CDP Choline is a nootropic supplement that is noted for being particularly effective at boosting memory.
Nootropic is a term used to refer to a class of supplements discovered by neuroscientists to increase cognitive abilities and brain performance.
Unlike “Smart Drugs” such as Adderall and Ritalin, one of the specifications for nootropics is that they must boost brainpower while presenting extremely low toxicity levels to humans.
CDP Choline can actually improve mental function while also protecting the health of neurons and other brain cells.
Also known as Cytidine Diphosphate Choline or Citicoline, this supplement has a number of beneficial such as increasing your memory and helping you retain more information.



- Supports memory, focus & mental clarity
- Increases levels of acetylcholine neurotransmitter
- Promotes brain cell health & communication
CDP Choline & Memory Enhancement
Related Topics
- What is Citicoline?
- Cytidine Diphosphate Choline
- CDP Choline Effects
- User Reviews
- Benefits for the Brain
- Comparison to Alpha GPC
- Risk of Adverse Effects
- Safe Dosage Guidelines
- How to Take
- Stacking with Piracetam
- Buy CDP Choline
- Supplement Ratings
- Ceraxon Citicoline
- Cognizin Citicoline
- Neuroaxon Citicoline
- Somazina Citicoline
- Zynapse Citicoline
The primary reason why most users turn to CDP Choline is to help improve their memory capacity – both long term and short term memory.
Numerous research studies as well as anecdotal user reviews have indicated the effectiveness of this supplement at enhancing memory.
One of the main reasons for this is the fact that the supplement increases the levels of a number of neurotransmitters within the brain.
Citicoline is a natural chemical that is already found in the body as part of the production for the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine.
In your brain, you have about 86 billion neurons that function together. They communicate to each other by way of connections called synapses where chemical messengers called neurotransmitters are exchanged.
The Acetylcholine neurotransmitter is thought to play a key role in the development and formation of memory. As such, when you increase the amount of Acetylcholine present in the brain, you may actually be able to stimulate more memory storage to occur as well as faster access to stored memories.
Depending on how much CDP Choline is used and what other supplements are stacked it with, the amount of memory increase experienced will likely vary from person to person. Some people feel like they do not have to search their memory as much to remember small details, while others become able to remember their dreams.
In many cases, taking CDP Choline can result in being able to remember details with greater ease. Other people will see more noticeable improvements, including increased mental fluidity in tasks such as reading, writing, and giving presentations.
You can increase the magnitude of your results with Citicoline by engaging in brain training exercising and challenging your mental abilities to exercise them further. This many promote the formation of new neurons, synapses, and connections which poses long term benefits for memory boosting.
Additional CDP Choline Benefits
There are also a number of additional benefits associated with CDP Choline.
In terms of cognitive processes, one of the most noticeable effects is that of increased mental energy.
This is likely due to the increased blood flow, oxygen uptake, and glucose metabolism that the supplement produces.
As your mental energy increases, this may lead to a better attention span which is why individuals with ADD and ADHD sometimes will use Citicoline. Not only this, but it may also improve your ability to focus and concentrate, thereby resulting in better productivity.
There are also a number of clinical uses and benefits for this supplement. CDP Choline has been rated by the Natural Medicines database as Possibly Effective for improving age-related cognitive impairment, cerebrovascular disease, and ischemic stroke.
CDP Choline was originally developed for the treatment of strokes. It has been seen in studies that patients who receive CDP Choline within 24 hours of a stroke are more likely to have a full recovery within 3 months then patients who receive placebo.
In people 50-85 years old with poor memory, taking 1000-2000 mg CDP Choline per day seems to improve verbal memory.
There is also a growing body of evidence to support the idea of CDP Choline being an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Preliminary evidence suggests that taking Citicoline may improve cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.
Research on CDP Choline for brain conditions like Alzheimer’s and age-related memory impairment has been very promising so far, however more research is still needed, especially large scale human trials. Citicoline is available in the USA as a health supplement only, and at this time the FDA has not approved CDP Choline as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.
Citicoline & Overall Brain Health
Additional evidence suggests that CDP Choline may act as powerful antioxidant. This helps to further protect your brain cells by removing many of the toxins and poisons that can accumulate.
Some elements of CDP Choline are actually phospholipids which make up a large portion of the cell membranes from neurons. As these materials reach the brain they also play a vital role in the repair and replacement of worn out cell membranes, helping to keep the neurons and other cells working efficiently.
This also means that communications between the brain cells are also improved, continuing to stimulate mental and cognitive processes.
CDP Choline Usage
CDP Choline is an excellent supplement for anyone who is interested in improving their memory or overall cognitive function and even brain health.
Citicoline has been rated by the Natural Medicines database as Possibly Safe for oral use in adults. It should really only be avoided by pregnant and nursing mothers, due to insufficient information to form a safety rating for these groups. Other than this, CDP Choline can be used safely by nearly all healthy adults who remain within the recommended dosage guidelines.
Proper dosage is dependent on many different factors and it is always recommended that you speak with your doctor to determine the best dosage for your needs.
The common approach to take to Citicoline is to start out with 500mg daily (this is a general guideline only and your personal dosage may be different). It is probably best taken in the morning or at noontime. If this supplement is taken too late in the day it could lead to sleep issues due to the overall improved mental energy.
You will see best results when you stack CDP Choline along with other supplements such as Huperzine A, ALCAR, or Racetams like Piracetam, Aniracetam, and even Noopept.
- Schauss AG, Somfai-Relle S, Financsek I, Glavits R, Parent SC, Endres JR, Varga T, Szücs Z, Clewell A. Single- and repeated-dose oral toxicity studies of citicoline free-base (choline cytidine 5'-pyrophosphate) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Int J Toxicol. 2009
- Overgaard K. The effects of citicoline on acute ischemic stroke: a review. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2014
- Clark WM. Efficacy of citicoline as an acute stroke treatment. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2009
- Matsuoka T, Kawanaka M, Nagai K. Effect of cytidine diphosphate choline on growth hormone and prolactin secretion in man. Endocrinol Jpn. 1978
- Bagdas D, Yucel-Ozboluk H, Orhan F, Kanat O, Isbil-Buyukcoskun N, Gurun MS. Role of central arginine vasopressin receptors in the analgesic effect of CDP-choline on acute and neuropathic pain. Neuroreport. 2013
- Alvarez-SabÃn J, Ortega G, Jacas C, Santamarina E, Maisterra O, Ribo M, Molina C, Quintana M, Román GC. Long-term treatment with citicoline may improve poststroke vascular cognitive impairment. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2013
- Grieb P. Neuroprotective properties of citicoline: facts, doubts and unresolved issues. CNS Drugs. 2014
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment