Cognizin® is a specialized form of citicoline -- a nutrient your brain cells require to keep your thinking sharp, your attention focused, and your memory at its best. Cognizin® citicoline has been clinically tested and shown to rev up mental energy and boost brain health. Many folks use it as a nootropic -- a nutrient designed for neurohacking (also known as brain-hacking). Studies show its reliable strength in preserving robust cognitive functioning. Here's what you need to know to take advantage of Cognizin® citicoline.
Key Takeaways
Studies show that Cognizin® citicoline is a potent brain health nutrient that can energize the brain's frontal lobes, the part of the human brain that controls your recall abilities, emotions, self-control, behavior, and muscle movement.
Cognizin® citicoline has proved helpful to people who are having trouble with memory disorders, but even if you don't have any memory issues, it can still enhance your brain power.[1]
Cognizin® citicoline is a potent brain health nutrient that supports mental energy, improves your attention span, maintains healthy brain function, and has your brain power going at full blast.
What is Citicoline?
Citicoline, also known as CDP-choline, is a naturally occurring compound in the body. It provides phospholipids, which are specialized fatty acids. These phospholipids are critical for brain health and comprise 30 percent of healthy brain tissue. They help synthesize phosphatidylcholine, a major component of brain cell membranes used to maintain and protect each cell's mitochondria (the organelles that produce energy for the neurons or cells).
In other words, citicoline is vital for a healthy brain, supporting its ability to maintain and repair itself.
No wonder citicoline is a dietary supplement to enhance memory, focus, and mental energy. Studies show citicoline increases levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter crucial for cognitive processes. Additionally, it can reduce inflammation.
Cognizin® Citicoline is the Key to Better Memory and Focus
Unlike other citicoline supplements, Cognizin® has been explicitly studied in healthy adults, providing a robust foundation for its efficacy as a nootropic. This 16-year legacy of clinical research reveals a superior ability to simultaneously impact phospholipid synthesis, brain metabolism, and the production of key neurotransmitters. Unlike artificial stimulants that ramp up energy and attention levels only to have those levels come crashing down later, Cognizin® provides nutritional support that helps:
- Fuel mental processes
- Enhance focus and concentration
Studies show that Cognizin® can help protect memory and recall abilities against the memory-robbing effects of aging. For example, in a trial in Asia, researchers found that 12 weeks of supplements significantly "improved overall memory performance" even in people who weren't having difficulties with their memories.[2]
How Does Cognizin® Citicoline Improve Memory and Focus?
Citicoline is valued as a nootropic-- a compound that can enhance brain function. One way it does this is by serving as the raw material from which the body makes phosphatidylcholine. This natural compound increases the brain's supply of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital for learning and memory. A test in the Middle East that looked at how citicoline affects the ability to stay mentally focused and vigilant showed that it boosts these functions by lowering the brain's oxidative stress and speeding neuron's ability to communicate with each other.[3]
How Memory Neurotransmitters Sharpen Your Mind
When Cognizin® helps brain cells make acetylcholine (from a chemical process involving choline), this neurotransmitter is initially stashed in neurons' pre-synaptic vesicles. After it is released, it moves from one neuron to another and latches on to specialized receptors to convey signals to surrounding neurons. These communications in the brain play a central part in learning and focusing attention in ways that sharpen your mind.[4]
Studies show that acetylcholine can support mental energy and boost mental motivation. It also stimulates the collection of new knowledge in the brain and can help enhance neuronal networks that link the latest information you acquire with stored memories of things you've already learned.
Supporting the Brain's White Matter and Gray Matter for Better Cognitive Function
In the brain, gray matter makes up the outer layer of the brain, while white matter lies within this outer section. Gray matter is the part of the brain that contains the neurons' central parts (nuclei), which store your memories and take part in your thinking abilities. Most of the brain's mitochondria are in the gray matter, and these tiny organelles produce the brain's energy. Research demonstrates that citicoline can enhance the energy-producing activities of these mitochondria by altering the function of enzymes within the cell[5]. That provides the brain cells with extra fuel to boost your thinking processes.
Beneath the gray matter within the brain, the white matter consists of nerve fibers -- known as axons -- which extend from the neurons. The axons are protected by myelin coverings, accelerating the high-speed transmission of nerve signals. A wide range of studies have shown that citicoline can help generate and repair myelin, thereby improving cognitive function as neurons communicate back and forth. Researchers also think that citicoline's support of myelin may make it useful for helping with neuropathic pain.[6]
Brain Cell Communication Improved
Cognizin® citicoline enables the brain to manufacture more acetylcholine, one of the most critical neurotransmitters in the brain and nervous system. If you run short of acetylcholine, you may be in greater danger of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and a whole bunch of muscle problems.[7]
However, sufficient acetylcholine can help your brain and intellectual processes run on all cylinders and function smoothly. To verify this, research has shown that keeping acetylcholine from being overly depleted can be effective in allowing you to maintain your attention span and stay laser-focused on mental tasks.[8]
Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Benefits
Every time you learn new information by reading, looking at a picture or chart, or even while attending a lecture, your brain is using what researchers call your "visual working memory" and other sensory data to enlarge its knowledge of the world. That means you are taking in what you see and hear while your brain stashes what you are experiencing in its short-term memory banks. As your brain encodes, loads, and interprets what your senses take in, oxidative stress among your neurons can make it harder to retain that information.
