Citicoline

Other names CDP-Choline, Cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine, Cytidine Diphosphate Choline, Citicholine

Citicoline is used to improve memory and focus, but the science of its effectiveness for healthy humans is not as clearcut as you might think. Read on to find out who should use it and who should avoid it.

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Benefits

Read about the effects of Citicoline in relation to the amount of evidence we've found

Can citicoline improve memory and attention?

In a study including 60 healthy adult women, citicoline supported attentional performance:

"After 28 days of daily citicoline supplementation, participants who were administered either the 250 mg or the 500 mg citicoline doses showed significantly better ability to produce correct responses on the CPT-II, likely due to improved cognitive inhibition." [1]

However, the acute cognitive enhancement effects of citicoline are likely only apparent in people with low cognitive performance at baseline:

"Relative to placebo, CDP-choline improved processing speed, working memory, verbal learning, verbal memory, and executive function in low baseline performers, while exerting no effects in medium baseline performers, and diminishing cognition in high baseline" [2]

There's a large amount of research showing that citicoline is effective for certain forms of cognitive impairment. Based on the evidence available, it seems plausible that citicoline might help improve your attention and memory if you are stressed, sleep-deprived, exhausted, or have a low baseline of cognitive performance.

The evidence does not support the use of citicoline for cognitive enhancement in healthy individuals with strong baseline cognitive performance.

Why do people use citicoline?

People who self-experiment with citicoline often state they use it to improve their:

Memory
Focus
Energy

There's a need for more research on the effectiveness of citicoline in healthy humans for all of these purposes.

We've already clarified for whom citicoline is a good choice as a cognitive enhancer, so let's look into what some preliminary evidence on citicoline indicates as regards its effects on energy and physical performance.

Risks

The legality and side effects of Citicoline

You should always consider the risks of a nootropic before you use it.

Safety

Citicoline is very safe if used in appropriate doses.

In one study 4191 patients received 500-4000mg citicoline for at least 6 weeks:

”Citicoline safety was excellent; 37 side effects were observed in 31 patients (0.73%). The most frequent findings were nervous system-related symptoms (8 of 37, 21.62%), followed by gastrointestinal symptoms (5 of 37, 13.5%).”

Citicoline was also found safe in another large study in 2817 patients of all ages:

”The safety of the drug was excellent since side effects were observed only in 5.01% of the patients. Among these effects, the most frequently seen were digestive troubles, observed in 3.6% of the cases.” [3]

Even though both of these studies have been in diseased populations, they should be considered as very strong evidence in support of the safety of citicoline (because they are both very large). Several smaller studies in healthy humans have also been conducted with similar safety results.

Below is the list of side effects reported for a study in which healthy adolescent males received citicoline.

Side effects

No negative side effects were seen in any of the studies that we reviewed.

Interactions

Supplements and drugs can interact with Citicoline to increase or decrease the positive or negative effects you experience. If you are already using any supplements or drugs, speak with your trusted medical professional before you experiment with Citicoline. To learn more about the potential interactions between Citicoline and other substances, use interaction-checker.

Legality

Is your country not included? Learn how to find out if Citicoline is legal in your country.

Legality Disclaimer

How To Use

Dose, frequency and duration

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Citicoline

What other choline sources can I use?

Other than citicoline, many people use the following choline sources for nootropic purposes:

What substances may stack well with citicoline?

A combination of citicoline and caffeine was found to acutely improve working memory and concentration in healthy individuals, two aspects of cognitive functioning linked to attention [10] The study didn't mention the dose of caffeine used. It also didn't mention anything about negative side effects. Both of these facts are odd, especially that they didn't define the dose of caffeine used. The study results should therewith be interpreted with caution.

Other than the citicoline-caffeine combination, there's no human research on the effects of combining citicoline with other substances, such as nootropic drugs or supplements. The safety and efficacy of the below-listed combinations are supported only by anecdotal reports.

People tend to report better effects from citicoline when they also use racetams, such as:

Piracetam
Aniracetam
Oxiracetam
Phenylpiracetam
Omberacetam, also known as Noopept (sometimes classified as a racetam, sometimes not)
Coluracetam
Fasoracetam
Pramiracetam

Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.

Should you use citicoline?

Citicoline is very safe. The risk of experimenting with citicoline appears very low.

There is not a lot of evidence to support any cognitive-enhancing effects of citicoline in healthy humans. While it may provide some beneficial effects for energy levels and physical performance, there's evidence to show that medium- and high-performers actually perform worse cognitively after consumption of citicoline. [2]

Considering its safety profile, preliminary promising effects in some studies on healthy people, and cognitive-enhancing effects in cognitively impaired people, it is worth experimenting with to see if it can enhance your cognitive performance, especially if you have mild problems with memory and focus.

Is citicoline absorbed well by the body if used as a supplement?

Yes, it is absorbed well and bioavailability (the fraction of drug that reaches systemic circulation) is high when consumed orally. [12]

Who should use Citicoline?

There’s a need for more high-quality scientific information about the safety and effectiveness of Citicoline. Specifically, there’s a great degree of individual variance in how people respond to nootropics in general and Citicoline in particular. This means that if you use Citicoline, you may not experience the same effects as those that were seen in scientific studies on it.

It is currently largely unknown what factors play a role in whether a nootropic will be effective for a person.

While we wait for science to explain who is likely to respond to which nootropics, patient self-experimentation with nootropics that have been found safe and effective in placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans is a proven strategy to feel and perform better with the help of nootropics.

Studies

Studies conducted on the effects of Citicoline in healthy humans

Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023

Citicoline

Benefits

Can citicoline improve memory and attention?

Why do people use citicoline?

Risks

Safety

Side effects

Interactions

Legality

Legality Disclaimer

How To Use

FAQ

What other choline sources can I use?

What substances may stack well with citicoline?

Should you use citicoline?

Is citicoline absorbed well by the body if used as a supplement?

Who should use Citicoline?

Studies

The Effect of Citicoline Supplementation on Motor Speed and Attention in Adolescent Males

Summary

Study groups

Children using 375 Milligram

Improvements in Concentration, Working Memory, and Sustained Attention Following Consumption of a Natural Citicoline-Caffeine Beverage

Summary

Neurocognitive effects of acute choline supplementation in low, medium and high performer healthy volunteers

Summary