CDP Choline (Citicoline) | 180 Capsules | Vit4ever

Vit4ever CDP Choline (Citicoline)

If you're looking for citicoline, you'll quickly come across the term CDP-choline. This product contains exactly that. Each Vit4ever capsule provides 250 mg of citicoline, about 50 mg of which is pure choline. This substance is naturally present in every cell of your body, including your brain and liver. You'll find almost none of this compound itself in your daily diet.

What exactly is citicoline?

Citicoline is the common name for cytidine-5'-diphosphocholine. Behind this long name is a molecule found in all cells of your body. It consists of two interconnected parts: choline and cytidine. Your body produces this compound itself as an intermediate step in the production of phosphatidylcholine. This occurs via a fixed pathway in your cells, the so-called Kennedy pathway, named after the researcher who mapped this metabolic pathway in the 1950s. Phosphatidylcholine is one of the main fatty components of your cell membranes, the walls surrounding each cell. These membranes are continuously renewed, as your cells are constantly replacing their components. In short: citicoline is a body-specific substance whose chemical name sounds more complicated than the function of the molecule itself.

The difference between citicoline and ordinary choline

Choline and citicoline are often confused, but they are not the same. Ordinary choline is an isolated nutrient. Citicoline is that same choline, but as part of a larger compound, combined with cytidine. When you take citicoline, your body breaks it down into these two components again. Choline follows its own path. Cytidine is converted into uridine, a substance capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, the protective layer that determines what can and cannot pass from your bloodstream into your brain. This is where the difference comes in. Where an isolated choline supplement provides only choline, citicoline (CDP-choline) provides two components at once. Your body assimilates this form well. For this reason, the form is mentioned separately on the label and you usually also pay more than for isolated choline.

What choline is in your body

Choline is a nutrient your body uses as a raw material. It is part of phosphatidylcholine, found in the wall of almost every cell. In addition, choline is the starting material from which your body produces acetylcholine, a signaling substance that transmits messages between nerve cells. Isolated choline is found in eggs, liver, and meat, among other things, but citicoline itself is virtually absent from the diet. This product contains 250 mg of citicoline per capsule, of which the manufacturer states about 50 mg as pure choline on the label. This milligram-accurate transparency is exactly what you want to see on a choline supplement. Good to know: European regulations allow citicoline in supplements up to a maximum of 500 mg per day, so at 250 mg this product is well below that limit. In addition to citicoline, choline bitartrate and alpha-GPC are also found in supplements, two other commonly used forms of choline. Choline bitartrate is the simplest and cheapest form, with a relatively low proportion of pure choline per unit weight. Alpha-GPC, on the other hand, contains a high percentage of choline and is often used in combination with sports supplements. Citicoline is in between the two from a structural point of view: it provides less pure choline per milligram than alpha-GPC, but it brings a second component with cytidine that the other forms do not.

180 capsules with a fixed dosage

Vit4ever offers this product in a jar of 180 capsules. With the recommended intake of 1 capsule per day, you thus have a supply for about six months. The dosage of 250 mg per capsule corresponds to what is found in well-known brands on the Dutch market, where 250 mg of citicoline is a common amount per capsule. The capsule itself is vegetable and made of HPMC rather than gelatin. The product is also lactose-free, gluten-free, titanium dioxide-free, and free of artificial colors and flavors. It is packaged in Germany and Europe, according to HACCP, GMP, and ISO 22000:2018 standards. This CDP-choline supplement thus fits into a vegan diet without unnecessary additives.

Citicoline is therefore a substance that you produce yourself and that is present in every cell, but which you get almost none of from food. This product combines this compound in a vegetable capsule with a fixed amount of 250 mg, with the choline declared down to the milligram.