Eria Jarensis and DMHA are probably the legal supplement industry’s two most powerful stimulants at the moment.
There appears to be just enough of a difference in their potency compared to recently banned stimulants like DMAA and AMP Citrate (DMBA) for them to remain on the good side of the FDA.
The current situation, however, can always change.
Eria Jarensis is gaining a reputation for its euphoric effects. Think back to the first time you ever had caffeine and you might remember a similar experience. It’s a PEA (Phenethylamine) derivative essentially, so although it’s not DMAA in terms of potency, it could be considered its gentler cousin.
Given the PEA base of the molecule, it can even be considered a distant cousin of amphetamine.
Feelings of euphoria from taking stimulants is caused by increased dopamine signalling in the brain. Dopamine is one of the catecholamines – hormones which act like neurotransmitters.
Adrenaline (epinephrine) and Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) are the two other main catecholamines in the context of stimulation.
Stimulants that boost catecholamine levels should only do so for a limited period of time, otherwise they can cause some psychological problems. That’s one reason some of them have been classed as controlled substances for years, or get banned from commercial use.
Eria Jarensis, aka N-Phenyldimethylamine (or N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine), looks to have a short enough time of effect for it to be acceptable to drug agencies, at least in the US.
Some, or all, of the above might not mean much to you. You might have come here having googled a question about Eria Jarensis, its effects and its safety.
And I’ll definitely get to that, but it’s probably a good idea to know a little bit of background on the subject of stimulants, and what has led the supplement industry to the point where they are cutting orchid extract and cooking tree bark to give customers their fix.
The Road To Eria Jarensis
Page Contents
Up to the mid 2000s supplement companies were still selling ephedrine-based products. That is until one too many users had fallen over and, perhaps more importantly, failed to get back up.
Ephedrine Alkaloids Banned
The FDA went to court against the supplement manufacturers and won. You might still see “Ephedra” on a supplement label but if it’s US law compliant, that ephedra extract will have been stripped of the ephedrine alkaloids that give it that killer punch.
After ephedrine was taken away from the people, it left a vacuum. The supplement manufacturers needed a powerful stimulant, and fast.
DMAA – 1,3-Dimethylamylamine and Geranium Extracts
The vacuum was filled when DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) appeared on the label of a fat burner and pre-workout powder for the first time.
One company in particular – USP Labs – claimed that the DMAA in their OxyElite Pro and Jack3d was naturally sourced from Geraniums.
While it’s true that a very select few species of geraniums contain tiny amounts of 1,3-DMAA (here’s a USP Labs funded study confirming it *wink*) it is viewed as highly unlikely that this natural form ever featured in a supplement, given the cost of extracting it versus synthesizing it in bulk in the lab.
The FDA felt the same way and DMAA never even got approved for use.
Some silliness ensued, legal battles were fought, and DMAA stayed off the shelves. There’s still sort of a debate going on as to whether it might make a return.
It comes down to the legal interpretation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) passed in 1994, and whether DMAA qualifies as being “botanical”.
Anyway, after DMAA was a gonner, some folks got a bit desperate, taking the perpetual search for The One stimulant to ever dizzying heights.
Craze Performance Fuel from Driven Sports and Dendrobium Extract
One such desperado was Matt Cahill, a man convicted of peddling an illegal substance on the supplement market. Despite being an ex-con, he soldiered on to design and release Craze under his company Driven Sports, circe 2013.
Craze was supposed to contain an extract of dendrobium orchids (what is it with orchids?!) but athletes were failing drug tests right left and centre after having used this “performance fuel”.
Some scientific research papers emerged informing everyone that instead of the PEA type compounds it was advertised as containing, it actually had an analogue of methamphetamine.
That’ll get you going!
AMP Citrate (DMBA)
Whatever ultimately happens with DMAA; the ephedrine, geranium, dendrobium malarky seems to have helped set a firm precedent, because when DMBA (AMP Citrate) came along, it was dealt with a lot quicker.
