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Mental Energy

Your brain is the master conductor of every living process in your body, both conscious and unconscious. Like all other parts of your body, the brain is composed of cells, the basic structural and functional units of life. The specialized cells of the brain and nervous system that transmit electrical signals to and from all other cells are called neurons. They tell your heart to beat and your hand to move; they enable you to learn and remember; they tell your brain that you are hot or cold or that you just stubbed your toe. 

There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain alone. Each moment of your life, these neurons fire messages across trillions of microscopic gaps between cells, exchanging more information than the world’s biggest computer could ever begin to process! To accomplish all this, neurons have a very high demand for energy. 

Inside the cell is a busy little chemical factory where nutrients are burned to create energy. The “furnaces” where this occurs are called mitochondria. The main fuel consumed is glucose, the simplest molecule to which all carbohydrates and sugars are broken down. The neuron uses energy produced in its mitochondria to synthesize important enzymes and neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers with which cells communicate. The neuron also uses energy for the generation of electrical impulses that travel throughout the nervous system. 

The fine-tuned ability of neurons to carry out their tasks can be compromised by a variety of factors. Cells may be damaged by environmental pollutants, stress, drugs,
alcohol and other toxins. They may be impaired by lack of adequate nutrition or oxygen. The aging process itself weakens neurons’ ability to manufacture neurotransmitters and other important substances. 

With age, the accumulated effects of such damage begin to appear as forgetfulness and reduced processing of sensory stimuli. Memories are harder to access, especially recent memories. Reflexes slow down. Sounds, light and smells must be stronger in order to be perceived. 

For these reasons, neurons in the aging brain may need more of certain nutrients than they once did. Citicoline is a brain nutrient that has been gaining increased attention in recent years because of its ability to support brain function and ameliorate some of the ravages of time. One way that citicoline supports brain health is by increasing the activity of the mitochondria in neurons to produce energy.

Several studies have been able to demonstrate this in animal models. In one study, investigators showed that citicoline significantly increased the levels of ATP, the high-energy compound produced by mitochondria, in both healthy and brain-damaged laboratory animals and decreased the area of damage in the latter.¹ In another study, administration of citicoline improved glucose metabolism in the brains of laboratory rats and restored their ability to produce an important neurotransmitter from glucose.² 

Increased energy production in the neurons supports their work at the cellular level, such as repair and maintenance of membranes, synthesis of vital brain chemicals and propagation of electrical impulses. Healthier cell function in turn supports all the larger processes of the brain, which we experience as thought, memory, sensations and control of motor functions. 

Supplemental citicoline is available under the brand name Cognizin®. Its benefits have been demonstrated in clinical studies of healthy older individuals as well as those with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. In healthy older adults (mildly forgetful but not senile), supplementation with citicoline improved both immediate and delayed recall of words and objects.³ Delayed recall is a measure of short-term memory.

In studies of older adults with various forms of cognitive impairment, supplementation with citicoline has been shown to improve a variety of measures of cognitive function, including short and long-term memory, attention, perceptual-motor capacity, and behavior and emotional control.⁴ 

These and many other studies have confirmed the benefits of citicoline in helping to preserve general cognitive function and memory in the aging brain. Thus, for aging Americans who want to boost their mental energy, dietary supplementation with citicoline may be a smart option.