Choline Citrate – Effects, Benefits, Safety and Dosage

Choline Citrate is a supplement that people use to improve memory, boost cognitive function, enhance concentration, and support long-term brain health. Some people also use it for neurological impairments like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia.

This compound is produced by combining Choline with a derivative of Citric Acid.

It is one of the most widely used formulations of Choline supplements marketed in your neighborhood health store, but many people wonder whether the Citrate form is the best version of Choline to purchase.

From a brain supplement standpoint, Alpha GPC Choline or CDP Choline (Citicoline) are proven to be more effective for improving intellectual power. However, Choline Citrate is very affordable and many athletes like using this formulation since it has energizing and cellular health promotion effects.

Choline

Cholinergic Supplement

Memory

Brain Health

Cognition

How It Works:

• Supports memory and synaptic plasticity
• Raises acetylcholine levels
• Promotes brain health and focus

Dosage:

Between 250 - 1,000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

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What is Choline Citrate?

As with any other supplement it is really important to understand exactly how Choline Citrate works before you decide to buy some for yourself. There has been a lot of research conducted on Choline in recent years due to increased interest in the problem of cognitive decline with aging.

This essential nutrient is being looked at favorably for its hypothesized abilities to increase the plasticity of your brain and slow down signs of memory loss as you age.

But you might be wondering about its specific mechanism of action, the full scope of benefits and whether Choline Citrate is safe for continuous use. Another common question is, “What is the best way to use this cognitive enhancer (known as a “nootropic”) for the greatest benefit?”

In this article, we will consider each of these questions and help you compare Choline Citrate supplements to some of the other options out there.

How Choline Citrate Works

Choline is defined as an essential nutrient with quite a few important functions in the body. For example, it prevents the build-up of fat in your liver, lowers cholesterol, and can remove waste and toxins from cells.

One of the most important responsibilities for Choline citrate is that it acts as a precursor to the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. This brain chemical is involved in processes such as memory formation, learning, reasoning, focus, and general cognition.

As the name suggests, it is made from the combination of an acetate molecule and a choline molecule. If you are not getting enough of the choline nutrient in your diet it can quickly limit your mental performance.

Choline citrate also ensures the health and fluidity of cell membranes for your neurons and other brain cells. The vitamin itself is a phospholipid which is very similar in structure to the molecules that make up these cell membranes.

Not only can Choline aid in the repair of old and worn out membranes, it also helps in the development of new cell membranes which can promote better plasticity of your brain.

Furthermore, this function improves the efficiency of transfers between the cells themselves so that your brain can communicate faster and you have better recall speed and access to your memories.

Some Benefits of Choline Citrate

There are a number of Nootropic or “Brain Boosting” benefits associated with Choline Citrate. This includes an improvement in both long term and short term memory as well as learning capacity.

You may find that after consistently using this supplement, you have better comprehension and understanding of difficult concepts and that you remember more information you encounter while studying or simply going about your day.

Some people find it easier to recall small details with Choline while others say they can make more connections between different ideas after using this nootropic. A large number of users also report a noticeable increase or lengthening of their attention spans.

Choline Citrate can aid in focus and concentration by giving you more energy and helping you block out distractions. The improvement of mental fluidity, or being able to do normal tasks like writing and reading without conscious thought or effort, has also been noted.

A number of other health benefits can result from Choline Citrate supplementation. This includes greater nerve development and the transportation of fats and lipids throughout the body.

It also helps to keep fatty deposits in the liver from accumulating (otherwise it could result in a condition called fatty liver disease). The supplement also helps to protect the liver and other areas of the body from disease.

Another benefit of this nutrient is that it may promote better blood flow to your brain which means your cells can make more energy and get rid of waste products faster.

Research on the effects of Choline Citrate are very promising, however it is limited, and more research studies need to be done to understand the full benefits and effects. At this time, Choline Citrate is available in the USA as a health supplement only, and the FDA has not approved Choline Citrate as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.

Is Choline Citrate Safe?

Choline Citrate is considered safe for oral use in adults and is generally well-tolerated. Not only is it safe, but choline is also a needed and essential ingredient for keeping yourself healthy. Your body actually makes a small amount of this nutrient on its own and we find it in many common foods such as eggs, liver, certain nuts and chicken.

Choline also serves to improve the absorption and usage of other minerals such as magnesium and calcium. This can lead to stronger bones and improved performance of other organs throughout the body.

In some rare cases, you may experience mild side effects when taking Choline Citrate supplements. These typically consist of headaches, muscle pains, stomach cramps, nausea or heartburn. There have never been any serious side effects reported with this compound, but it may be a good idea to speak to your doctor before using it if you have ever had an ulcer or other gastrointestinal problems.

Since this substance contains Citrate, it can increase the production of stomach acid. You can switch to a different form of Choline such as Choline Bitartrate or CDP Choline if this problem persists.

How To Use Choline Citrate

Choline Citrate can be taken with or without food according to your preference. Since it is water soluble, it is best to take it with water (if using pills) or mixed into either water or juice (if using a powdered formulation).

Many users find that the best way to approach Choline supplementation is as the base of a cognitive enhancement stack. In other words, you may find it to be more effective when combined with other brain supplements that have a stronger series of effects.

Choline has a powerful ability to potentiate Racetam supplements, so it works very well together with Piracetam, Aniracetam, and others. The use of such a Choline supplement is also able to help reduce headaches which are a commonly reported side effect of Racetams.

Recommended Dosage

Appropriate dosage is dependent on many different factors including age, weight, personal sensitivities, as well as the reason for taking the supplement. The below dosage recommendations are general guidelines only, and your dosage may be different.

It is always recommended that you speak with your doctor before beginning any new supplements. Your doctor will be able to help determine the best dosage for your needs, as well as determine if there may be any negative interactions with any supplements or medications you are currently taking.

As a Nootropic supplement, Choline Citrate is typically consumed in amounts that range from 500 to 3,000 milligrams per day. You will often find it sold in powered form in 500 gram quantities with a recommended Choline Citrate dosage of 1,000 mg.

This dose may be repeated up to three times a day to ensure you continue to benefit from the effects of this nootropic all day long. If you start to experience any of the side effects mentioned above, you may want to reduce to a smaller dosage and see if that is able to stop the occurrence of these negative effects.

You will notice that the recommended dosing for Choline Citrate is quite a lot larger than that for CDP Choline or Alpha GPC Choline. These latter formulations are considered to be significantly more potent and require less to be used for stronger results.

If you are new to using brain supplements, you might find that Choline Citrate (or another similar supplement such as Choline Bitartrate or Choline Chloride) is sufficient to achieve your desired results.

However, CDP Choline and Alpha GPC come with additional brain boosting benefits and are often reviewed as giving greater amounts of energy and focus versus Choline Citrate.

The best option would be to try Choline Citrate and other supplements for yourself and see which one responds the best with your personal biochemistry.

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