Acetylcholine information
Acetylcholine research and updates on the role of acetylcholine and Alzheimer's condition

Acetylcholine was the very first neurotransmitter to be identified back in the early 1900s. It is made simply from choline and a two-carbon molecule called acetyl. Dietary choline and phosphatidylcholine (also known as lecithin) serve as the sources of free choline for acetylcholine synthesis. Acetylcholine is found in the brain and the peripheral nervous system. Acetylcholine plays numerous roles. In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory. Acetylcholine stimulates muscle tissue. You can purchase Choline Bitartrate here.

Supplements such as choline raise levels of acetylcholine. They are both available without a prescription.

Once produced, acetylcholine is stored in brain cells and released into the synaptic cleft upon stimulation. When released into the synaptic cleft, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks acetylcholine back down into choline and acetyl. In Alzheimer’s disease, there is a shortage of acetylcholine, and one of the ways doctors have tried to increase the levels of this neurotransmitter is by prescribing drugs, such as tacrine and galantamine, that inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. An alternative to these drugs, a Chinese herbal extract called huperzine A, can also inhibit this enzyme. Galantamine is now available without a prescription.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps facilitate erections. For more information on impotence.

We will update this acetylcholine research page and discuss the role of acetylcholine and Alzheimer's acetylcholine and choline

Acetylcholine questions
Q. I read where you said that in the genital region, acetylcholine is released in the parasympathetic nerves. How would I increase the production of acetylcholine?
   A. The supplements choline and cdp-choline may help increase acetylcholine levels.