10 Acetylcholine Benefits, Function & Supplements

Acetylcholine is a hot topic within the realm of memory enhancement. It is a neurotransmitter that is critical for the everyday functioning of the brain, particularly in the areas of movement, learning & memory, and sleep quality. Check out this post to learn how to promote balanced acetylcholine in your body and function at your very best. What Is Acetylcholine? Acetylcholine is used by organisms in all domains of life for a variety of purposes. It is believed that choline , a precursor to acetylcholine, was used by single-celled organisms billions of years ago, for creating the cell layers [ 1 ]. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is used for many things: from stimulating muscles to memory and sleep . Acetylcholine is synthesized from acetyl-CoA (which comes from glucose) and choline, with the help of the enzyme choline acetyltransferase [ 2 ]. Acetylcholine controls movements by causing muscle contractions. Acetylcholine and histamine interact together to contract muscles in the lungs [ 3 , 4 ]. In the brain, it is involved in memory and attention, and promotes the phase of sleep associated with dreaming (REM sleep) [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Too little acetylcholine in the memory center of the brain (hippocampus) has been associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s [ 5 ]. Scopolamine, a drug that blocks acetylcholine, impaired acquisition of new information in humans and animals [ 8 , 9 ]. In monkeys, disruption of the supply of acetylcholine to the brain (neocortex, hippocampus) impaired the acquisition of factual information (discrimination learning) and also produced forgetting comparable to human amnesia [ 10 , 11 ]. In an observational study on almost 1400 people, higher choline intake was related to better cognitive performance (verbal and visual memory) [ 12 ]. There is a link between acetylcholine and […]

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