What is acetylecholine?
Acetylcholine is a chemical neurotransmitter which is released by the nerves in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) as well as by nerves in the peripheral nervous system.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that allows nerves to communicate with each other and also with other cells of the cells of the body.
Acetylcholine is released from a nerve ending (terminal) through the gap (synaptic cleft) between two nerve cells and carries information across this gap to the other cell.
Acetylcholine is released from the ends of certain types of nerve cells when they are stimulated. It transmits a signal to an adjacent (target) nerve or muscle cell by binding to receptors on the target cell surface.
Important acetylcholine facts
- choline, a B-vitamin co-factor is important in the synthesis of acetylcholine
- neurons that synthesise and release acetylecholine are called cholinergic neurons
- muscle tissue stimulation is especially reliant on acetylcholine
- acetylcholine is severely reduced in the brains of persons with Alzheimer’s disease
- acetylecholine is important in cognition and especially in memory and learning
- there is some evidence that increased dietary choline can increase both the production and use of acetylcholine
- an imbalance between acetylcholine and dopamine is associated with some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
- acetylcholine was the first neurotransmitter identified
Why acetylcholine is important
Low levels of acetylcholine in the brain and nerve cells can produce the following symptoms:
- depression
- low energy
- fatigue
- inability to think clearly
- slow reflexes
- poor memory
- nervousness
- anxiety
The symptoms above disappear once the body get adequate levels of acetylcholine (usually through the diet in the form of foods high in choline).
There is some evidence that when supplements of acetylcholine are used, energy, mood and brain function improve quite dramatically.
