“Deanol?”Here!DMAE
Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.
As a supplement
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.
Deanol, also called DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), is a small organic compound related to choline that occurs in trace amounts in some fish and is also made synthetically for supplements.
Why it’s used
Marketed for cognitive support and sometimes for skin appearance, on the theory that it may act as a precursor to choline or acetylcholine.
What the evidence says
Human clinical evidence is sparse and mostly old or small. Claims about cognition or mood are not well supported by rigorous trials, and its conversion to acetylcholine in the body is not firmly established.
Where we looked
There was no paper to cite here, so this is the search instead — run it yourself and see what we saw.
- PubMed: 16 records · searched September 2026
"Deanol"[Title/Abstract] AND (review[pt] OR "safety assessment"[Title/Abstract] OR "risk assessment"[Title/Abstract] OR toxicology[Title/Abstract] OR toxicity[Title/Abstract] OR characterization[Title/Abstract] OR characterisation[Title/Abstract]) - PubMed: 0 records · searched September 2026
"Deanol"[Title/Abstract] AND ("dietary supplements"[MeSH] OR supplementation[Title/Abstract] OR supplement[Title/Abstract] OR supplements[Title/Abstract] OR "oral administration"[Title/Abstract]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt] OR meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) AND humans[MeSH] - PubMed: 151 records · searched September 2026
"Deanol"[Title/Abstract]
This says what this database holds under these terms. It is not a finding that no research exists.
Context
Most available studies are small, dated, or industry-associated, limiting what can be concluded about effect at any dose.
Rumors
DMAE causes side effects including stomach upset, body odor, drowsiness, confusion, raised blood pressure and depression.
Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence
Studied in: patients with moderately severe or severe Alzheimer's disease.
Measured as an outcome.
- Double-blind trial of 2-dimethylaminoethanol in Alzheimer's disease (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)
DMAE supplements boost memory and cognitive function.
Does not support — suggestivehealth and safety evidence
Studied in: patients with moderately severe or severe Alzheimer's disease.
Measured as an outcome.
- Double-blind trial of 2-dimethylaminoethanol in Alzheimer's disease (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)
DMAE improves mood and helps with depression.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Healthline — a publisher: health information publisher; part of RVO Health, backed by Red Ventures and UnitedHealth Group's Optum
How we know who this is
- “Healthline is a digital publisher and does not offer personal health or medical advice.” (their page)
- “Healthline is part of RVO Health, a company backed by Red Ventures and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum.” (their page)
- Healthline — a publisher: health information publisher; part of RVO Health, backed by Red Ventures and UnitedHealth Group's Optum
People with epilepsy or bipolar disorder should not take DMAE.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
DMAE works as well as Ritalin for treating ADHD in children.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements