General Description: Choline is very closely related to the vitamin B
family and is considered an essential nutrient by the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). There are many kinds of Choline
supplements available: Choline Salts (Choline Citrate & Choline
Bitartrate), Lecithin (phosphatidylcholine), CDP-Choline, GPC
(Glycerophosphocholine), and others. Of the available forms, the
Choline salts and GPC have proven to be especially useful for lucid
dream enhancement.
Choline Salts:
Both Choline Bitartrate and Choline Citrate are part of group of
substances referred to as Choline salts. When you see a supplement
that is simply called Choline, most likely it is either the bitartrate or
citrate variety. These two types are the most common and most inexpensive
forms of Choline supplement available. Although the salts
pass through the blood brain barrier, it is often said that they do so
inefficiently. Their transport is controlled by the concentration
gradient between the blood and the brain and normally the brain has
high enough concentrations of Choline to allow only a small fraction
of the supplements to enter. However if brain concentrations are
lower, Choline is transported more efficiently.Once in the brain, free Choline is quickly converted into acetylcholine
and therefore low levels of Choline translate into low levels of ACh
and visa versa. Since during the non-REM stages of sleep,
acetylcholine levels are lower than normal, transport of free Choline
is improved if available.
The advantage that the Choline salts have is that they are
more quickly absorbed by the body. This allows them to be used
synergistically with Galantamine. In addition to the overall level of
ACh in the brain, an important factor in initiating a WILD is the rate of
increase of acetylcholine. Galantamine inhibits the breakdown of ACh
but does not increase the production of it. Adding one of the salts can
jump start the accumulation process by producing ACh at a faster
rate. This noticeably increases the odds of becoming lucid and can
intensify the transitioning process (see chapter 22) from what is
normally experienced with Galantamine alone.
GPC:
Although the Choline salts can jump start the accumulation process,
they quickly lose there efficiency as the concentration of ACh
increases. To keep the accumulation process going, a different type
of supplement is required; one that does not depend on low levels of
ACh. Only two types of Choline supplements are known to cross the
blood brain barrier efficiently under normal conditions: CDP-choline
and GPC. Both supplements act as a precursor to acetylcholine, but
of the two, GPC is superior when it comes to lucid dream
enhancement. There are three reasons GPC is preferred:1. The time to peak plasma levels for GPC is 3 hours. Whereas
the time to peak plasma levels of CDP-choline is 6 hours.
2. The elimination half life of GPC is ~ 1.5 hours. The elimination
half life of CDP choline is ~4.5 hours.
3. I have successfully used GPC as a lucid dream trigger but
CDP-choline has never triggered a lucid dream for me or
even had much of an impact on dreaming at all. Also GPC
works synergistically with Galantamine to give excellent odds
of becoming lucid whereas CDP-choline didn’t have any
noticeable impact.
If you are trying to increase your memory, both supplements may
work the same. However, if you are trying to develop high quality
lucid dreams, GPC has clear advantages. The fact that CDP-choline
has such a long time until the peak plasma levels are reached makes
it far from ideal for the lucid dreamer. To use CDP-choline, one would
most likely need to take it before bedtime so the peak plasma levels
would arrive at the time of the lucid dream attempt. Although this may
seem like a viable approach, consider what is happening to the
quality of deep sleep in the hours before the attempt. Acetylcholine
levels would be slowly and steadily rising while the body is trying to
maintain the low levels needed for the deep rejuvenating sleep
stages. The result is a decrease in sleep quality.
GPC stands for Glycerophosphocholine but it has also been
called Choline Alfoscerate, Alphoscerate, L-alpha-
Glycerylphosphorylcholine, and alpha-GPC. GPC has been used
extensively in Italy and other parts of Europe but has only recently
become available in the United States. Due to this fact, most of the
research has come out of Europe. The European research is very
impressive and GPC has been shown to improve cognitive function
for both young and old in several studies. Some studies have shown
GPC to be just as effective as Donezepil and superior to
Rivastigmine (both are prescription AChE inhibitors) in relieving the
symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore GPC is extremely
well tolerated and has no serious side effects at the therapeutic
dosages.
