Citicoline was initially used in Japan and Europe as a prescription drug to help improve memory, thinking and brain function in people who have suffered strokes. Over time, it has demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing cognitive decline caused by age or degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, specialist studies have revealed the fact that this substance is beneficial in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders that progress slowly, such as glaucoma. Due to its benefits, specialists have used citicoline to develop different food supplement formulas with a wide area of ​​use. Although most of us associate this substance with improving mental performance, in reality it does more than that. Besides the fact that it has a vital role in the functioning of nerve cells, it is also responsible for the transmission of visual signals to the brain and other vital aspects for the optimal functioning of the body.



Citicoline, also known as CDP - Choline au Cytidine 5-diphosphocholine, is naturally found at the cellular level, and has an essential role in nerve activity. With advancing age, the amount of CDP-choline decreases, a process that can cause the degradation of cognitive functions. Unfortunately, citicoline is found in very few foods, mainly liver and brain, products that are usually not part of the daily diet. If you want to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of citicoline, you cannot rely on food to obtain a higher production than that achieved naturally in your body. Therefore, you will have to turn your attention to food supplements.

 

Citicoline - how does it work?

Citicoline is a mononucleotide composed of ribose, cytosine, pyrophosphate and choline. Considered an endogenous compound, it is an essential intermediate in the synthesis of structural phospholipids of the cell membrane and in the speed of phosphatidylcholine synthesis. To avoid confusion about this substance, scientists have decided to call it citicoline when it is administered as a treatment and CDP-choline when it is produced in the body.

The body breaks down citicoline into choline and cytidine, compounds that play an important role in brain function. More precisely, cytidine is used in the production of uridine (nucleotide substances with neurological properties, used to increase the synthesis of cell membranes), and choline is used to produce acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter associated with memory and learning). Following the injection or ingestion of citicoline, a rapid hydrolysis and dephosphorylation process takes place. Thus, chitin and choline are produced, substances that enter the brain separately. They are used to resynthesize CDP-choline inside brain cells.