Citicoline Buyer's Guide

MODERATE EVIDENCE

Citicoline reliably improves acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine levels and may improve brain function, attention and memory.

Citicoline has MODERATE EVIDENCE for cognitive function (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Citicoline has MODERATE EVIDENCE for glaucoma progression but not intraocular eye pressure (PubMed)(PubMed)

Citicoline has WEAK EVIDENCE for traumatic brain injury (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)

Recommended Products

USP Approved Supplements

There are no USP approved Citicoline supplements.

NSF Approved Supplements

There are no NSF Approved Citicoline supplements we approve.

Informed Sport Approved Supplements

There are no Informed Sport Approved Citicoline supplements.

Informed Choice Approved Supplements

There are no Informed Choice approved Citicoline supplements.

Other Good Options

Life Extension, Citicoline 250 mg (CDP-Choline) (Cognizine, 250 mg, 60 Vegetarian Capsules)

Jarrow Formulas, Citicoline, CDP Choline (Cognizin, 250 mg, 60 Capsules)

Jarrow Formulas, Citicoline, CDP Choline (Cognizin, 250 mg, 120 Capsules)

Swanson, Cognizin, Citicoline (Cognizin, 500 mg)

Other Options for those with dietary limitations

Whilst Cognizin (Branded Ingredient) is GRAS and Kosher Certified, no products using this branded ingredient are certified Kosher.

For Athletes

Verdict

Citicoline has benefits for cognitive function, specifically memory, recall and focus. Whilst citicoline does reliably increase brain phosphatidylcholine levels, the benefits for athletic performance are not clear.

For general use: Citicoline also known as CDP-Choline has reliable benefits for brain health.

Best Product for Athletes

There are no approved citicoline supplements for athletes that are lab-tested for label verification and banned substance tested. Therefore we cannot make any recommendations for athletes at this time.

For general use: Citicoline comes in servings of either 250 mg or 500 mg.

1. Swanson Cognizin comes in 500 mg servings per tablet.
2. Jarrow Formulas Cognizin comes in 250 mg servings per tablet, and will require taking twice as many tablets to achieve the same dose.

How to take

Studies using citicoline for brain health typically use 500-2000mg daily for up to 12 weeks. For general cognitive benefit, typically 500 mg or 1000 mg per day is used, but 2500 mg has been used safely for up to 7 weeks (PubMed). In older adults, 500 mg is the most common dose and 2000 mg or higher doses are used in drug-reliant (methamphetamine) subjects or those with schizophrenia (PubMed).

Warnings

Citicoline is different to choline or phosphatidylcholine, but is otherwise safe.

For Healthcare Practitioners

Mechanism of Action

Citicoline is formed via the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine from choline endogenously (PubMed)(PubMed). When taken as a supplement, citicoline is processed in the gut into cytidine and choline. Both cytidine and choline are transported to the brain independently where choline is phosphorylated, then combined with cytidine triphosphate to reform citicoline. Citicoline reacts with diacylglycerol to form phosphatidylcholine, which enhances neuronal repair and exerts beneficial effects on neuronal membrane function (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed).

Citicoline provides precursors for many neurotransmitters in the brain like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine (PubMed).

Interactions

Drug Interactions

N/A