Mechanism of Action: Choline supplements are precursors to
acetylcholine and cause acetylcholine levels to rise by allowing the
brain to produce more.
Concentration Curve: Because Choline is found naturally in many
food sources, it has been difficult to find peak plasma time studies for
the standard forms (i.e. the Choline salts). Several studies suggest
that the Choline salts are metabolized faster than the other forms
(GPC and CDP). One study mentions that Choline Bitartrate is
absorbed more than twice as fast as fast as GPC and has the same
elimination half life. GPC has an elimination half life of 90 minutes
and takes about 3 hours to reach its peak plasma levels. Based on
this information, I have assumed that Choline Bitartrate reaches peak
plasma times in about an hour and also has a 90 minute elimination
half life. Due to the similarity in structure and metabolic pathways it is
probable that Choline Citrate is metabolized in the same way as
Choline Bitartrate.Effect on Dreams: GPC has a profound impact on dreaming and
causes dreams to be exceptionally vivid and long. I have not had any
bazaar or nightmarish dreams using GPC but have not tried it without
following up with Piracetam to avoid desensitization issues.
Choline salts do not have much of an impact on dreaming
unless they are combined with Galantamine in which case they can
intensify the action of Galantamine.
Effect on Lucid Dreams: Combining a Choline salt with
Galantamine increases the odds of experiencing a WILD. I consider
the Galantamine/Choline combination to be the fundamental lucidity
trigger from which all others are derived.
GPC has a profound effect on lucid dreaming and can be
used either as a trigger or as a support for Galantamine. If it is used
as a trigger, it has the advantage that it is easier to fall back to sleep
than when using either Galantamine or Yohimbine. This is primarily
due to the longer time it takes to reach peak plasma levels. The
negative side of this is it does not lend itself as well to WILDs and all
my lucid dreams using GPC by itself have been DILDs.
When using Galantamine/Choline and GPC together I have a
very high success rate in becoming lucid. This combination works
incredibly synergistically together. Interestingly this combination also
has a tendency to give my lucid dreams a soundtrack in that I hear
music playing (sometimes very loudly) during the dream. Nicotine (an
ACh agonist) has a similar effect but of course also has some serious
drawbacks (see chapter 9).
Side Effects: Both types of supplements are extremely well
tolerated. Most GPC studies available report only mild side effects in
a small percentage of the people taking the supplement. The side
effects generally included nausea and insomnia. I have no noticeable
side effect with doses up to 1200 mg of GPC or with up to 1000 mg
of a Choline salt.
Dosage: The dosage used for most of the GPC studies was 1200
mg taken once daily. I have taken GPC by itself at doses of 900 mg
and 1200 mg and have combined it with Galantamine at doses of 600
mg, 900 mg, and 1200 mg. I have had lucid dreams under all of
these conditions, but the 900 mg dose had less success than the
1200 mg dose when GPC was taken alone.
Choline is considered an essential nutrient and the
recommended daily allowance is 425 mg/day for women and 550
mg/day for men. The maximum safe level of Choline has been set at
3.5 grams/day. For lucid dream enhancement 400 – 800 mg should
be sufficient. I typically use 500 mg of Choline Bitartrate in
combination with 8 mg of Galantamine.
When adding GPC to the Galantamine/Choline mix, a 600 mg
dose of GPC improves the odds of becoming lucid and noticeably
increases the length of the lucid dream. At doses of 900 mg and
1200 mg I experienced intense periods of acceleration (see chapter
22) and music playing during my lucid dreams. The music seems to
be louder with the 1200 mg dose.