However, Cognizin® citicoline's promotion of the body's antioxidant defenses and deploying its antioxidant properties can support faster and more efficient learning. A study at the University of Utah demonstrates that a month of taking Cognizin® supplements can improve your attention span and the speed of your reactions to what you are learning.[10]
The Cognizin® Edge: Clinical Studies Show Better Mental Clarity
Tests of how Cognizin® can help your brain health and make your thinking clearer and faster have consistently shown that it is a potent brain nutrient that can support mental energy, boost brain health, shore up your recall abilities, and amplify your attention span.
Improved Accuracy, Concentration
Suppose you want to increase your mental sharpness and ability to grasp new ideas and knowledge while ensuring that your accuracy at remembering crucial info is razor-sharp. In that case, Cognizin® may provide the extra advantage you need. A test at the University of Utah showed that people taking Cognizin® supplements for a month could zip through mental tests faster than those who didn't. In this study, 60 women aged 40 to 60 were assigned to take either Cognizin® supplements or a placebo (inert) pill that had no active ingredient. The result: After 28 days, the women taking Cognizin® scored higher on their mental tests and made fewer errors.[11]
Better Learning and Mental Recall
If you want to keep your brain in top-notch shape, you should keep learning things throughout your life and have new experiences no matter how old you are. We've reported on how engaging in social activities, playing music, dancing, games, and even learning a language can help keep you sharp and quick-witted. Otherwise, your thinking abilities can stagnate, you'll find it harder to stay alert, and your brain health may suffer. Many studies show that Cognizin® and citicoline can help you pick up and retain new information more efficiently and make your journey to more knowledge more enjoyable.
For example, a study of men and women aged 20 to 40 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis discovered that taking citicoline enabled folks to learn and solve a maze faster. (The drink they were given also had a bit of caffeine in it.) The researchers discovered that the citicoline significantly increased their attention spans, sped up their reaction times, and enabled them to concentrate more on figuring out the maze.[12]
Protect and Preserve Memory
Cognizin® delivers the raw materials brain cells need to repair themselves and maintain their membranes properly. It serves as an essential intermediate in the body's manufacture of phosphatidylcholine, which is crucial for neurons' cell membranes. The proper structure and function of neuronal membranes are vital in protecting and preserving your memory and cognition as you age.
Tests have shown that taking citicoline supplements can keep the brain behaving like a younger brain and may fend off the memory loss accompanying growing older. In support of this, a study in Japan of seniors suffering from what the researchers call "age-associated memory impairment" revealed that 12 weeks of supplementation reinforced their memories. The researchers note that this study points to the fact that making these supplements a part of your daily routine can defend against memory loss due to aging.[13]
Why You Need More Citicoline
As you age, your brain's supply of choline, which it uses to make cell membranes and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, may run short and become a problem. Because acetylcholine is absolutely necessary for neurons to communicate with each other, the brain may be forced to steal choline from cellular membranes to keep up the supply of this neurotransmitter.
That kind of choline-theft "auto-cannibalism" among brain cells may lead to a disaster for brain health. If the membranes are compromised, their structure becomes distorted, which may have potentially lethal consequences for neurons.
This situation is a genuine danger -- studies demonstrate that 9 out of 10 seniors don't consume enough choline and that older brains can't take choline out of the blood as well as younger brains (it can get blocked by the blood-brain barrier.)[14]
This is where Cognizin® can come to the rescue. As tests show, when Cognizin® enters the body, it can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain and central nervous system. After that happens, it builds neuronal membranes and shores the supply of acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters.[15]
How To Increase Your Citicoline Levels
The best way to boost your levels of citicoline is to eat foods rich in choline and take supplements. Foods that are relatively high in choline include beef liver, chicken, fish, egg yolk, beans, mushrooms, potatoes, and milk.
As for supplements, citicoline is also known as cytidine-5-diphosphocholine, CDP-choline or cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine. Researchers believe that citicoline is the best form of choline for memory. Tests of choline taken to improve memory have not been shown to be as effective as citicoline or Cognizin® citicoline.[18]
Brain Vitality Plus with Cognizin® Citicoline
Green Valley Naturals Brain Vitality Plus is an easy, effective way to get a daily dose of Cognizin® as well as two other clinically-proven memory and focus-enhancing nutrients, including Neurofactor™, a component clinically proven to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by up to 143% within an hour, and a clinical dose of AlaskaOmega®, sourced from the pristine waters of Alaska, known for being one of the purest and richest sources of omega fatty acids essential for brain health.
