Kyowa Hakko affirms GRAS for citicoline
The ingredient has been available for dietary supplements since 2003, and was the first branded ingredient to be launched by the company's US arm.
Six years, and multiple studies, on, and the company has self-affirmed that the ingredient is generally-recognised as safe (GRAS); it will now be marketed by Kyowa Hakko for use at levels of up to 250g per serving in food and beverage products, including breakfast cereals, chewing gum, hard and soft candy, pasta, fruit juice and milk products.
According to the company, its citicoline ingredient helps increase brain energy, provides structural components for synthesising cell membranes in the brain, and helps the formation of brain nutrients that regulate cognitive function.
The latest study on Cognizin was presented recently at the Society for Neuroscience 37th annual meeting in San Diego. The researchers found significant increases in the brain's energy sources of 16 healthy men taking the supplement for six weeks.
Perry Renshaw M.D., Ph.D., from the Brain Institute at the University of Utah. "As we age, the brain's efficiency diminishes. Caffeine affects the whole brain, but Cognizin delivers nutrients to only the regions of the brain that sustain your ability to pay attention, make good decisions, and provide a sense of direction enabling you to get work done."
Citicoline has a structure/function claim, as research currently supports its use "for improvement of memory and general cognitive function."
The new study provides the science to back up such claims, after it was found that self-administration of either 500 mg or 2,000 mg of the ingredient led to significant increases in the brain's energy sources regardless of dose.
