Best Choline Supplement Source: Citicoline, Alpha-GPC, or Choline Bitartrate?

Choline is one of the most important nutrients for healthy brain function. But when it comes to buying choline in a nootropic supplement, there are many forms and options to choose from. It can be confusing! This guide is here to help you find the best choline for your own unique health needs.

Coming up, we discuss and compare popular choline sources for dietary supplement – Citicoline, Alpha-GPC, Choline Bitartrate, phosphatidylcholine and more. We discuss the various potential benefits of choline, both cognitive and otherwise. Finally we reveal the best type of choline to look for, along with the top stack supplement that includes it. Let's get to it!

Key Takeaways

• Choline is an essential nutrient that plays a key role maintaining healthy function in various organs and systems, especially the brain and nervous system.
• Choline is especially important for the brain because it is a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter critical for memory, focus, and overall cognitive function.
• It is estimated that about 90% of people in the United States do not get enough choline from their diet, according to research and dietary surveys.
• This widespread deficiency highlights the importance of choline supplementation or increased dietary intake to support overall health, especially brain function.
• In dietary supplements choline may be found as Alpha GPC (L-Alpha Glycerylphosphorylcholine), Citicoline (CDP-Choline), Phosphatidylcholine (PC), Choline bitartrate, lecithin.
• Choline supplementation can enhance cognitive function, support liver health, and ensure adequate levels of acetylcholine for improved memory, focus, and overall brain health.

#1 Best Choline Supplement Overall: Mind Lab Pro®

"Universal Nootropic" with citicoline boosts all types of cognitive function in all types of people.

Ingredients: Citicoline, Phosphatidylserine (PS), Bacopa monnieri (24% bacosides), Organic Lion’s Mane Mushroom, Maritime Pine Bark Extract (95% proanthocyanidins), N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine, Rhodiola rosea (3% rosavins, 1% salidrosides), NutriGenesis® B-Vitamins.

Mind Lab Pro® (MLP®) combines 11 nootropics, including 250 mg of premium citicoline (choline source) in each serving. Citicoline, along with the formula's other 10 nootropics, optimize multiple brain pathways at once -- unleashing a whole-brain boost that enhances focus, memory, attention, concentration, mood, relaxation, stress resistance, and more.

*MLP® is backed by research. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled human research trials conducted at the University of Leeds demonstrated Mind Lab Pro®'s nootropic benefits for cognitive function.(1,2).

- Buy MLP® Now -

Next up, let's do a deep dive on the various forms of choline found in nutritional supplements and explain why citicoline is preferred, especially in the context of nootropic supplements (brain pills).

Best 3 Choline Forms to Look For in Supplements

Taking choline as a supplement consistently over time may help to enhance cognitive function and support liver health. In addition, choline helps ensure adequate levels of acetylcholine for memory, focus, and overall brain health.

But taking the right type of citicoline is essential if you want to unlock maximum benefits.

So which choline form should you look for in the best nootropic supplements? Following is our analysis of the most popular choline forms found in dietary supplements today. These various forms of choline differ in their bioavailability and effectiveness for brain function (among other benefits).

Quick Summary: Citicoline vs. Choline Bitartrate vs. Alpha-GPC

• Citicoline (CDP-Choline) is highly bioavailable and crosses the blood-brain barrier easily. Provides both choline and cytidine for 2X support. Its dual action on brain energy and neurotransmitters makes it particularly effective for improving memory, focus, and mental clarity.
• Choline Bitartrate is a basic and cost-effective form of choline. Supports general choline levels in the body but has lower bioavailability and is less effective at crossing the blood-brain barrier. This makes it less potent for brain-boosting effects than Citicoline and Alpha-GPC.
• Alpha-GPC. Like CDP-choline, it is easy to absorb and can enter the brain. It mainly boosts acetylcholine levels, which directly supports cognitive functions like memory and learning. However, it lacks the additional brain energy support provided by citicoline's cytidine component.

Citicoline's full-spectrum benefits -- including a bonus energy boost -- make it the most effective form of choline for cognitive enhancement and long-range brain health.

