1. Increased Attention/Focus
We live in a world full of technology and media that is constantly fighting for our attention. It could be “doomscrolling” through Instagram or TikTok, playing addictive video games (which can sometimes turn into devastating tragedies like this one), or even just generally being unable to focus on important work tasks. Fortunately, some evidence suggests citicoline can improve attentional performance and focus. A study done on healthy adult women showed that both 250mg and 500mg of citicoline given orally daily for 28 days improved performance on the Continuous Performance Test II when compared to placebo, with the 500mg group making significantly fewer commission errors (1). Another similar study assessing attention and psychomotor function in healthy adolescent males showed that oral supplementation of 500 mg citicoline for 28 days led to improved attention, increased psychomotor speed, and decreased impulsivity on a series of tests compared to a placebo group (2).
2. Improved Memory
Sometimes you just forget things. Maybe it’s someone's name, maybe it’s your wallet, or maybe it’s your spouse/partner's birthday. Regardless, memory is important and thankfully there are a few studies showing that citicoline can help improve memory and recall, especially in the elderly. A study from 2021 showed that 500mg of citicoline daily for 12 weeks improved overall memory performance, especially episodic memory (memory for past personal events) in healthy adults aged 50-85 (3). Another study done on elderly subjects with age-related memory deficits showed significant improvements in free recall, word recall, and object recall tasks (4). Although there are no studies yet done in a younger population, the mechanisms involved suggest that there are neuroprotective benefits associated with citicoline that help keep our memory sharp and intact as we get older.
3. Appetite Reduction
This one is a little more controversial, but nonetheless very interesting. I want to preface this section by stating that citicoline isn’t a cure for obesity. However, there are some interesting studies related to this. A study measuring brain activity and self reported appetite ratings was done using a placebo group, a group receiving 500 mg citicoline daily, and another group receiving 2000 mg of citicoline daily for 6 weeks. Participants reported their hunger on the first day as well as underwent FMRI brain scans (scans that measure brain activity in real-time) while being shown pictures of tasty foods such as cheeseburgers, french fries, ice cream, cookies, and cake. After the 6 weeks, participants underwent the same protocol and changes were measured. Interestingly enough, the 2000 mg/day group showed significant decreases in appetite ratings as compared to the first assessment. When viewing tasty foods, the high dose citicoline group also showed increased activity in brain regions related to satiety (feelings of fullness), disgust and behavioral inhibition, indicating that the desire to consume high-calorie tasty foods was reduced (5). It appears that high dose citicoline can have an effect on brain regions related to regulating appetite and inhibitions.
Conclusion
The benefits of citicoline seem to be varied and unique, with most benefits being seen with daily supplementation after a period of weeks. We made sure every serving of eudopa™ contains 500 mg of citicoline, and all bottles contain a full 60 servings which gives you 2 full months of cognitive optimization.
References
- E. McGlade, A. Locatelli, J. Hardy, T. Kamiya, M. Morita, K. Morishita, Y. Sugimura and D. Yurgelun-Todd, "Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 3 No. 6, 2012, pp. 769-773. doi: 10.4236/fns.2012.36103.
- McGlade, E., Agoston, A. M., DiMuzio, J., Kizaki, M., Nakazaki, E., Kamiya, T., & Yurgelun-Todd, D. (2019). The Effect of Citicoline Supplementation on Motor Speed and Attention in Adolescent Males. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(2), 121-134. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054715593633
- Nakazaki, E., Mah, E., Sanoshy, K., Citrolo, D., & Watanabe, F. (2021). Citicoline and Memory Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. The Journal of nutrition, 151(8), 2153–2160. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab119
- Alvarez, X. A., Laredo, M., Corzo, D., Fernández-Novoa, L., Mouzo, R., Perea, J. E., Daniele, D., & Cacabelos, R. (1997). Citicoline improves memory performance in elderly subjects. Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology, 19(3), 201–210. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9203170/ 5.Killgore, W. D., Ross, A. J., 5.
- Kamiya, T., Kawada, Y., Renshaw, P. F., & Yurgelun-Todd, D. A. (2010). Citicoline affects appetite and cortico-limbic responses to images of high-calorie foods. The International journal of eating disorders, 43(1), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20658