Alpha-GPC

L-Alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC, choline alfoscerate) is a natural choline compound found in the brain. It is also a parasympathomimetic acetylcholine precursor which may have potential for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Alpha-GPC is also used as a nootropic dietary supplement to enhance memory and cognition.

Alpha-GPC rapidly delivers choline to the brain across the blood–brain barrier and is a biosynthetic precursor of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter. It is a non-prescription drug in most countries due to its Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status.

Efficacy
Studies have investigated its efficacy for cognitive disorders including stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. An Italian multicentre clinical trial on 2,044 patients suffering from recent stroke were supplied alpha-GPC in doses of 1,000 mg/day for 28 days and 400 mg three times per day for the five ensuing months. The trial confirmed the therapeutic role of alpha-GPC on the cognitive recovery of patients based on four measurement scales, three of which reached statistical significance. Commonly used doses are 300 to 1,200 mg daily. Recent studies in healthy humans also show that high GPCh level in hippocampus is significant for memory capacity and permanency.

Storage
Many users report degradation of Alpha-GPC when stored openly or for long periods of time. It should be noted that Alpha-GPC is hygroscopic and will pull moisture in from the surrounding air. This will cause the powder to turn into what appears to be a gel. 99%+ Alpha-GPC will undergo this process at a visible rate (seconds to minutes) and thus requires minimized exposure to the air. This hygroscopic quality can cause gel capsules not fully packed with Alpha-GPC to dissolve. Proper storage methods need to be used with Alpha-GPC and include removing all air from the container, double bagging with plastic bags rated for chemicals (less likely to leak air), and storing bulk/excess inside the freezer. Vacuum sealed bags are highly recommended. For people accessing Alpha-GPC daily it is advisable to separate a month's supply from excess and storing the excess as best as possible. Vacuum sealing a large supply into many 1 month dividends is a method positively reported by many users. It is important to note that hygroscopy is not degradation and leaves the substance still usable, however, the ability to accurately weigh a dose is no longer possible as the substance being weighed will be a mixture of powder and water. Liquified or gelled Alpha-GPC may also be indicative of poor storage and thus have an increased likelihood of actual degradation.

Production
Alpha-GPC may be derived from highly purified soy lecithin in small volumes. Industrially, it is produced by the chemical or enzymatic deacylation of phosphatidylcholine enriched soya phospholipids followed by chromatographic purification.