Next let's dive into more details of each of these popular choline forms.

1. Citicoline (CDP Choline) - Best Type of Choline Overall

Citicoline is considered the most effective form of choline, especially for supporting brain health, because it provides two nootropics in one.

Citicoline (or CDP Choline) is more than a choline source.

It doubles as a cytidine supplier, delivering the precursor to the nootropic compound uridine.(3)

Altogether, citicoline's two-in-one design seems to possess three key bio-benefits:

1. Neurotransmitter Synthesis - citicoline potentially improves ACh production while increasing dopamine release.
2. Nerve synapse support - uridine may promote and sustain the creation of neural synapses, alleviating neurodegenerative conditions.(4)
3. ATP and Phosphocreatine - MRS testing revealed an ATP energy increase and a phosphocreatine increase with citicoline supplementation.

Beyond its 2-in-1 appeal, unlike other forms, citicoline easily crosses the blood-brain barrier -- for enhanced support of memory, focus, and mental clarity.

Additionally, citicoline supports phospholipid production, which is essential for maintaining healthy brain cell membranes, making it a superior choice for overall brain health and cognitive performance.

Citicoline is also an effective mental energizer that works without any stimulation.

Citicoline is like a brain-targeted energy supplement.

It powers up the brain on a cellular level – within healthy brain cells' powerhouse mitochondria – to enhance alertness, reduce mental fatigue and improve mental function. All without the "crash" of a stimulant.

• In one human research study, researchers reported that Citicoline (as the Cognizin® brand) may boost brain energy by 13.6% and speed up brain cell formation by 26%.(5)

Citicoline appears to modulate brain function in other ways, including supporting brain circulation, neurotransmitters, brain regeneration (neurogenesis), neuroprotection and more.

It all adds up to apparent profound benefits for brain health and function, with researchers suggesting citicoline may help with:

• General cognitive performance (6)
• Reaction time and attentional performance (7)
• Memory function and verbal learning (8,9)
• Age-related cognitive decline (10)

Researchers have suggested that Citicoline (as the Cognizin brand) may improve mental performance related to attention.

In more recent research, one clinical study published in 2023 found that subjects dealing with cognitive decline who took citicoline experienced improvements in language and attention.(11)

Beyond boosting performance-driven brain functions, Citicoline nourishes healthy brain regeneration – further benefiting long-range brain wellness.

While citicoline possesses less choline per serving than alpha-GPC, the combination of choline and cytidine is a potent, powerful tool of cognitive enhancement that exceeds the standard benefits of choline, namely within the realms of brain energy and repair.

Students, athletes, and gamers may appreciate citicoline’s support on attentional and mental performance, whereas, the elderly may appreciate the energized memory support.

The Cognizin® brand is the best available choline source on the market.

• Cognizin® is high-quality, patented Citicoline known for its safety, absorption and stability.
• Ultra-pure: Cognizin® is 99%+ pure citicoline verified by precision analytical testing.
• Human research shows Cognizin® may increase ATP brain energy by 13.6% and boost brain cell membrane formation by 26%.

More on Citicoline

2. Alpha GPC (L-Alpha Glycerylphosphorylcholine)

A highly bioavailable form of choline that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, Alpha-GPC is known for boosting cognitive function and supporting acetylcholine production, making it particularly effective for memory and focus.

Like citicoline, L-alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC or α-GPC) also has an advantage of being the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

By weight, alpha GPC carries 40% choline, allowing for a potential 40 mg choline per 100 mg alpha-GPC.

While sold as a synthesized supplement, alpha-GPC is a naturally occurring compound, found as a natural nutrient in red meats and organs. However, to achieve nootropic effects through this pathway, you’ll need to consume a lot of red meat.

Plasma choline levels are crucial in assessing choline deficiency, as they indicate nutritional status and can highlight potential health outcomes, including cardiovascular risk and organ dysfunction in low-choline diets.

