What is citicoline? How it differs from choline, and how to read it on a label
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Citicoline appears on the labels of a growing number of “focus” and “brain” gummies, usually under the brand name Cognizin. Most people have not heard of it. It is often confused with choline, which is a related but different thing, and with caffeine, which it is not.
This article is a plain explanation: what citicoline is, how it relates to choline, what the human research used, and how to compare a label with it. The research is covered in more depth in our citicoline ingredient guide.
The short answer
Citicoline is a compound your body makes naturally as a step in building cell membranes. Taken as a supplement, it is broken down in the gut into two parts, choline and cytidine, which are absorbed and reused. It is not a stimulant. The best-known trial in healthy older adults used 500 mg a day for 12 weeks and found better scores on some memory tests than placebo.
What it is
The full chemical name is cytidine diphosphate-choline, shortened to CDP-choline. The names citicoline and CDP-choline mean the same thing.
Inside cells, CDP-choline is an intermediate in the production of phosphatidylcholine, a major component of cell membranes, including those of brain cells. That is the basis for interest in it as a supplement. When you swallow citicoline, it does not travel to the brain intact. It is split into choline and cytidine. In humans the cytidine is largely converted to a related compound called uridine. Both parts circulate and can be used by the body to rebuild the same compound.
Citicoline is not the same as choline
Choline is an essential nutrient. You need it from food, and it has an official intake recommendation. Citicoline is one of several supplement forms that contain choline, and it supplies a second component as well.
| Choline | Citicoline | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An essential nutrient | A compound made of choline and cytidine |
| Found in food | Yes: eggs, liver, meat, fish, soybeans | Only in very small amounts |
| Official intake recommendation | Yes. Adequate Intake is 550 mg a day for men and 425 mg for women | None |
| Upper limit | 3,500 mg a day for adults | None set |
| Choline by weight | 100 percent | Roughly one fifth |
| Why people take it | To meet nutritional needs | For memory and attention |
The “one fifth” matters. A 250 mg dose of citicoline supplies only about 50 mg of choline. That is a small contribution toward the 425 mg to 550 mg a day adults are advised to get. One large egg supplies roughly three times as much.
So citicoline is not an efficient way to meet your choline requirement. Food is. Citicoline is studied for something else: whether the compound as a whole, at a few hundred milligrams a day, affects memory or attention.
Other choline supplements you may see
| Label name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Choline bitartrate | A simple, inexpensive choline salt. Common in multivitamins |
| Phosphatidylcholine, lecithin | Choline bound in a fat, as found in food |
| Alpha-GPC | Another choline-containing compound sold for cognition and exercise |
| Citicoline, CDP-choline, Cognizin | Choline plus cytidine |
These are not interchangeable, and research on one does not apply to another. A trial of citicoline tells you nothing about choline bitartrate at the same weight.
What the research used
Much of the early research on citicoline was in people with stroke or cognitive impairment, often by injection or at high doses, and does not apply to healthy adults taking a gummy.
The trial most relevant to supplements was published in 2021. It enrolled 100 healthy men and women aged 50 to 85 who had age-associated memory impairment, meaning memory complaints typical of aging without dementia. Half took 500 mg of Cognizin citicoline a day and half took a placebo, for 12 weeks. Ninety-nine completed the study.
At the end, the citicoline group had improved more than the placebo group on a test of episodic memory, the kind used to remember events and associations, and on a combined memory score. No safety concerns were reported. Authors of the study included employees of the company that makes Cognizin.
What to take from it:
- The dose was 500 mg a day.
- The duration was 12 weeks. Memory was measured at the start and the end, not along the way.
- The participants were older adults with memory complaints. The result has not been established in younger adults with normal memory.
- It is one trial of 100 people. It needs repeating by independent groups.
Is it a stimulant?
No. Citicoline does not act like caffeine, and you should not expect to feel anything soon after taking it. Any effect in the research appeared over weeks. A product that makes you feel alert within the hour is doing so with caffeine, which will be on the ingredient list. See how much caffeine is in energy gummies.
How to read citicoline on a label
- Find the line. It should say citicoline or CDP-choline, often with the Cognizin name, and give an amount in milligrams.
- Check whether the amount is per gummy or per serving, and how many gummies make a serving. Our guide to per gummy versus per serving explains this.
- Compare the daily amount with 500 mg.
- Check it is not inside a proprietary blend. If it is, the amount is unknown.
- Do not count it as your choline. The label may list choline separately with a percent Daily Value. If it lists only citicoline, the choline contribution is small.
An example
The label for Goli Matcha Mind Gummies lists 250 mg of Cognizin citicoline per three-gummy serving, with a suggested use of one serving a day. Following the steps: the ingredient is named and branded, the amount is stated, and it is not in a blend. The daily amount is half of the 500 mg used in the 2021 memory trial. The same serving has 6 g of sugars. Our Goli Matcha Mind Gummies review goes through the panel, and matcha gummies vs matcha tea looks at the matcha in it.
Side effects and cautions
Citicoline has been well tolerated in trials. Reported side effects are uncommon and mild: stomach upset, headache and, in some people, restlessness or trouble sleeping. Taking it earlier in the day is a sensible precaution if sleep is affected.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. There is not enough research on citicoline supplements. Choline itself is important in pregnancy, and that need should be met through diet and any prenatal supplement your provider recommends.
- Medication for Parkinson’s disease. Citicoline has been studied alongside levodopa. Ask your doctor before combining them.
- Other medication or a medical condition. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- Under 18. The products discussed here are for adults.
Memory problems that are new, worsening or affecting daily life are a reason to see a doctor, not to try a supplement.
Do you need it?
Nobody needs citicoline in the way they need choline. It is an optional supplement with early evidence in one population. If you are an older adult interested in trying it, the studied approach is 500 mg a day for about three months, followed by an honest look at whether anything changed.
If your real concern is getting enough choline, look at your plate. Eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, soybeans, quinoa and cruciferous vegetables all contribute. Most adults in the United States eat less than the Adequate Intake, although true deficiency is rare.
Related products are on the energy and focus gummies page.
The short version
- Citicoline is CDP-choline: choline plus cytidine.
- It is not the same as choline, and it supplies only about a fifth of its weight as choline.
- It is not a stimulant.
- The main trial used 500 mg a day for 12 weeks in adults aged 50 to 85 with memory complaints.
- Check the milligrams per day on the label against that figure.
- Get your choline from food.
Common questions
Is citicoline the same as choline?
No. Citicoline is a compound made of choline and cytidine. About one fifth of its weight is choline.
What is Cognizin?
A branded form of citicoline. It is the form used in the 2021 memory trial in older adults.
How much citicoline should I take?
The main trial in healthy older adults used 500 mg a day. There is no official recommended amount.
How long does citicoline take to work?
The trial measured memory after 12 weeks of daily use. It is not expected to produce an immediate effect.
Does citicoline contain caffeine?
No. It is not a stimulant. Check the label for caffeine listed separately.
Can I take citicoline every day?
Daily use for 12 weeks was well tolerated in the trial. Longer-term use in healthy adults has been studied less.
Sources
- Nakazaki E, et al. Citicoline and memory function in healthy older adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Nutr. 2021.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Choline: fact sheet for health professionals.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Choline: fact sheet for consumers.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products discussed here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This page is not medical advice. It is written for adults 18 and over.