Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 4

Galantamine is an alkaloid that acts as a reversible and competitive acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. It is primarily used in the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, with the main goal of increasing acetylcholine levels in the brain. By inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, galantamine slows the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a critical role in memory, learning, and cognition. There is robust scientific evidence supporting its efficacy: several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated that galantamine can modestly improve cognitive function, activities of daily living, and global clinical status in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Galantamine is approved by regulatory agencies such as the FDA and EMA specifically for this indication.

Additionally, galantamine has a secondary mechanism as an allosteric modulator of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which may further enhance cholinergic neurotransmission. While the primary focus of its use and supporting evidence is for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, its use as a general cognitive or acetylcholine system “support” in healthy adults is not well-established and not recommended outside clinical settings. Nonetheless, its effects on the acetylcholine system are well-characterized and validated within the context of neurodegenerative disease.

More about galantamine
More about Acetylcholine

Other ingredients that support Acetylcholine

Other body systems supported by galantamine

Products containing galantamine