Alpha-GPC supplements are widely available and backed by promising research, including:

• Study #1 - Among healthy, young adult volunteers with scopolamine-induced memory impairment, alpha-GPC supplements alleviated impairment on attention and memory, as compared to placebo.(12)
• Study #2 - This review on 13 clinical trials, encompassing a total of 4,054 human subjects, found significant improvements in memory and attention impaired by cognitive decline with alpha-GPC supplementation.(13)

Studies have also shown that individuals with metabolic syndrome exhibit distinct responses to choline consumption, often linking it to improvements in various cardiovascular health markers.

Alongside the brainy biohackers, athletes and bodybuilders have also taken a liking to alpha-GPC for its sports nutritional benefits, likely due to the cholinergic compound’s suggested links with enhanced growth hormone secretion and fat oxidation.(14)

If you are considering citicoline vs. Alpha-GPC, know that they are both excellent choices, especially in the context of brain health and nootropic stacking. Citicoline is tops, but Alpha-GPC is a good alternative option when citicoline is not available.

3. Choline Bitartrate

Choline Bitartrate is a common, cost-effective form of choline that is also popular in supplements.

While it provides choline, it is less effective at crossing the blood-brain barrier compared to Alpha GPC and Citicoline, making it less potent for cognitive benefits. It also seems to be associated with more choline side effects.

Many nootropic supplements opt for choline bitartrate as their source of choline, and in doing so they compromise quality for cost. By weight, this ingredient contains 41% choline, which is a sizable density when compared against other nootropic choline sources.

However, in terms of cognition enhancement, there’s a major problem with choline bitartrate supplement: this form of choline has a difficult time crossing the blood-brain barrier.

In rats, the influence of dietary choline on free choline levels was found to be significant. One rat study found choline supplementation to promote circulating choline levels by 52% as compared to the choline-free control group – although acetylcholine synthesis was not significantly improved.(15)

In a separate research study concerning a rat model of brain injury, the supplementation of choline bitartrate was found to improve spatial memory and histological neuronal impairments.(16)

The healthy, young, human model, on the other hand, demonstrated no acute effects on memory performance and learning following 2 - 2.5 g of choline bitartrate supplementation.(17)

As such, it seems choline bitartrate may qualify as a good form of choline for bodily choline levels but not for nootropic brain performance.

Some other forms of choline you may find in nootropic stacks, other supplements and dietary intakes include:

Phosphatidylcholine (PC): A phospholipid that is a major component of cell membranes. It supports brain health by maintaining cell membrane integrity and providing choline for acetylcholine production. It's also used for liver health due to its role in fat metabolism.

Choline Citrate: A combination of choline and citric acid, which may be easier to absorb than choline bitartrate. It supports general choline levels in the body but is less effective at boosting brainpower and maintaining the brain against increased risk of cognitive impairment that may come with age.

Lecithin: A natural source of choline that is typically derived from soy or sunflower. Lecithin contains phosphatidylcholine and is used to support overall brain and liver health. It’s a more general source of choline, found in foods like eggs and brewer's yeast, and supplies egg yolk phospholipids.

Choline chloride: A water-soluble form of choline used in animal feed and supplements. It's less bioavailable than forms like citicoline for cognitive benefits.

DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol): A choline precursor that supports acetylcholine production and may improve cognitive function and mood. However, it is less commonly used and has mixed evidence regarding its effectiveness compared to other choline sources.

Some other "choline helper" nootropics to consider in your stack:

Bacopa Monnieri - adaptogen herb believed to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme responsible for the breakdown of acetylcholine.

Phosphatidylserine - a phospholipid constituent within the cholinergic pathway, and a key component in brain cell membrane fluidity.

Now that we've covered the best forms of choline to look for, let's do a deeper dive into how choline works and what its benefits are.

Then we'll conclude by detailing the best choline nootropic supplement on the market today: Mind Lab Pro.

The Nootropic Guide to Choline

Choline is a vitamin-like macronutrient essential to the functioning of the liver, muscular tissue, and, yes, the brain.

Think of choline as one of the basic brain building blocks to cognition itself, given its precursor status to the following compounds:

• Acetylcholine (ACh) - a neurotransmitter that facilitates communication between neurons as well as within the neuromuscular junction; critical for memory, learning, and muscle control.
• Phosphatidylcholine (PC) - a key component of the cellular membrane and a conditional reservoir of choline for acetylcholine production.