Special Notes: In order to form acetylcholine two ingredients are
needed: Choline + Acetyl. Choline supplements provide the Choline
but where does your body get the Acetyl group from? The answer is
from vitamin B5. Most diets include plenty of vitamin B5 but it is
probably not a bad idea to supplement your diet with a good
multivitamin taken in the morning (not at the time of a lucid dream
attempt). I did some experiments taking vitamin B5 in the form of
Panteteine (activated form of B5) at the time of the lucid dream
attempt but I don’t recommend it; it makes it very hard to fall to sleep
and my other experiments have shown that I don’t need it (although I
do get B5 in my regular diet).
Vitamin B5 CoA Acetyl
GPC phosphatidylcholine Choline
Choline + Acetyl Acetylcholine
Summary: GPC and the Choline salts (bitartrate and citrate) are
excellent supplements to support lucid dreaming. Combining a
Choline salt with Galantamine increases the odds of experiencing a
WILD and is the foundation of all other combinations described in this
book. GPC can be used to trigger lucid dreams although I generally
experience DILDs instead of WILDs when I use GPC alone. My
favorite way to use GPC is in combination with Galantamine/Choline
taken 4 or 5 hours after going to bed. When I use GPC this way I find
600 mg is optimum (although I occasionally use 900 mg). GPC and
Galantamine/Choline give me a high success rate at becoming lucid.
Note, I do not use them on consecutive nights and use Piracetam
immediately following my lucid dreams (see chapter 10). Both GPC
and the Choline salts are extremely well tolerated and have few
noticeable side effects.
Source: Thomas Yuschak The Power of Supplements
General Description: Galantamine is classified as an AChE
inhibitor. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the substance that breaks
down acetylcholine within the brain. By inhibiting this breakdown,
acetylcholine can build to increased levels. Galantamine (as well as
other AChE inhibitors) is the subject of intense research because of
its apparent ability to increase memory and actually improve
Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Not only does Galantamine inhibit
the breakdown of acetylcholine, there is also evidence that it acts as
an acetylcholine agonist as well. This means that Galantamine gives
a double boost to the apparent levels of ACh within the brain.
Remember that acetylcholine is at its highest levels during
wakefulness and REM sleep. By increasing ACh levels you will tend
to go directly into REM when you fall to sleep provided that you don’t
put your body in conflict. The normal sleep cycle begins by moving
quickly into the deeper (non-REM) stages of sleep. Taking
Galantamine is not nearly as effective if taken before bedtime as
opposed to after 4 or 5 hours of sleep. By taking it before bedtime
you are trying to force your body into REM when it wants to enter
deep sleep. Your odds of becoming lucid are greatly reduced and
you are essentially depriving yourself of quality sleep.
When taken after 4 or 5 hours of sleep Galantamine can act as
lucidity trigger in that it allows you to move directly from wakefulness
into a dream state with an unbroken consciousness. This makes
Galantamine highly effective at producing WILDs. One of the
characteristics that makes Galantamine so effective is that it is
rapidly absorbed by the body.
Mechanism of Action: Galantamine is an AChE
(acetylcholinesterase) inhibitor. Acetylcholinesterase is the chemical
that breaks down acetylcholine in the brain. Therefore Galantamine
causes the acetylcholine within the brain to increase, by causing the
brain to manufacture ACh faster than it is being broken down. There
is some evidence suggesting that galantamine also acts as an
acetylcholine agonist.
Concentration Curve: Galantamine is characterized by quick
absorption and a relatively long elimination half-life. It reaches its
peak plasma level just 60 minutes after ingested but takes about 48
hours to be completely flushed from you system.
Effect on Dreams: Galantamine has a profound impact on
dreaming. Galantamine will cause extremely vivid and long dreams. If
the Galantamine is allowed to fully clear from your system (i.e. only
take it every other night or less) dreams seem to be normal and
pleasant (especially if using Piracetam to counter desensitization –
see chapter 10). If Galantamine is not allowed to completely clear out
of the body and/or if tolerance/desensitization starts to occur, dreams
can become more movie like, bazaar, and perhaps nightmarish (kind
of like morbid Picasso images). This is an excellent marker that you
need to take some time off from using the substance and from
stimulating the cholinergic system in general. This can be totally
avoided if lucid dream attempts are kept to an every other day basis
or less and if Piracetam is used to counter the effects of Galantamine
directly following a lucid dream attempt
Effect on Lucid Dreams: As I have mentioned, Galantamine can be
used as a lucid dream trigger. There are several other substances that can also trigger lucidity (Nicotine, GPC, and small doses of
Yohimbine) but I tend to favor Galantamine for a number of reasons.
