguiar MB, Martinez HD, Puntarulo S. New insights on dimethylaminoethanol as a free radical scavenger. Drug Metab Lett. 2012.
  8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements.
Note

This page is informational and summarizes available evidence. It is not medical advice, a recommendation, or a substitute for guidance from a qualified clinician.