alpha-gpc

Alpha-GPC (alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine) is a choline-containing compound. Chemically it corresponds to glycerophosphocholine, one of the natural water-soluble forms of choline that the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) describes as occurring in normal choline metabolism (choline is absorbed and handled partly as free choline, phosphocholine, and glycerophosphocholine). Choline itself is an essential nutrient that the brain and nervous system use to help make acetylcholine — a neurotransmitter involved in memory, mood, and muscle control — and to build the phospholipid membranes that surround cells. Note that the NIH ODS publishes fact sheets on choline as a nutrient but does not publish a dedicated fact sheet on Alpha-GPC as a specific supplement ingredient.

Rigorous evidence from US government health authorities for Alpha-GPC specifically is limited. The NIH ODS lists the choline forms used in dietary supplements as choline bitartrate, phosphatidylcholine, and lecithin — it does not name Alpha-GPC among them — and there is no dedicated NIH ODS or NCCIH fact sheet on Alpha-GPC, so any claim tied to this exact ingredient should be treated cautiously. For choline as a nutrient, the NIH notes that some studies have found a link between higher choline intake and better cognitive function, but that "other studies have shown that choline supplements do not improve cognition in healthy adults or in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease dementia, or other memory problems," and that more research is needed. The ODS does not claim that choline (or Alpha-GPC) enhances athletic performance, and it does not endorse using it to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

There is no established US government dose for Alpha-GPC as a supplement. For choline as a nutrient, the NIH lists Adequate Intakes of 550 mg/day for adult men and 425 mg/day for adult women, with a Tolerable Upper Intake Level of 3,500 mg/day for adults from all sources combined; the NIH also notes that typical amounts of choline in dietary supplements range from about 10 mg to 250 mg. Because these figures apply to choline in general and not to Alpha-GPC specifically, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before starting Alpha-GPC, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take medications, or have a health condition.

Government safety information covers choline as a nutrient rather than Alpha-GPC specifically. The NIH sets a daily upper limit of 3,500 mg of choline for adults from food, beverages, and supplements combined, and notes that getting too much choline can be harmful. Because Alpha-GPC has not been individually evaluated in an NIH ODS or NCCIH fact sheet, its long-term safety as a stand-alone supplement is not well characterized by these authorities; discuss use with a healthcare provider.

For choline in general, the NIH reports that getting too much can cause a fishy body odor, vomiting, heavy sweating and salivation, low blood pressure, and liver damage, and that some research suggests high amounts of choline may increase the risk of heart disease. Side effects specific to Alpha-GPC are not described by NIH ODS or NCCIH.

The NIH states that choline "is not known to interact with any medications." That statement is about choline as a nutrient; interactions specific to Alpha-GPC have not been evaluated in an NIH ODS or NCCIH fact sheet. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all supplements and medicines you take so they can check for possible interactions.