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Written by James Dixon – fact checked by Jason M & the editorial team
James Dixon is one of the key players in the SOMA Analytics’ team. He is a personal trainer and is educated to Masters level in Philosophy. He is a published author and is a keen advocate of high quality nootropic supplements.
This article complies with the SOMA Analytics editorial policy. Full details of which can be found here
We all struggle from time to time. Modern life can be pretty hectic, full of stress and distractions, packed with too much to do. Cognitive health and wellbeing can suffer. Cognitive performance can take a hit. Though there is plenty you can do to combat this – changing up your lifestyle for less stress, more rest, eating an antioxidant-rich diet, and greater meaningful interactions, to name just a few – supplementation can be a big help.
There are plenty of good quality nootropics in today’s market – NooCube, Mind Lab Pro, Alpha Brain. However, there is also one particular nutrient that bears closer scrutiny. We are, of course, talking about citicoline.
What Is Citicoline?
So, what exactly is citicoline? In short, it’s a nutrient that is particularly important for brain health and healthy cognition. Or, rather, it is a precursor to both acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine, both of which are vital compounds for the brain.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are signaling molecules that aid and enable basic cognitive functions. Phosphatidylcholine, meanwhile, is a phospholipid. This means that it is a fatty acid containing molecule. It is key for maintaining cell membrane health.
It is therefore unsurprising that choline levels have a direct impact on cognitive health, function, and performance. It feeds metabolic pathways both for brain structure and function.
Citicoline is the ingredient form of CDP-choline (or cytidine-diphosphocholine) – the two are chemically identical. The only real difference is that our bodies produce CDP-choline. Choline isn’t an essential nutrient. This means that our bodies can produce it, largely in the liver. However, we don’t produce enough to meet our bodies’ needs.
We must therefore take it in exogenously, through our diet. Plenty of foods contain it, including eggs, salmon, certain mushrooms, sprouts, and almonds. However, many of us don’t take in enough. This is where citicoline supplementation comes into play.
Citicoline is where we get our choline in supplement form. It’s been widely used in the Western world since the early nineties. It can be taken as a single source supplement, where it works incredibly well. Alternatively, it can be taken as part of a broader nootropic regime, either as an ingredient in a nootropic supplement, or taken alongside one.