Glycerophosphorylcholine

 L -α-Glycerophosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC, choline alfoscerate, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a natural choline compound found in the brain. It is also a parasympathomimetic acetylcholine precursor which has been investigated for its potential for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Alpha-GPC rapidly delivers choline to the brain across the blood–brain barrier and is a biosynthetic precursor of acetylcholine. It is a non-prescription drug in most countries. The FDA determined that intake of no more than 196.2 mg/person/day is considered generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

Production
Industrially, alpha-GPC is produced by the chemical or enzymatic deacylation of phosphatidylcholine enriched soya phospholipids followed by chromatographic purification. Alpha-GPC may also be derived in small amounts from highly purified soy lecithin as well as from purified sunflower lecithin.

Safety
Alpha-GPC metabolizes to trimethylamine n-oxide in the gastrointestinal tract, which has implications for cardiovascular health. In one study, risk of stroke over a ten-year period was increased by about 40% in users of alpha-GPC.