As people grow more concerned about caring for their bodies, a greater emphasis has been placed on caring for the brain. The brain, after all, acts as the control center for the rest of the body. If something malfunctions at the level of the nervous system, chances are it will affect many other systems as well. One of the most important chemicals for maintaining proper brain function is choline.
Perhaps you remember being told when you were younger how healthy liver was for you, maybe even going so far as being forced to eat it as a child. While your parents may not have known the specifics as to why, liver is one food that happens to be rich in choline. Eating it would have positive effects on brain development. Now that you’re older, you may have developed a taste or at least tolerance for liver, but there are other ways to help with the ingestion of choline. Many dietary supplements now place an emphasis on compounds that serve as a rich source of choline. Two of the most popular ingredients are citicoline and alpha GPC. So what’s the difference between the two? The following may prove useful.
What is Citicoline?
Citicoline (cytidine diphosphocholine) is also known as CDP choline. This compound has neuroprotective properties and is made up of choline and cytidine. As a plentiful source of choline, citicoline helps to transport dopamine, increasing its release into the brain. While choline may help with brain function, cytidine can also be useful once it is converted into uridine. A citicoline dosage is well regarded as being safe and extremely effective and can be quite powerful when combined with other supplements.
Citicoline Benefits
The benefits of citicoline could possibly be tied with memory and brain functions. In particular, citicoline may play a role in mitigating the effects of memory loss. Citicoline also has uses in helping people improve their learning faculties and enhancing attention. In essence, it’s possible this compound could lead to better focus and concentration, possibly helping people combat distractions and keep focused on what they want or need to do. At the cellular level, citicoline has been found to improve overall neuronal membrane integrity while also leading to a reduction in neuronal death.
What is Alpha GPC?
Alpha GPC (alpha glycerophosphocholine), like citicoline, may also aid neuroprotective activity. It’s a compound composed of glycerophosphate and choline. Alpha GPC is a natural compound that can also work well with other nootropics. Alpha GPC works fast and helps deliver choline to the brain and actually increases the production of acetylcholine along with cell membrane phospholipids. It’s possible the compound may also increase the release of dopamine and calcium.
Alpha GPC Benefits
Alpha GPC brings with it a number of possible benefits, one of the most important being the possibility of improving brain health and cognition. It may be possible for Alpha GPC to improve memory formation and enhance learning ability. The possible memory enhancement benefits from alpha GPC may actually restore memory, but only in certain situations. Alpha GPC can also raise dopamine levels, which benefits brain function significantly.
Differences Between Citicoline and Alpha GPC Benefits
Now that you know what each compound is and what benefits each could provide, you may wonder what the differences are between them. At first glance, both appear to do the same thing in regard to overall brain function and mental acuity. There are, however, some differences to how those benefits are achieved. For example, alpha GPC and citicoline have different metabolism processes. As alpha GPC breaks down, acetylcholine is released as a byproduct, where as citicoline serves as a derivative of the same chemical.
Alpha GPC may also have a number of interesting side effects that citicoline doesn’t have. Taking alpha GPC could lead to improved vitality and increased strength as it helps muscles recover after exercise. Alpha GPC may also increase the production of growth hormone in the human body while at the same time acting as something of a weak stimulant.
Citicoline, on the other hand, may have other benefits that alpha GPC does not. One of the most talked about is the possibility of amplifying the impact of other nootropics. For this reason, many people consider citicoline a definite inclusion in any supplementation program.
Which Should You Choose?
With so many identical benefits, many people wonder which compound they should choose between citicoline and alpha GPC if they want to increase their choline use. The truth is that both work well, so using both at the same time is often what is recommended. That’s why many dietary supplements, like Qualia, offer both as part of their package of ingredients. There’s no need to stress over which one might be better than the other. Instead, you can take advantage of the benefits of both.
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