Side Effects: There are numerous side effects listed for
Galantamine: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, decreased
appetite and weight loss. These are all dose related however. Due to
its positive impact on memory, Galantamine is commonly taken to
reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease at doses up to 24 mg per
day. Lucid dream enthusiast will find that no more than 8 mg are
necessary to trigger a lucid dream. At the 8 mg dose level that I use I
have noticed three main side effects:
1. I get some strange noises coming from my stomach. This is
more interesting than annoying.
2. It is possible to get muscle cramps and/or spasms. There
have been several occasions where I wake up after a lucid
dream and when I stand up I get an immediate charley horse
in one or both of my calves. This has happened maybe 2 or 3
percent of the time. The cramps go away quickly but the
muscle can feel tense for more than a day following a cramp.
3. Energy drained on the following day. Galantamine will give a
considerable boost to your cholinergic system and can in turn
deprive you of the deep rejuvenating sleep stages. It is much
better to take Galantamine after about 4 or 5 hours of sleep.
This will greatly improve your odds of becoming lucid and also
allow your body to get the deep sleep it needs in the first part
of the night. This can be further enhanced by taking 5-HTP
prior to going to sleep. The 5-HTP suppresses REM in the
first half of the night and is just about worn off when
Galantamine is taken. Galantamine suppresses deep sleep in
the second half of the night. The result is a more or less
balanced night’s sleep. This approach has made a huge
difference in how I feel following a night using Galantamine.
Dosage: I have almost exclusively used 8 mg capsules. More than
that is not necessary and should be avoided in order to minimize
tolerance/desensitization and avoid any negative side effects. I have
also experimented with 4 mg and still experienced extremely vivid
dreams although I currently use 8 mg regularly.
Special Notes: Notice that Galantamine remains in your system for
about 48 hours. This means that your acetylcholine levels are
boosted well beyond the time you set aside for lucid dreaming. This
can lead to tolerance and desensitization issues. One can avoid this
if they follow the detailed schedule laid out in chapters 17, 18, & 19.
There are several forms of Galantamine available: pure
Galantamine, Galantamine combined with a form Choline; and
Galantamine combined with other supplements. For reasons that will
become clear in the next chapter, I recommend combining
Galantamine with Choline either as a pre-formulated mixture or taken
individually. Try to avoid purchasing Galantamine that is pre-mixed
with supplements other than Choline.
Also be aware that there is another AChE inhibitor that is
available without a prescription. This substance is Huperzine A and
has been used in Chinese medicine for a very long time. At the
present time I have not done any experiments with this substance but
it may be an alternative to galantamine.
Summary: I use Galantamine as a lucid dream trigger. For this to
work Galantamine should be taken after 4 or 5 hours of quality deep
sleep. Since Galantamine takes a full 48 hours to completely clear
out of your system, it should not be taken on two consecutive nights.
If dreams become movie like and/or bazaar consider taking a few
days off. Piracetam can be used directly following a lucid dream
attempt to counteract the effects of Galantamine and reduce
sensitivity to tolerance and/or desensitization.
Подобно описанным выше витаминам группы В, ниацин также участвует
в выработке энергии, получаемой за счет пищи. Употребление добавок с
ниацином не самая хорошая идея: как показывает огромное количество
исследований, это может причинить вред вашему здоровью. Так, например,
прием добавок с ниацином может заблокировать выделение жира
из жировой ткани, вызвав преждевременный расход запасов углеводов и
уменьшение количества мышечного гликогена. Это также может негативно
повлиять на аэробную силу. Избыточное количество ниацина способно
спровоцировать даже повреждение печени.
