VITAL NEWS
The Smart Supplement
Research shows that citicoline supplements can help improve brain function.
By: Matthew Solan
01/2008
01/2008
Good news for anyone over 40 who can't remember anything anymore: Researchers at Harvard University and in Japan have demonstrated that citicoline can help improve memory, alertness, and energy levels, and even reverse some of the natural degeneration of brain function that comes with age.
The findings echo a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology study in which citicoline improved verbal memory in adults ages 50 to 85 who suffered from poor memory. Other studies have indicated citicoline can increase the brain's production of dopamine, which can trigger better moods and help ease restless nights. Citicoline may also help treat traumatic brain injuries and even be of use to people trying to shake cigarette and alcohol addictions. In Japan, it's regularly given intravenously to patients recovering from stroke. Further research is being done to see if citicoline can help treat hyperactivity in children and bipolar disorders.
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Citicoline (also known as CDP-choline) is naturally produced by the body. It helps create phospholipids, brain chemicals linked to memory and the production of healthy brain cell membranes, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy to cells. As you age, your ability to regenerate healthy brain cell membranes declines, which can lead to cloudy thinking and raise your risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia, and other mental diseases, says Perry Renshaw, M.D., Ph.D., part of the Harvard research team. Citicoline supplements may help speed up sluggish brain chemistry process.
In the study, presented in November at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, 16 healthy men and women (average age 47) took either 500 or 2,000 milligrams for six weeks. Both groups saw significant changes in ATP production (a 14 percent increase) and in phospholipids (a 26 percent increase), but the subjects taking 500 mg experienced greater changes than those taking 2,000 mg, says study researcher Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, Ph.D. "Increased ATP production can translate into a greater ability to pay attention, make good decisions, and provide a sense of direction when you're trying to get work done," she adds.
Taking citicoline for better brain health may not work for people under age 40, according to results from the Harvard study. (Studies haven't been done for individuals under 40.) But older adults should feel those synapses firing almost immediately. "People often see results within a month of daily use, and some may experience more energy, better alertness, or improved sleep after one week," says Renshaw.
How to take it: The recommended daily dosage of citicoline is 500 mg. Side effects are relatively rare and primarily consist of mild stomach discomfort, says Renshaw. Brands to look for include Memory-CF, Jarrow Formulas Citicoline, and Swanson Ultra Cognizin Citicoline, available at major health stores.
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