Choline as a supplement provides the raw material needed for choline acetyltransferase: an enzyme that works by transferring an acetyl group to choline to form acetylcholine.

Good choline intake helps maintain the acetylcholine you need to perform at your peak.

By improving ACh, PC, and other brain chemicals, raw choline donors like citicoline, Alpha-GPC and choline benefit cognition by supporting memory and learning, attention and focus, brain energy, brain regeneration, and muscular performance.

Additional benefits:

Prenatal choline supplementation: Choline and betaine are important for maternal supplementation because they support fetal brain development, reduce the risk of neural tube defects, and promote healthy pregnancy outcomes. Women should always discuss maternal choline supplementation with their doctor.

Choline for liver health: Choline supports liver health by aiding in fat metabolism, fighting fat accumulation in the liver and regulating triglycerides. Research has shown that low choline diets can contribute to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), especially in people with nutrient absorption issues, taking parenteral nutrition or in living in regions where dietary choline intake is suboptimal.(18)

The recommended daily dosage of choline to support healthy function varies:

• Adults: 425 mg/day for women, 550 mg/day for men.
• Pregnant/Breastfeeding Women: 450-550 mg/day.
• Children: 125-375 mg/day, depending on age.
• For cognitive enhancement, choline supplements like citicoline or Alpha-GPC are typically taken at doses of 250-500 mg, 1-2 times daily.

While choline appears to hold myriad potential benefits for human health, it appears many of us are not even close to meeting the choline intakes required for optimal support.

According to U.S. statistics, with 90% of the U.S. population estimated to be deficient in choline.(19)

Oral choline supplementation -- whether are oral citicoline or another form -- is a sound strategy to reverse choline deficiency, maintain adequate intake and optimize plasma choline concentrations.

Establishing a solid diet of choline-rich foods is equally important.

Foods Rich with Dietary Choline

A deficiency in choline levels often begins with a deficiency in dietary choline consumption.

According to research from the National Institutes of Health, the five foods richest in natural choline, in terms of milligrams of choline per serving, include:(20)

• 3 oz. Beef Liver, Pan Fried - 356 mg choline per serving
• 1 Egg, Hard Boiled - 147 mg choline per serving 3 oz.
• Beef Top Round, Braised - 117 mg choline per serving 1/2 cup
• Soy beans, Roasted - 107 mg choline per serving 3 oz.
• Chicken Breast, Roasted - 72 mg choline per serving

Adding foods rich in choline to your diet is a smart move to lessen the risk of choline deficiency. Observational studies suggest a positive association between higher dietary choline intake and improved cognitive abilities such as memory and executive function in older adults.

However, given the inefficiency of most dietary cholines’ abilities to cross the blood-brain barrier, many nootropic users take their choline-rich diets even further with the intake of choline supplements and potent cholinergic nootropics.

Dietary supplements play a crucial role in providing choline and meeting nutrient requirements.

In the next section, we're detailing the best supplement to do just that plus a whole lot more.

Best Choline Supplement: Mind Lab Pro® Nootropic Stack Mind Lab Pro®

(MLP®) combines 11 nootropics -- including premium citicoline (choline source) -- into one powerful "Universal Nootropic" stack.

MLP® unites 11 research-backed nootropics, each of which boosts the brain in many ways. The end result is a "100% Brainpower" effect that flexes to enhance anything you need cognitively, whenever you need it -- whoever you are, and whatever your goals may be.

Choline (as citicoline) is a big contributor to MLP®'s performance-enhancing, brain-building benefits.

