DMAE is made from natural sources, and can be found in small amounts in many different oily fish such as sardines. It contains two main active ingredients, 2-dimethylaminoethanol, and dimethylethanolamine. These are naturally occurring precursors of the compound Choline which is an important component of neurotransmitters and is vital for the normal function of nerves in the brain and throughout the body. This has led to the supplement being taken by a lot of athletes in endurance events such as long distance running, football, and cycling who want to be able to maintain a high level of concentration over a long period of time.

From endurance athletes wanting to maintain their focus throughout a long event to people that suffer with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Alzheimer's, DMAE is a powerful and effective product that has produced impressive results in a number of different clinical trials.

Clinical trials of Choline have shown that increased amounts of the chemical can have a number of positive effects on the mind and body. Increased concentration, the ability to focus more on a particular task and better retention of information have all been linked with an increase in the levels of Choline. In the USA, DMAE is often used as the base for treatments of the condition ADHD, with fairly beneficial results in many cases.

Over the past few years, the medical profession has begun to examine the effects of DMAE on conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. As with ADHD, the increase in choline produced by DMAE has been demonstrated to have positive results in mitigating the worst effects of the condition.

Recently, DMAE has been used in a number of other products including wrinkle treatments. Because of its positive effect on the performance of nerves, many people have begun to add DMAE to skin creams and claim that it has produced an improvement in skin tone and smoothness, although there have not been any clinical trials to back up such claims.