Citicoline

Cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine

Last updated 2026-05-19 · 4 primary citations

Mechanism

Your brain uses a chemical called acetylcholine to form and recall memories. Citicoline is the raw material your brain needs to make it. As we age, supply drops; this delivers it directly. Cognizin® is the specific patented form used in the clinical trials — not generic citicoline.

Why we use it

If Lion's Mane is the long-term brain-fertilizer story, Citicoline is the immediate 'what was I just doing' memory support. The two work on different parts of the same problem. Paired with phosphatidylserine (next row) for the membrane side of memory chemistry.

How we dose it

Hericea uses 500 mg per serving (per AM stick pack). The clinical trial range that anchors this dose is 250–1,000 mg/day.

500 mg — the exact dose that improved episodic memory (the kind that helps you remember names, faces, where you put your keys) in adults aged 50–85 in a published clinical trial.

Quality & sourcing

Kyowa Hakko enzymatic fermentation; ≥98% purity; GRAS-affirmed.

Cognizin® branded form; Kyowa Hakko-licensed supply contract.

Primary literature

Nakazaki E et al. (2021)

J NutrSupplier-funded

PubMed →

RCT · 100 people · 12 weeks · Healthy 50–85 year olds with memory complaints

Citicoline 500 mg/day for 12 weeks improved overall memory — and especially the 'remembering daily events' kind — vs placebo.

Sets our exact dose. The age range and 'memory complaints' description match the perimenopausal customer almost perfectly.

PMID 33978188

McGlade E et al. (2012)

Food Nutr SciSupplier-funded

Source →

RCT · 75 people · 4 weeks

Citicoline 250–500 mg/day improved attention and reaction speed in young healthy adults.

Shows citicoline isn't just a 'compensate for decline' ingredient — it improves attention in healthy young brains, which is the cleaner test of whether it actually works.

Secades JJ et al. (2016)

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis

Meta-analysis

Pooled analysis across multiple trials confirmed citicoline aids cognitive recovery after stroke.

Highest-quality evidence that citicoline does support real brain function. Stroke is the most demanding test of cognitive recovery; if it helps there, the milder applications are well-grounded.

EFSA NDA Panel (2024)

EFSA Journal

Source →

Regulatory evidence review

European Food Safety Authority reviewed all citicoline-and-memory evidence to evaluate a proposed health claim.

Independent regulatory body's recent assessment of the entire citicoline-memory literature — no easier source for the third-party perspective.

DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8861