The full list of ingredients follows:

• Citicoline, 250 mg
• Phosphatidylserine (PS), 100 mg
• Bacopa monnieri, 150 mg (full-spectrum extract, 24% bacosides with 9 bioactives)
• Organic Lion’s Mane Mushroom, 500 mg (fruit and mycelium)
• Maritime Pine Bark Extract, 75 mg: (Standardized to 95% proanthocyanidins)
• N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, 175 mg
• L-Theanine, 100 mg
• Rhodiola rosea, 50 mg (Standardized to 3% rosavins and 1% salidrosides)
• NutriGenesis® B-Vitamins: Vitamin B6 (2.5 mg), Vitamin B9 (100 mcg), Vitamin B12 (7.5 mcg)

As a result of its far-reaching design, MLP impacts more brain pathways and delivers more brain function benefits than any other dietary supplements on the market. It supports:

• Focus, attention and concentration for productivity
• Clean natural mental energy without caffeine; no crashes
• Peak mental performance under stress, multitasking, etc.
• Helps enhance memory: short-term, long-range, learning, recall
• Crystal mental clarity, easy multitasking, quick processing speed
• A bright, balanced, calm and motivated mood

Because it is the world’s first Universal Nootropic™, Mind Lab Pro® boosts all aspects of cognition in all types of people – especially those whose active lifestyles demand dynamic brainpower.

Quality is another big reason why MLP® is the top choline supplement on the market. MLP® is:

• Ultramodern high-quality design: Research-backed nootropic ingredients, focusing on safety, tolerability and effectiveness. Appropriately dosed for benefits without side effects or risks.
• Clean label: No artificial colors, no preservatives, no GMO, no gluten, no caffeine or stimulants, no soy and no synthetic additives. Third-party tested for objective proof of clean quality.
• Vegan-certified ingredients in premium vegan NutriCaps® capsules made from naturally fermented tapioca and infused with prebiotics. No unsafe or synthetic capsule ingredients.
• Eco-Friendly. MLP is B-Corp certified. This designation means that its manufacturer meets stringent standards for ethics and environmentally friendly practices.

Ultimately, Mind Lab Pro® is the one nootropic supplement that does everything you need -- focus, memory, attention, concentration, mood, relaxation, stress resistance, memory and more.

Learn More about Mind Lab Pro® Quality

Mind Lab Pro® is Backed by Research.

Finally, MLP is the best nootropic stack on the market today because it's one of the only ones backed by rigorous randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials. In this research, it was shown to improve brain function across several key cognitive markers.

1. In one study, researchers reported that subjects taking Mind Lab Pro for 30 days experienced significant improvements (when compared to those taking placebo) in performing information processing tasks involving simple reaction time (SRT), choice reaction time (CRT) and anticipation; all of which are rooted in focus, attention and quick thinking. Researchers concluded MLP® may be especially promising for adults working in high-pressure environments that require fast and accurate decision-making.(1)
2. A second study found that subjects taking Mind Lab Pro demonstrated significant improvements across all memory functions that were tested, including auditory, visual, visual working, immediate and delayed recall memory. Researchers concluded that the most extraordinary benefits associated with MLP® were in the areas of immediate and delay-recall memory, linking these functions to practical day-to-day functionality such as remembering names, places and locations of objects like car keys.(2)

Best for: If you seek a choline supplement stacked with additional nootropics to meet all your dynamic needs, Mind Lab Pro® is the perfect choice.

Pricing & Shipping

• 1 Bottle (one month supply): $69 ($2.30/serving)
• 2 bottles (two month supply): $138 ($2.30/serving)
• Best deal: 3 bottles + 1 free, with free shipping: $207 ($1.73/serving)
• All covered by 30-day money back guarantee

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Summary

While various forms of choline offer unique benefits, citicoline stands out as the most effective option for cognitive enhancement and overall brain health.

Its ability to easily cross the blood-brain barrier, combined with its dual action of providing choline and cytidine, makes it unparalleled in supporting memory, focus, and mental clarity.

Whether you're seeking to boost cognitive function or maintain long-term brain health, citicoline is the top choice among choline supplements.

For those serious about optimizing their brain performance, citicoline provides the most comprehensive and potent support available.

The quest for the best choline source may end with citicoline, but to get the most out of the supplement, you'll need to stack it with other effective cholinergic compounds, as well as non-cholinergic compounds, to achieve the best mental performance benefits.

As a standalone ingredient, citicoline accomplishes a substantial degree of synergy with its 1-2 combo of choline and cytidine. Mixed with the right ingredients, this foundation nootropic can accomplish even more.