Citicoline (CDP Choline) is a Nootropic supplement that has far reaching benefits both for brain health and for intelligence.
Not only that, but the risk of Citicoline side effects is very low and it is incredibly well-tolerated when it is used appropriately.
This may be because Citicoline is actually a natural chemical that the body can produce on its own, but in much smaller amounts.
Some of the more significant Citicoline benefits including boosting your memory, increased mental energy, helping to improve learning, and other cognitive effects. There are even a number of clinical uses which scientists are researching including use for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Finally, this supplement may be able to amplify the effectiveness of other Nootropics when used in a stack.
Many experts agree that Citicoline is one nutritional supplement that should be routine for almost everyone, whether you are student, working parent, or hard-training athlete.



- Supports memory, focus & mental clarity
- Increases levels of acetylcholine neurotransmitter
- Promotes brain cell health & communication
Citicoline Benefits & Memory Improvement
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 benefit that many people are looking for when they turn to Nootropics in general, and Citicoline specifically, is to help improve their memory.
Obviously, there are a number of reasons for wanting better memory. Students would love to retain more information and perform better on tests. Middle aged and elderly people would like to fight off and delay the onset of age related cognitive decline and impairments.
Citicoline is indeed noted for helping to improve memory function. It may even also improve the speed of memory recall and expand learning capacity.
These Citicoline benefits are primarily accomplished by increasing the level of circulating Acetylcholine within the brain. Acetylcholine is a powerful neurotransmitter that has been associated with a number of cognitive processes including memory formation and synapse development.
It is also interesting to note that not everyone will actually experience the same level of these effects. For some, the increased memory may be felt only subtly. This could take the form of remembering facts and figures which may have been thought to be forgotten a long time ago, or better remembering dreams.
Others may see a significant Citicoline benefit in the area of long term memory, being able to easily recall details from conversations and understanding even the most complex elements from a textbook on the first read-through.
Citicoline & Energy
Another benefit associated with Citicoline is an increase in brain energy.
This is also attributed to the action of the Acetylcholine, which is thought to play a role in regulating focus and mental clarity.
When using Citicoline supplements, many people also see a marked increase in their attention span. Many users report that they are better able to sit through lectures, presentations, or meetings and actually absorb all of the information presented to them.
Along with the increased mental energy comes an improved ability to concentrate and more purpose-driven action. You may find that you are less distracted by other thoughts and that you have greater stamina for brain-intensive activities.
Many people report that Citicoline can actually benefit their productivity level as well as motivation and ambition.
Citicoline Clinical Uses
While clinical uses for Citicoline are less common in the US, there are a number of foreign countries (especially in Europe) in which this drug is prescribed for medicinal purposes.
Citicoline was actually originally developed as a treatment for stroke survivors who were hoping to regain some of the cognitive function they lost. Research has shown that Citicoline may actually help to repair some of the damage caused by strokes and could even advance the development of new neurons and brain connections.
In one study, stroke patients who received Citicoline 500-2000 mg/day orally within 24 hours of acute ischemic stroke were more likely to have a complete recovery within 3 months than patients who received placebo.
Citicoline is also being used in a number of situations related to cognitive decline. These issues range from dementia to simple age-related memory loss. There is even promising research involving Citicoline benefits for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Citicoline has been rated by the Natural Medicines database as Possibly Effective for improving age-related cognitive decline. In people 50 to 85 years old with poor memory, taking Citicoline 1000-2000 mg daily was seen to improve verbal memory.
One of the common signs seen in Alzheimer’s patients is lower than normal levels of Acetylcholine. By increasing available stores of this neurotransmitter, you may effectively curb some of the damaging consequences of this disease that now affects millions of people a year in North America and around the world.
Preliminary evidence suggests that Citicoline use may improve cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Research is also being done on the use of Citicoline supplements for ADHD and a number of other disorders related to inability to focus.
Research on Citicoline is very promising so far, however more large-scale human trials are needed to fully understand all Citicoline benefits. At this time, Citicoline is available as a health supplement only, and the FDA has not approved Citicoline as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.
Citicoline Nootropic Stacks
Citicoline has also been stacked for quite some time with other Nootropics to potentiate their benefits and even prevent negative side effects.
One of the most common side effects of Nootropics supplements – particularly those in the Racetam family – is headaches.
While the “Piracetam Headache” is not usually severe, Citicoline is very effective at relieving this unpleasant reaction.
It is believed that the headaches are usually caused by the Acetylcholine receptor sites being over-taxed. Since Choline is a precursor for Acetylcholine, it may help the brain meet the demand for Acetylcholine more readily thereby preventing the potential for synapse burnout.
Another great reason to add Citicoline to your Nootropic stack is that it can lead to a synergistic effect whereby benefits are intensified. In other words, when taken together both supplements actually work together to strengthen the pathways activated by each other.
A clear example of this would be stacking Citicoline with Aniracetam or Pramiracetam which is known to lead to heightened memory performance and synaptic plasticity. By influencing the same brain system using two different mechanisms of action, these supplements are said to potentiate each other.
This is one of the main reasons that anyone who is already taking some type of Nootropic substance should seriously consider Citicoline as an addition to their regimen.
Citicoline Benefits Review
Citicoline has a number of benefits that can help a wide range of users. The overall safety and effectiveness profile makes this possibly one of the best Nootropics for beginners.
But that does not mean that this supplement is not powerful enough to aid more advanced users in achieving their goals as well. Citicoline is one of the best Acetylcholine supplements available to buy, effective for improving memory, increasing mental energy, and optimizing a number of different fundamental cognitive processes.
Finally, being able to synergistically improve the effects of other Nootropics should be reason enough in itself to add Citicoline to your daily supplement routine.
- Diederich K, Frauenknecht K, Minnerup J, Schneider BK, Schmidt A, Altach E, Eggert V, Sommer CJ, Schäbitz WR. Citicoline enhances neuroregenerative processes after experimental stroke in rats. Stroke. 2012
- Spiers PA, Myers D, Hochanadel GS, Lieberman HR, Wurtman RJ. Citicoline improves verbal memory in aging. Arch Neurol. 1996
- Matteucci A, Varano M, Gaddini L, Mallozzi C, Villa M, Pricci F, Malchiodi-Albedi F. Neuroprotective effects of citicoline in in vitro models of retinal neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci. 2014
- Cotroneo AM, Castagna A, Putignano S, Lacava R, Fantò F, Monteleone F, Rocca F, Malara A, Gareri P. Effectiveness and safety of citicoline in mild vascular cognitive impairment: the IDEALE study. Clin Interv Aging. 2013
- Ma X, Zhang H, Pan Q, Zhao Y, Chen J, Zhao B, Chen Y. Hypoxia/Aglycemia-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction and tight junction protein downregulation can be ameliorated by citicoline. PLoS One. 2013
- Martynov MIu, BoÄko AN, Kamchatnov PR, Kabanov AA, Iasamanova AN, Shchukin IA, Kolesnikova TI, Chubykin VI, Glukhareva AP, Gusev EI. [Neuroprotective treatment with citicoline (ceraxon) in patients with ischemic stroke]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2012
- Caner B, Kafa MI, Bekar A, Kurt MA, Karli N, Cansev M, Ulus IH. Intraperitoneal administration of CDP-choline or a combination of cytidine plus choline improves nerve regeneration and functional recovery in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury. Neurol Res. 2012
- Secades JJ, Lorenzo JL. Citicoline: pharmacological and clinical review, 2006 update. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2006
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
1 Comment
Can I stack Citicoline with Sulbutiamine? Will it be effective or not?