Agmatine
Agmatine is a metabolite of L-Arginine. It shows promise for alleviating neuropathic pain and drug addiction and shows some potential in protecting against strokes and benefitting cognitive health.
Agmatine is most often used for
Last Updated:October 13, 2024
Agmatine is a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator derived from L-arginine and has potential applications in treating neuropathic pain and drug addiction, based on animal studies. It is also present in certain fermented foods, such as wine.
Agmatine may influence pain perception and has shown weak general analgesic properties, and there is some evidence of dose-dependent pain relief for neuropathic pain. Additionally, preliminary studies suggest that it may help reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms and that it has potential for treating depression and nerve-related pain, though more research is needed for its effectiveness in drug addiction.
Agmatine may cause mild to moderate side effects such as diarrhea and mild nausea, which typically resolve over time or with discontinuation of use. More research is necessary to establish its safety for use in humans.
Agmatine is a naturally occurring neuromodulator that is produced from L-arginine and interacts with several transmembrane receptors, such as alpha-2 adrenergic, imidazoline I1, and NMDA receptors.
- Clonidine-displacing substance
- 4-(aminobutyl)guanidine
- Decarboxylated arginine
- L-Arginine (parent structure)
There are no standard dosages for agmatine because of the lack of human evidence for its effects. However, a single human study used 1,300-2,670mg of agmatine, daily for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The estimated human dose for improving cognition is 1.6-6.4mg/kg of agmatine, taken orally. This is based off of the 10-40mg/kg dosage range for rats, and is equivalent to 109-435mg for a 150lb person. Supplementation should not exceed 6.4mg/kg of bodyweight.
Studies on agmatine use a daily dosing protocol.
Agmatine is not absorbed well when taken with dietary protein, because it uses the same transporters as arginine. Further research is needed to determine if oral agmatine supplementation provides the same benefits as were observed in animal studies.
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