Phenylethylamine in Buy a Ticket, Take a Ride

Wiki: "Phenylethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, a trace amine, and also the name of a class of chemicals with many members well known for psychoactive drug and stimulant effects. Phenylethylamine functions as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system.

"In addition to mammals, phenethylamine is found in many other organisms and foods, such as chocolate, especially after microbial fermentation. It is sold as a dietary supplement for purported mood and weight loss-related therapeutic benefits; however, orally ingested phenethylamine is usually inactive because of extensive first-pass metabolism by monoamine oxidase (MAO) into phenylacetic acid. This prevents significant concentrations from reaching the brain.

The group of phenethylamine derivatives is referred to as the phenethylamines. Substituted phenethylamines, substituted amphetamines, and substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamines (MDxx) are a series of broad and diverse classes of compounds derived from phenethylamine that include stimulants, psychedelics, and entactogens, as well as anorectics, bronchodilators, decongestants, and antidepressants, among others.

Abnormally low concentrations of endogenous phenethylamine are found in those suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whereas abnormally high concentrations have been discovered to have a strong, positive correlation with the incidence of schizophrenia.

A list of well-recieved phenylethylamines: chocolate, mescaline aka peyote, MDMA aka Ecstasy, and the 2C family of research chemicals. In other news, a perhaps meaningless correlation between nobel prize winners and chocolate consumption.

Last updated January 30, 2014