Необходимая вам ежедневная доза ниацина зависит от количества
потребляемых вами калорий. На каждую 1000 калорий в сутки вам
необходимо 6,6 мг ниацина или 13 мг на каждые 2000 калорий. Если
вы принимаете углеводную добавку, в которой отсутствует ниацин,
убедитесь в том, что вы потребляете необходимые 6,6 мг ниацина на
каждую 1000 калорий добавки. Лучшим пищевым источником ниацина
являются постное мясо, птица, рыба и пшеничные ростки. Ежедневный
прием мультивитаминов поможет вам избежать дефицита этого
нутриента.
Таблица 7.2 Витамины группы В
Тиамин (В^
Полезные для занятий Углеводный обмен, поддержание работы ценсвойства
тральной нервной системы, рост и тонус мышц.
Лучшие пищевые источПивные
дрожжи, ростки пшеницы, отруби, цельники
ные крупы и субпродукты.
Побочные действия и
токсичность
Не обнаружены.
DRI (суточная доза) для Женщины — 1,1 мг, беременные женщины — 1,4 мг,
взрослых кормящие матери — 1,4 мг, мужчины — 1,2 мг.
Рибофлавин (В2)
Полезные для занятий Углеводный, жировой и белковый обмен, клеточсвойства
ное дыхание.
Лучшие пищевые источники
Молоко, яйца, постное мясо и брокколи.
Побочные действия и
токсичность
Не обнаружены.
DRI для взрослых Женщины — 1,1 мг, беременные женщины —
1,4 мг, кормящие матери — 1,6 мг, мужчины —
1,3 мг.
Ниацин
Полезные для занятий Энергетический обмен в клетках, углеводный,
свойства жировой и белковый обмен.
Лучшие пищевые источПостное
мясо, печенка, птица, рыба, арахис и
ники ростки пшеницы.
Побочные действия и Нарушение работы печени, разлитие желчи, потоксичность
краснение и зуд кожи, тошнота.
DRI для взрослых Женщины — 14 мг, беременные женщины —
18 мг, кормящие матери — 17 мг, мужчины —
16 мг.
UL для взрослых 35 мг.
Витамин В12
Полезные для занятий Углеводный, жировой и белковый обмен, образосвойства
вание красных кровяных клеток.
Лучшие пищевые источники
Мясо, молочные продукты, яйца, печенка и рыба.
Побочные действия и
токсичность
Нарушение работы печени, аллергические реакции.
DRI для взрослых Женщины — 2,4 мг, беременные женщины —
2,6 мг, кормящие матери — 2,8 мг, мужчины —
2,4 мг.
Фолиевая кислота (Вд)
Полезные для занятий
свойства
Регуляция роста, расщепление белка, образование
красных кровяных клеток.
Лучшие пищевые источники
Зеленые листовые овощи и печенка.
Побочные действия и
токсичность
Проблемы с желудком, гастрит, может проявляться
в виде определенных видов анемий.
DRI для взрослых Женщины — 400 мкг, беременные женщины —
600 мкг, кормящие матери — 500 мкг, мужчины
— 400 мкг.
UL для взрослых 1000 мкг.
Пиридоксин (В6)
Полезные для занятий
свойства
Белковый обмен, образование кислородосодержащих
красных кровяных клеток.
Лучшие пищевые источники
Цельные крупы и мясо.
Побочные действия
и токсичность
Нарушение работы печени и центральной нервной
Source;
системы.
DRI (суточная доза)
для взрослых
Женщины в возрасте 19—30 лет — 1,3 мг, женщины
в возрасте 31—70 лет — 1,5 мг, беременные
женщины — 1,9 мг, кормящие матери —
2 мг, мужчины в возрасте 19—30 лет — 1,3 мг,
мужчины в возрасте 31—70 лет — 1,7 мг.
UL для взрослых 100 мг.
Пантотеновая кислота
Полезные для занятий
свойства
Энергетический обмен в клетках, оксидация жирных
кислот.