Not quickly enough to prevent a few companies from getting some decent sales of the stuff, but still, the FDA clamp was becoming more efficient.
Beta-methylphenethylamine (BMPEA) and Acacia Rigidula
Now, it’s starting to get a bit weird by the time BMPEA’s 15 minutes of fame happened around 2015. And it’s still going on, if we’re honest.
Remember, all of this has happened in the last decade or so and is still very relevant. I say this to reiterate the point that, as a supplement customer, the decisions and actions these companies and authorities make can directly impact your health. Today!
This isn’t a lesson about a strange period in our commercial supplement history. You are part of it now.
BMPEA looks like an amphetamine, but then so do a bunch of substances. The PEA family can be found in everything from chocolate to some of the most hardcore illegal drugs.
The goalposts have shifted on stimulants though. Big shot lawyers with political aspirations get involved in these gong shows now, and all it takes is a scientific paper discussing the fact that (in this case) BMPEA hasn’t been tested in humans to get the FDA’s feathers ruffled.
So, they warned a load of supplement companies, telling them to take anything that contained BMPEA or Acacia Rigdula extract (it’s a bush this time, not an orchid, by the way) off the shelves and discontinue production because they couldn’t find the BMPEA in Acacia extracts that the companies claim is there.
Oh, but it’s okay if it has been tested on humans and still causes a bunch of gross side-effects….like every government controlled, taxable prescription medication ever made!
Alas, I digress. Point is: it seems pretty sketchy to me that any compound that acts similarly to some synthetic drugs, that also happens to be uncontrolled (because it’s a naturally growing plant) gets the severe crackdown.
Ex-Cons Influence the Supplement Industry
Unfortunately, the do-gooders have a fairly solid position in assuming the worst of the supplement industry.
Many of the major companies and distributors have been found guilty of making and/or selling illicit-drug-laced products.
In fact, there are several ex-steroid and PED dealers who have become major players in the bodybuilding supplement industry. Cahill is just one example.
This doesn’t automatically mean your pre-workout/fat-burner contains something “off-label” but it certainly explains some of the debauchery that’s ensued in the last 20 years.
It is however another incentive to take responsibility for your own health and always take precautions when using a new/unknown product.
Eria Jarensis – N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine
So, Eria Jarensis. That’s why we’re here, right.
Eria Jarensis Ames is the full name. No prizes for guessing it’s a type of orchid plant [http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=633767-1].
You won’t find many references to the plant or the stimulant, N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine. Certainly there hasn’t been any well documented scientific research undertaken, and definitely none in the context of human dietary supplements.
Interestingly, the World Health Organization had it listed in its technical report, “Evaluation of Certain Food Additives” as being of “no safety concern”.
Furthermore, the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) publication that’s put together by the FEMA Expert Panel also lists n,n-dimethlyphenethylamine as a safe flavouring substance.
Its use as a food flavouring is quite unique when compared to other stimulants of similar potency, and could be the reason it stays viable as a commercially available supplement ingredient.
Dopamine Boosting for a Euphoric Buzz
Anecdotal information about the stimulant tends to underscore its euphoria inducing effects, together with the usual improvements in focus and energy that one would expect from such a stimulant.
The structure of n,n-dimethylphenethylamine gives it a time-of-effect that lies somewhere in between PEA and DMAA. This is because the structure of molecule protects the important amine (the nitrogen atom) from being cleaved off by MAO enzymes for a certain amount of time.
DMAA is alpha alkylated which helps it resist breakdown by MAO enzymes for a long time, whereas n,n-dimethylphenethylamine’s is dialkylated which works but is less effective.
That’s a good thing in a sense because DMAA’s long-lasting effects likely contributed to its ultimate commercial demise. Remember, stimulants that last too long can potentially upset catecholamine balances and trigger knock-on side effects, like batsh*t craziness.
On the flip-side, straight up PEA doesn’t last as long as it takes you to get to the gym, and so is pretty much useless.
