Boost memory and mood with one natural compound

from the OmniVista Health Learning News Desk

Citicoline is a natural molecule that comes from your body’s conversion of choline to phosphatidyl choline. And according to a recent study, this supplement could be a safe and effective treatment for mild vascular cognitive impairment. (That is, memory decline that’s linked to blood vessel issues—like mini-strokes or micro-bleeds, for example.)

Researchers looked at 349 patients from six different regions in Italy. All of them were older than 64, and had memory complaints as well as evidence of vascular lesions (the technical term for blood vessel defects). None of them had Alzheimer’s disease.

Yet after nine months of treatment with 500 mg of citicoline twice per day, participants showed significantly better memory scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)—a questionnaire commonly used to assess memory and mood.

Their untreated counterparts didn’t enjoy the same benefit. In fact, they showed substantial declines in MMSE scores at the end of the study.

In a nutshell, citicoline might be able to put the brakes on at least one type of cognitive decline. You can find citicoline supplements in most vitamin shops and online supplement retailers.

SOURCE:

“Effectiveness and safety of citicoline in mild vascular cognitive impairment: the IDEALE study.”Clin Interv Aging. 2013;8:131-7