Cognizin® is a patented form of citicoline - a nootropic nutrient, which plays a crucial role in the synthesis of phospholipids and supports a healthy brain function. Citicoline works in 4 ways to enhance cognitive function, attention and memory:

(1) Neuroprotection - Citicoline is involved in the synthesis of neuronal cell membranes and supports neuronal regeneration. It also helps maintain healthy levels of protective neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and acetylcholine.

(2) Fights Neuroinflammation – Citicoline protects from free radical damage in the brain by blocking phospholipidase A2, an enzyme involved in oxidative stress and neuronal damage.

(3) Brain Energy – enhances brain power by fuelling the mitochondrial activity of brain cells.

(4) Healthy Aging – Citicoline increases sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), proteins key in maintaining neuronal health and memory in the aging brain.

Bacopa Monnieri, also known as Brahmi, is a perennial herb native to India and Australia. Used for centuries in Ayurvedic practices as a cognitive enhancer, Bacopa functions in 3 main ways to improve brain health and boost memory and attention span:

(1) Neuroprotection – Bacopa boosts our natural and most powerful brain antioxidants, which protect against free radical damage. It is also associated with improved neuroplasticity through increasing BDNF expression, a gene that promotes neuronal growth and survival.

(2) Improves blood flow – Bacopa enhances blood flow to the brain, which is essential for ensuring nutrient and oxygen supply to keep the brain healthy.

(3) Healthy neurotransmitter levels - Supports healthy acetylcholine levels, the key memory and attention neurotransmitter.

Ginkgo Biloba is a millennial tree native to China and a core ingredient in traditional Chinese practice for more than 5000 years. Apart from a variety of other applications, Ginkgo is used for boosting cognitive function, memory, and mental alertness. It helps nourish the brain by improving cerebral blood supply through dilating blood vessels.
Ginkgo is also naturally rich in powerhouse antioxidants (flavonoids and terpenoids), which help protect the brain from oxidative stress damages, one of the main reasons for age-related neurodegeneration. Additionally, ginkgo is a neurotransmitter regulator and has a role in dopamine and serotonin homeostasis.

Panax ginseng is used as an herbal remedy in traditional Asian practices for over 2000 years due to its variety of beneficial functions, hence the word Panax, which means “cure all”. In terms of supporting brain health, ginsenosides (the active ingredients in ginseng) have a general stimulatory effect on the central nervous system by enhancing neurotransmission. Ginseng has a neuroprotective effect through modulating nitric oxide production, boosting adaptive mechanisms, which protect against oxidative stress and inflammation and protect the brain cells from neurotoxicity.
Ginseng also improves neuron survival and supports neurogenesis (the generation of new neurons). Due to its beneficial effects on the nervous system, ginseng is used to support brain health and as a cognitive enhancer, boosting memory, perception, and focus.

Zinc is an essential trace element and the second most abundant trace metal in the central nervous system making it key for optimal brain function. It is a critical factor for correct gene transcription in the brain and zinc homeostasis is a vital component of neurogenesis – the making of new mature neurons from stem cells. Additionally, zinc is an important synaptic and neurotransmitter regulator hence its key role in learning and memory.

Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 play an essential role in the correct functioning of the central nervous system and are key for healthy cognitive performance and memory. They have a neuroprotective effect by enabling the conversion of homocysteine to methionine (high homocysteine levels are associated with cognitive decline). Additionally, vitamin B6 is essential for the production of neurotransmitters (GABA, histamine, dopamine, serotonin), while B12 is a cofactor for myelin synthesis and is involved in acetylcholine production, the neurotransmitter essential for new memory formation.

Apart from its key role in calcium homeostasis and immune function regulation, vitamin D is crucial for brain health, memory, focus and cognition. It functions by supporting neuronal growth and development, has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects and plays a role in neurotransmission. Vitamin D also enhances synaptic plasticity, essential for cognitive processes such as learning and new memory creation and retention.

A person´s vitamin D supply is mainly produced endogenously by the skin when exposed to UV light and a small portion comes from diet. Due to today´s indoor-centric lifestyle, air pollution and other factors, and especially in latitudes (above 37°N), where sunlight does not contain the sufficient UV wavelength for vitamin D production in winter months, rates of vitamin D deficiency are surging rapidly worldwide.