Worried About Memory Loss? Studies Suggest Citicoline May Help
The prevalence of cognitive decline continues to grow. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a noticeable decline in memory or thinking skills that doesn’t yet interfere with daily life, and it affects roughly 12–36% of adults over 651.
People with MCI have a higher risk of progressing to dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia, and researchers are actively exploring ways to slow or prevent these declines.
One promising way of protecting brain health is citicoline. This nutritional ingredient is taken as a supplement, and mounting research shows that it’s an effective therapy for helping to maintain cognitive function and even improve certain memory and thinking skills in those experiencing cognitive decline.
What is citicoline?
Citicoline (or CDP-choline) is a naturally occurring brain chemical that helps maintain brain cell membranes, supports metabolism and energy production in the brain, and supports other neurotransmitters.
It’s also available as a dietary supplement. Once ingested as a supplement, citicoline breaks down into choline and cytidine, which then cross the blood–brain barrier and are reassembled into compounds the brain uses for structure and signalling.*
Eating choline-rich foods supports citicoline levels in the body, but supplementing with citicoline comes with a slew of unique benefits.
Citicoline & cognitive decline
So, where does the research currently stand on citicoline?
A 2023 systematic review1 examined seven clinical studies evaluating citicoline for MCI and dementia. The studies included adults with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s-related MCI, and post-stroke cognitive challenges.
Two of these studies were randomized trials, and the others were observational (averaging around 213 participants each with follow-ups ranging from nine months to two years).
Citicoline was used alone or alongside standard therapy. Cognitive outcomes were measured using tools like the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), and SCOPA-COG. Across all studies, citicoline showed positive effects on cognition:
- In people with mild vascular cognitive impairment, thinking and memory scores stayed steady with citicoline, while they declined in those not taking it.
- In Alzheimer’s and mixed dementia, citicoline helped preserve (and in some cases slightly improve) cognitive scores over time.
- In Parkinson’s-related mild cognitive impairment, participants experienced measurable improvements in memory and thinking after about a year of use.
- In people recovering from stroke, those taking citicoline were less likely to develop ongoing cognitive impairment over two years.
When the results were pooled in a meta-analysis, citicoline produced a measurable improvement in cognitive scores.
RELATED READ: How To Lower Your Alzheimer’s Risk At Any Age
What to look for in a supplement?
The most researched form of the supplement is Cognizin® citicoline at 500 milligrams a day. Cognizin® can be found in various brain health supplements, however, many fall short on providing this full clinical dose.
Our top picks for products that include 500 milligrams of Cognizin® citicoline include this powder that combines it with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate (for more brain and muscle benefits), and this capsule that also provides resveratrol and kanna.
The takeaway
Citicoline shows promise for supporting cognitive health, especially in the earliest stages of memory struggles and with long-term use. After analyzing these seven studies, researchers found that it consistently helped preserve (and even improve) memory, particularly with long-term use.
While it’s not a standalone solution (lifestyle habits like diet, exercise, and sleep are still crucial), citicoline may be a smart addition to a comprehensive brain health plan.
