Well, I am proud to be an evil mad scientist... but the "mad" there means angry, not crazy.
In any case, my recommendation of
choline (or the related compounds I mentioned, such as
DMAE and centrophenoxine) would stand even for someone that doesn't consume
piracetam, or even for someone that doesn't care to receive any sort of brain boosting effects, but not in excess of about 3.5 grams a day, the tolerable upper intake for
choline, above which you may experience diarrhea, low blood pressure (which is good to know if you are in fact hypertensive), and a fishy body odor, but no serious toxicity.
If you get enough
choline from food sources, good for you, but it is a very good nutrient for
general health and longevity purposes, used by the body for the genesis of critical neurotransmitters (hence the mind affects), and even more importantly for
general health and metabolism, for the building and repair of the body cell membranes.
Here are some examples of foods that are particularly high in
choline, taken from the USDA’s Database for
Choline in Foods:
Beef liver - pan-fried - 100 grams (about 3.5 oz) - 418 mg
Whole large egg - 112 mg
choline Beef (ground) 80% lean/20% fat - 3.5 oz patty - 81 mg
Cauliflower - 3/4 C cooked (1" pieces) - 62 mg
Navy beans - 1/2 C cooked - 48 mg
Tofu - 100 grams (about 3.5 oz) - 28 mg
Almonds - sliced - 1/2 cup - 26 mg
Peanut butter - 2 T - 20 mg
The National Academy of Sciences recommends the following for "adequate intake" of
choline:
AGE DAILY INTAKE
Infants 0-6 mos 125 mg.
7-12 mos 150 mg
Children1-3 yrs 200 mg
4-8 yrs 250 mg
Boys 9-13 yrs 375 mg
14-18 yrs 550 mg
Girls 9-13 yrs 375 mg
14-18 yrs 440 mg
Men 550 mg
Women 425 mg
Pregnant 450 mg
Lactating 550 mg
So it may not be so insane to make sure you get enough of this stuff, if not from food, then from supplements, especially if you are taking
piracetam, that acts to quickly use up
choline (in fact, that may be a large factor causing its effects).