170 Спортивное питание победителей
Продолжение табл. 7.2
Лучшие пищевые источники
В большинстве пищевых продуктов.
Побочные действия и
токсичность
Не обнаружены.
DRI для взрослых Женщины — 5 мг, беременные женщины — 6 мг,
кормящие матери — 7 мг, мужчины — 5 мг.
Биотин (В8)
Полезные для занятий
свойства
Расщепление жира.
Лучшие пищевые источники
Яичный желток и печенка.
Побочные действия и
токсичность
Неизвестны.
DRI для взрослых Женщины — 30 мг, беременные женщины —
30 мг, кормящие матери — 35 мг, мужчины —
30мг.
Холин
Полезные для занятий
свойства
Может уменьшать чувство усталости и улучшать
результаты в аэробных видах спорта.
Лучшие пищевые источники
Яичные желтки, орехи, соевые бобы, ростки пшеницы,
цветная капуста и шпинат.
Побочные действия и
токсичность
Неизвестны.
DRI для взрослых Женщины —• 425 мг, беременные женщины —
450 мг, кормящие матери — 550 мг, мужчины —
550 мг.
UL для взрослых 3500 мг.
Source; Сьюзан Клейнер - Спортивное питание победителей
Как и тиамин, рибофлавин способствует выработке энергии, получаемой
из пищевых продуктов. И подобно тиамину, ваши потребности в
рибофлавине связаны с количеством усвоенных калорий и углеводов.
Будучи силовым атлетом, вам необходимо принимать минимум 0,6 мг
рибофлавина на каждую 1000 углеводных калорий, а некоторым спортсменам
требуется еще больше. Рибофлавин легко выводится из организма,
в частности с потом. Проводя исследование с участием пожилых
женщин (в возрасте от 50 до 67 лет), ученые Корнельского университета
выяснили, что физические занятия увеличивают потребность организма
в рибофлавине. Более раннее исследование в том же университете показало,
что очень активные женщины нуждались примерно в 1,2 мг рибофлавина
в день. Однако повышение этой дозы не привело к улучшению
качества работы.
Продукты, богатые рибофлавином, включают молочные продукты,
птицу, рыбу, крупы и обогащенные зерновые. Ежедневный прием
мультивитаминного комплекса, содержащего 100% DRI или до 1,3 мг
рибофлавина, поможет предотвратить дефицит этого питательного вещества.
Тиамин способствует выработке энергии из углеводов. Считается, что
тиамин вместе с пиридоксином и витамином В12 участвует в процессе
образования серотонина, химического вещества, повышающего
настроение. Серотонин улучшает настроение и способствует расслаблению.
Большие дозы этих витаминов (в 60—200 раз превышающие рекомендованную
суточную дозу) помогают улучшить контроль двигательных
мускулов и качество стрельбы из пистолета. Остается проверить на
практике, повлияет ли прием добавок с этими витаминами на результаты
в тех видах спорта, которые требуют четкого контроля двигательных
мускулов.
Количество углеводов и калорий в вашем рационе определяет
ваши потребности в тиамине. Следуя правильно сбалансированной,
богатой углеводами диете, вы получите всю необходимую вам дозу
тиамина.
Самыми лучшими пищевыми источниками тиамина являются необработанные
злаки, пивные дрожжи, бобовые, семечки и орехи.
Однако следует сделать одну поправку. Вы принимаете углеводную
добавку для увеличения количества калорий? Если да, то вам, возможно,
понадобится дополнительная доза тиамина, в частности в том случае,
если в этой добавке отсутствует тиамин. На каждую 1000 углеводных
калорий, потребляемых в виде добавки, вам необходимо 0,5 мг тиамина.
Диета и нерегулярное питание также могут вызвать дефицит этого
витамина. Для подстраховки ежедневно принимайте мультивитаминный
комплекс, включающий 100% DRI тиамина или до 1,2 мг. Вряд ли будет
разумным превышать верхний лимит (UL) рекомендованной дозы витаминов
группы В.
