Also known as Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine
Choline compound that crosses the blood-brain barrier efficiently and is metabolised to free choline, a building block for acetylcholine; studied for cognitive performance and, at higher doses, acute power output in training.
Reported side effects:Low adverse-event burden in trials: 12-month RCT of 1200 mg/day reported no safety concerns in the abstract; 1-year nimodipine-combination RCT recorded 8 non-serious adverse reactions among 62 patients and concluded the safety profile was good overall
Ask first if you take: other medicines
Suspect a side effect? Report it to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme ↗
We link to relevant studies and leave interpretation to you and your healthcare professional.
The large figures are what the studies reported for each thing they measured. Open a card for every result.
Colour keyReported a benefitNo clear benefitUnclearPossible harmAmber is for highlights, such as where the most research is. It never means a result was good.
Also measured alongside: Thinking test performance (reported a benefit).
Every resultWhat sources report about side effects, who should be careful, and medicines to ask about first.
| Reported effect | How often | Basis | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low adverse-event burden in trials: 12-month RCT of 1200 mg/day reported no safety concerns in the abstract; 1-year nimodipine-combination RCT recorded 8 non-serious adverse reactions among 62 patients and concluded the safety profile was good overall | unknown | Listed by PubMed corpus rows (PubMed 39703111, 33855653) | Sohn M, Park YH, Lim S. Effects of choline alfoscerate on cognitive function and quality of life in type 2 diabetes: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Obes Metab 2025;27(3):1350-1358 (PMID 39703111)Salvadori E, et al. Efficacy and Safety of the Association of Nimodipine and Choline Alphoscerate... The CONIVaD Trial. Drugs Aging 2021;38(6):481-491 (PMID 33855653) |
| Severity | Medicine | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| listed | other medicines — Alpha-GPC has been co-administered with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil in multiple RCTs (4 RCTs pooled in the 2023 meta-analysis; ASCOMALVA) as a studied combination rather than an interaction concern. [Class 'dementia medicines' does not exist in the fixed medicine-class list — flagged on JOE-4160.] | Sagaro GG, Traini E, Amenta F. Activity of Choline Alphoscerate on Adult-Onset Cognitive Dysfunctions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Alzheimers Dis 2023;92(1):59-70 (PMID 36683513)Carotenuto A, et al. The Effect of the Association between Donepezil and Choline Alphoscerate on Behavioral Disturbances in Alzheimer's Disease: Interim Results of the ASCOMALVA Trial. J Alzheimers Dis 2017;56(2):805-815 (PMID 28035924) |
Brownawell AM, Carmines EL, Montesano F. Safety assessment of AGPC as a food ingredient. Food Chem Toxicol 2011;49(6):1303-1315 (PMID 21414376)Sagaro GG, Traini E, Amenta F. Activity of Choline Alphoscerate on Adult-Onset Cognitive Dysfunctions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Alzheimers Dis 2023;92(1):59-70 (PMID 36683513)Salvadori E, et al. Efficacy and Safety of the Association of Nimodipine and Choline Alphoscerate... The CONIVaD Trial. Drugs Aging 2021;38(6):481-491 (PMID 33855653)Sohn M, Park YH, Lim S. Effects of choline alfoscerate on cognitive function and quality of life in type 2 diabetes: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Obes Metab 2025;27(3):1350-1358 (PMID 39703111)Carotenuto A, et al. The Effect of the Association between Donepezil and Choline Alphoscerate on Behavioral Disturbances in Alzheimer's Disease: Interim Results of the ASCOMALVA Trial. J Alzheimers Dis 2017;56(2):805-815 (PMID 28035924)
Audited published research for Alpha-GPC by condition. Drill into a pair page for the full breakdown.
What this means: Bars count reported findings, not treatment effectiveness or certainty.
One study may report several findings or appear in more than one pairing. Counts do not show the size of an effect. Comparable numerical estimates are not established for this summary.
| Compound and condition | Findings (count) | Studies (count) | Reported results (finding counts) | How sure? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory | 2 | 2 | Benefit: 2; no benefit: 0; harm: 0; unclear: 0; not recorded / unrecognised: 0 | Not formally graded |
Where people report using it and what trials suggest
Common claims the trials do not support
Cholinergic compound with small acute-cognition and stroke-recovery trials (Rx in some countries); consumer cognitive-booster claims outpace data.
Evidence grades reflect study quality and consistency, not marketing claims.
Ordered by strength of evidence, then result direction.
01Is Citicoline Effective in Preventing and Slowing Down Dementia?-A Systematic Review and a Meta-AnalysisBonvicini M, et al. · Nutrients · 2023PMID 36678257 ↗02Application of Citicoline in Neurological Disorders: A Systematic ReviewJasielski P, et al. · Nutrients · 2020PMID 33053828 ↗03Use of Citicoline in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot StudyHübner IB, et al. · Clinical neuropharmacology · 2024PMID 38976279 ↗04Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy MenKerksick CM · Nutrients · 2024PMID 39683633 ↗05Effects of branched chain amino acids, l-citrulline, and alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine supplementation on exercise performance in trained cyclists: a randomized crossover trialHarrington RN · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2023PMID 37229544 ↗06Effects of egg yolk choline intake on cognitive functions and plasma choline levels in healthy middle-aged and older Japanese: a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled parallel-group studyYamashita S, et al. · Lipids in health and disease · 2023PMID 37340479 ↗Reported results grouped by condition. Values and units are preserved as recorded; missing information is not estimated.
How to read this table
Reported direction, numerical results and study design are separate. Certainty has not been formally graded in this table.
| What was measured | Reported findings | Result and units | Reported sample and duration | Study / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychometric performance in vascular dementia | Alpha-GPC improved most psychometric tests more than cytosine diphosphocholine when compared in vascular dementia; the abstract gives no effect size.Benefit seen | Not reported Recorded unit: Not reported | Sample (as reported): 120 Follow-up: 90 days | Randomised trial · 1991 Study detailsA multicentre trial to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine versus cytosine diphosphocholine in patients with vascular dementia. Randomized Controlled Trial |
| Attention and memory after scopolamine | Alpha-GPC counteracted scopolamine-related attention and memory impairment compared to placebo pretreatment; the abstract gives no effect size.Benefit seen | Not reported Recorded unit: Not reported | Sample (as reported): Thirty-two Follow-up: ten day | Randomised trial · 1991 Study detailsEffect of L-alpha-glyceryl-phosphorylcholine on amnesia caused by scopolamine. Randomized Controlled Trial |
Associated conditions and community-reported outcomes, wrapped together on one page. Aggregates appear only once enough reports arrive.
How this compound is sold in the UK, and where our readers typically find it.
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