Situating itself in the middle, n,n-dimethlyphenethylamine (eria jarensis extract) lasts long enough in your system to have a good time of effect, while not sticking around so long that it causes problems and upsets the powers that be.
Its actions include the mimicking of catecholamines, which amongst other things causes a temporary increase in dopamine levels.
The resultant feelings of euphoria and heightened alertness/focus last for the best part of an hour when taken responsibly.
In fact, it crosses the blood-brain barrier very easily, which means it might be the stimulant of choice for people who want the feel-good factor and cognitive edge. This also means it pairs well with other stimulants that both compliment and accentuate its benefits.
How Does N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine Compare with DMAA and AMP Citrate?
It’s not as powerful in terms of performance enhancement, cognitive function or the length of time that its effects last.
But then, that’s why it’s also going to remain legal.
Users report that the euphoric buzz is definitely worth it, PLUS it can be combined with other stimulants and ergogenic compounds to deliver other benefits.
N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine has an aromatic ring which means it is less reactive than aliphatic amines like DMAA and DMBA (AMP Citrate).
The reactivity of the latter two could explain their greater effect on physical performance enhancement.
On the flip side, n,n-dimethylphenethylamine has two methyl groups attached to the amine (hence, “dimethyl”). They are also known as alkyls, and they protect the molecule from being destroyed by acids, another reason why the effects of basic PEA molecules without alkyl groups don’t last.
The addition of methyl groups also increases a molecule’s lipophilicity (“fat-liking”), which means it should more easily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and exert its cognitive/psychoactive effects. Certainly, the anecdotal evidence would support that theory
The Future of Eria Jarensis and N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine
It has a brighter future than DMHA in my opinion (you can read more about DMHA here).
For one thing, the FDA and other agencies (like the World Health Organization) have given the actual molecule GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status, independently of its parent Eria Jarensis extracts.
It’s used as a flavouring agent, again independently of the parent orchid. That means the whole is it botanical thing – to comply with DSHEA regulations – is a moot point.
Therefore it looks good for the future of this stimulant and its continued legal status. In the USA, UK and Australia at least.
Another point in its favour is its chemical structure. It breaks down and loses its effect well within the safe time window. As I previously mentioned, you can’t have catecholamine boosters staying active for too long otherwise they can mess with your neurochemistry and cause problems. That’s likely to be one of the reasons DMAA and AMP Citrate got the hoof.
Both the standalone n,n-dimethylphenethylamine molecule and its parent extract of Eria Jarensis appear to be safe and stable enough for it to be a popular stimulant for a long time to come.
What About Dosage?
As usual with these under-researched stimulants (and supplement ingredients in general), there is no “recommended dose”.
The industry standard range appears to be about 125-250mg.
I’d start on the lower end of that range, or even lower if you are using a scoopable product like a pre-workout. Just to make sure you tolerate it well.
When you first use it, make a note of how long it takes to start having an effect, how long it lasts and what the experience is like.
Closing Remarks
Eria Jarensis extracts have been in circulation for a couple years in the supplement industry. I expect it will stick around for a good while longer.
The industry does not sit still, however, and it won’t be long until something else comes along and takes its place.
Saying that, if you find a product with DMHA and Eria Jarensis/n,n-dimethyphenethylamine as a stack, it is probably as potent a stimulant combination as you are going to find for a long time.
Drug agencies are quite quick to react to these compounds now and I fully expect DMHA to be outlawed soon(ish).
If that happens, it would make Eria Jarensis extracts one of the go-to stimulants alongside others like yohimbine and rauwolscine.
As always, let me know how you get on with this (and any) stimulant. My own experience is just that: my own. I value feedback, because in the world of supplements, that’s often the only real empirical data there is.
- Have you used Eria Jarensis / N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine?
- What is your experience with it?
- Do you feel the euphoria?
- Does it help you with appetite suppression?
- Would you recommend it to someone else?
- How would you compare it to other stimulants?
I’m always interested in what you have to say, so do let me know.
Thanks for reading.
