There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain, firing messagesacross trillions of microscopic gaps between cells each moment of yourlife. To accomplish all this, neurons have a very high demand forenergy. Their main fuel is glucose, the simplest form of sugar to whichall carbohydrates and sugars are broken down.
Glucose ismetabolized inside the cell’s mitochondria to create a high-energycompound called ATP. The neuron uses ATP to synthesize other compoundsand to generate electrical impulses that travel throughout the nervoussystem. The more efficiently brain cells can produce energy, the betterthe brain functions as a whole.
However, this efficiency declines with age, partly from the gradual damage of pollutants, stress, drugsor alcohol; sometimes from a lack of adequate nutrition, oxygen orblood flow; and partly from the aging process itself. As we move intoour elder years, the accumulated effects of such damage begin to appearas forgetfulness and reduced processing of sensory stimuli. Memoriesare harder to access, especially recent memories. Reflexes slow down.Sounds, light and smells must be stronger in order to be perceived.
Neurons in the aging brain need more of certain nutrients than they once did in order to maintain their efficiency.
Citicolineis a brain nutrient that has been gaining increased attention in recentyears because of its ability to support brain function and amelioratesome of the ravages of time. One way that citicoline supports brainhealth is by increasing the activity of the mitochondria in neurons toproduce energy, particularly high-energy ATP.
Increased energyproduction in the neurons supports their work at the cellular level,such as repair and maintenance of membranes, synthesis of vital brainchemicals and propagation of electrical impulses. Healthier cellfunction in turn supports all the larger processes of the brain, whichwe experience as thought, memory, sensations and control of motorfunctions.
Confirming the findings of earlier animal studies, anew study in human volunteers recently confirmed the ability ofciticoline to improve brain energy.
The study, conducted at the
This isimportant because the frontal lobe is the highest “executive branch” ofthe brain, directing complex thought, decision-making and attention.Furthermore, age-related declines in cognitive abilities are largelyrelated to deteriorating frontal lobe function. Scientists believe thatciticoline’s capacity to increase frontal lobe “bioenergetics” may beone of the reasons why this compound has shown success in improvingcognitive function in older people.
The benefits of Cognizin®have been demonstrated in clinical studies of both healthy olderindividuals and those with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Inhealthy older adults (mildly forgetful but not senile), supplementationwith Cognizin citicoline improved both immediate and delayed recall ofwords and objects. 2 Delayed recall is a measure of short-term memory.
Inolder adults with cognitive impairment, supplementation with Cognizinciticoline improved measures of cognitive function including short andlong-term memory, attention, perceptual-motor capacity, and behavioraland emotional control. 3
In animal studies, Cognizinciticoline significantly increased levels of ATP in the brain,decreased the area of damage in brain-damaged animals, 4 improved glucose metabolism, and restored the ability of the brain toproduce an important neurotransmitter (a chemical compound brain cellsuse to communicate). 5
These and many other studieshave confirmed the benefits of citicoline in helping preserve generalcognitive function and memory in the aging brain. Thus, for agingAmericans who want to boost their mental energy, dietarysupplementation with Cognizin citicoline may be a smart option.
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