By If you’re looking to increase your mental RAM (random access memory), consider citicoline. Here’s why:
“Citicoline is a critical step in our body’s metabolism of phosphatidylcholine,” explains Eri Nakazaki, Ph.D., lead researcher at Kirin Central Research Institute. Phosphatidylcholine is a phospholipid that’s found in brain tissue and critical for healthy brain function. Giving your body more citicoline helps it make more phospholipid membrane components, as proven by clinical research.*
Nakazaki expounds further: “It’s incredibly important to increase cell membrane turnover in the brain, as this helps membrane fluidity and plasticity, fortifies cell membranes and structures, and enhances neuron communication. Phospholipid turnover helps to support the structural integrity of neurons, which then support how they function.” This includes critical brain functions such as–you guessed it–memory.
However, the brain begins to lose phospholipids in one’s 20s, reaching a 10% to 20% loss by 80 to 90 years old in healthy individuals, Nakazaki tells mbg. Citicoline can help enhance those phospholipid levels, ultimately supporting memory and brain health over time.*
The memory benefits of citicoline have been frequently observed in research. For instance, in a 2021 clinical trial published by The Journal of Nutrition, 12 weeks of citicoline supplementation as Cognizin(R) (500 milligrams) improved overall memory, particularly episodic memory.* In another study, citicoline enhanced verbal memory in older adults.*