If you choose to take an ordinary citicoline supplement, follow the dosage directions on the package and take the recommended amount. Tests of the efficacy and safety of citicoline have used doses from 200mg to 2,000 mg successfully.[16]
Summary
Cognizin® citicoline is a potent brain health nutrient that can support mental energy, help you focus your attention span, and maintain your brain health and power. Studies have shown that citicoline and Cognizin® are valuable in helping you protect your brain and memory against the negative effects of getting older and may also pay dividends for younger folks in sharpening mental focus and mental energy. It also plays a crucial role in protecting the energy-producing functions of the mitochondria in your neurons -- ensuring that your brain avoids the oxidative stress that can sap your focus and learning abilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cognizin®?
Cognizin® is a premium form of citicoline that is very well absorbed by the body. Many people use it as a nootropic—a brain-enhancing compound—to boost memory, focus mental concentration, and sharpen attention span.
What does Cognizin® do?
It is a patented supplement that provides the brain with citicoline. In so doing, it helps the brain protect itself from oxidative stress, keeps the transmission of signals among neurons functioning correctly, and helps brain cells regenerate and repair themselves.
What is another name for citicoline?
Citicoline is also known as cytidine-5-diphosphocholine, CDP-choline or cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine.
What is the best form of choline for memory?
Researchers believe that citicoline is the best form of choline for memory; this is the form used in Cognizin®. Tests of choline taken by itself to improve memory are not as effective as citicoline or Cognizin®.[18]
- Jasieski P, "Application of Citicoline in Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review" Nutrients. 2020 Oct; 12(10): 3113. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38004235/
- Nakazaki E, et al "Citicoline and Memory Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial". J Nutr. 2021 Aug; 151(8): 2153–2160. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33978188/
- Al-kuraishi H, et al. "Citicoline Improves Human Vigilance and Visual Working Memory: The Role of Neuronal Activation and Oxidative Stress" Basic Clin Neurosci. 2020 Jul-Aug; 11(4): 423–432. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33613880/
- Cleveland Clinic, Acetylcholine (ACh) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24568acetylcholine-ach
- Villa RF, et al. "Effect of CDP-choline on age-dependent modifications of energy- and glutamate-linked enzyme activities in synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria from rat cerebral cortex" Neurochemistry International Volume 61, Issue 8, December 2012, Pages 1424-1432 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197018612003464
- Jasieski P, "Application of Citicoline in Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review" Nutrients. 2020 Oct; 12(10): 3113. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33053828/
- VeryWellMind. "What is Acetylcholine and Why is It Important?" https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-acetylcholine-2794810
- Dasilva M, et al."Cell class-specific modulation of attentional signals by acetylcholine in macaque frontal eye field" 116 (40) 20180-20189 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31527242/
- Al-kuraishy H, et al. "Citicoline Improves Human Vigilance and Visual Working Memory: The Role of Neuronal Activation and Oxidative Stress" Basic Clin Neurosci. 2020 Jul-Aug; 11(4): 423–432. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33613880/
- McGlade E, et al. "The Effect of Citicoline Supplementation on Motor Speed and Attention in Adolescent Males" J Atten Disord .2019 Jan;23(2):121-134. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26179181/
- McGlade, Et al. "Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women" Food and Nutrition Sciences > Vol.3 No.6, June 2012, https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=19921
- Bruce SE, et al. "Improvements in Concentration, Working Memory, and Sustained Attention Following Consumption of a Natural Citicoline-Caffeine Beverage" Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2014 Dec; 65(8): 1003–1007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25046515/
- Nakazaki E, et al. "Citicoline and Memory Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial" J Nutr. 2021 Aug; 151(8): 2153–2160. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33978188/
- Wurtman RJ, et al. "Autocannibalism" of choline-containing membrane phospholipids in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease-A hypothesis" Neurochem Int 1985;7(2):369-72. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20492936/
- Secades JJ, et al "Citicoline: pharmacological and clinical review, 2006 update" Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol.2006 Sep:28 Suppl B:1-56 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17171187/
- Barry S. "Citicoline: Potential Uses, Benefits, and Precautions" https://www.healthline.com/health/citicoline
- Hosseini-Sharifabad A, et al. "Magnesium Increases the Protective Effect of Citicoline on Aluminum Chloride-induced Cognitive Impairment" Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2020 May 31; 18(2): 241–248. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32329305/
- Synoradzki K, et al. "Citicoline: A Superior Form of Choline?" Nutrients. 2019 Jul; 11(7): 1569. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31336819/