BRAIN
5 MIN READ

What Is Cognizin?

Cognizin® is a patented, clinically studied form of citicoline and a key Brain Blend ingredient in every MOSH® bar. Learn what citicoline is, how much is in each bar, and the research behind it.

MOSH Life
What is Cognizin

Short answer: Cognizin® is a patented, clinically studied form of citicoline, a nutrient the body uses to help maintain healthy brain-cell function. Each MOSH® bar contains 125mg of Cognizin® Citicoline as part of its Brain Blend, so two bars provide 250mg, an amount studied in healthy adults for focus and attention.* Cognizin® is made by Kyowa Hakko Bio, which supplies it to MOSH; the article below, written by Kyowa, explains what citicoline is and the research behind it.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last updated: July 2026.

This time of year, many people are seeking something to help them maintain their mental energy, focus and attention to get the day-to-day things done, let alone get ahead during a changing environment. The need for mental stamina is even more demanding. This is true, no matter the activity. A certain amount of physical activity enhances mental function, but as it becomes more intense, it places a higher demand on the brain. Unlike muscles, the brain does not store energy. The brain needs a consistent form of nourishment to continually generate the mental acuity it needs to meet the moment’s needs. Citicoline is a critically important nutrient that the brain requires to support the mental energy, focus, motor speed, and attention it must have to complete not only routine daily tasks, but to perform complex activities as well. Unfortunately, this nutrient is not always available at the levels the brain needs, especially as individuals age, or are exerting themselves both physically, and mentally. A clinically studied form of citicoline to provide what a healthy brain needs to perform well. In recent years, consumers are more health conscious, and better educated, and thus are looking for science-driven ingredients that can address multiple needs.

What is citicoline?

Citicoline is a naturally occurring nutrient found in the brain. It increases an important substance called phosphatidylcholine that is critical for healthy brain function. Cognizin® Citicoline is a clinically studied form of citicoline that can supply the brain with the nutrition it needs to stay sharp. Unlike other cognitive health ingredients, Cognizin® provides brain performance as well as more comprehensive brain health support overtime.

How does citicoline support energy?

Energy reserves play a very important role in healthy brain function. The first vital benefit of Citicoline is its ability to help support the brain's energy producing centers. While the brain makes up only two percent of a person’s body weight, it consumes roughly 20 percent of the body’s energy when at rest. When performing difficult mental activities, the brain needs even more energy. Clinical research has shown that citicoline supports the health of mitochondria, the powerhouses within cells that actually produce the brain’s energy.*1 Healthy mitochondrial function results in higher levels of ATP, the body’s main energy storage molecule, in brain cells.

Why Cognizin® Citicoline?

Cognizin®, an innovative branded form of citicoline, is unlike artificial stimulants that ramp up energy and attention levels only to have those levels come crashing down later. Cognizin® provides nutritional support that helps fuel mental processes and enhance focus and concentration.

Scientific studies show how Cognizin® Citicoline's supports cognitive function and performance. The brain is constantly being attacked by various factors of our lifestyle including environmental pollution, internal toxicity, stress, and a lack of proper diet and nutrients. Citicoline may help combat the ravages of these effects by stimulating the nervous system process to maintain optimum sustainability of the molecular environment of the brain enabling a body to retain its ability to think cognitively and support focus and attention.

One study on Cognizin® Citicoline's effect on focus and attention started with middle-aged women taking 250mg of Cognizin® daily*1, 2, and exhibited a decrease in omission and commission errors, thus exhibiting how citicoline can support focus and attention when performing physical tasks.

You can read the McGlade 2012 study on citicoline and attention in healthy adult women.

Cognizin® Citicoline has also been studied to show:

  • Scientific studies have indicated that citicoline is an effective aid for maintaining normal cognitive function with aging.*1, 3

  • Additional studies have examined citicoline’s antioxidant role in supporting normal healthy visual function.*1, 4

  • Citicoline has been studied for its antioxidant role in helping protect neural tissue from free radical damage.*1

Healthy brain function is essential to quality of life. As many individuals are dealing with ongoing post-pandemic stress, brain fog and simply burnout, addressing cognitive health is top of mind.

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Cognizin® is backed by Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., LTD. Kyowa is an international health ingredient manufacturer and a world leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and food products. Part of Kyowa’s dedication to ongoing scientific research, quality management and consumer education, the Cognizin® brand leads the way in clinical brain research.

1. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

2. McGlade E. et al. Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2012;3:769-773.

3. Qureshi ND, I, et. al. Citicoline: A Novel Therapeutic Agent with Neuroprotective, Neuromodulatory, and Neurogenerative Properties, 2010; Natural Medicine Journal. 2(6); 11

4. Grieb, P, et. al. Citicoline: A Food Beneficial for Patients Suffering from or Threated with Glaucoma, 2016; Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00073

This article was written by an employee of Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., LTD, the company that owns the patent for Cognizin® Citicoline and supplies this ingredient to MOSH. The opinions expressed in this article are their own and are intended to provide valuable information to our readers.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cognizin®?

Cognizin® is a patented, branded form of citicoline, a naturally occurring nutrient involved in healthy brain-cell function. It is manufactured by Kyowa Hakko Bio and included in every MOSH® bar at 125mg per bar.

How much Cognizin® is in a MOSH bar?

Each MOSH® bar contains 125mg of Cognizin® Citicoline. Two bars provide 250mg. Two bars (250mg of Cognizin®) support focus and attention.*

What does the research on citicoline show?

In a 28-day study of 60 healthy adult women published in Food and Nutrition Sciences (2012), participants taking citicoline made fewer errors on an attention task than those taking a placebo.* You can read the study on Cognizin.com.

Does Cognizin® contain caffeine or act as a stimulant?

No. Cognizin® is not a stimulant, and MOSH bars contain no added caffeine.

Who makes Cognizin®?

Cognizin® is made by Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., Ltd., which holds the patent for this branded form of citicoline and supplies it to MOSH.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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FAQs

We stand by the quality craftsmanship and consistency of our products which is why we offer a 100% happiness guarantee. If for any reason you are not happy with your order please contact our customer experience team so we can make things right or refund you the cost of your purchase. To get started, please email a copy of your order confirmation number to hi@moshlife.com within 30 days of your purchase. No fine print, that’s it!

Yes, all MOSH protein bars are rigorously tested to ensure they are non-GMO, gluten-free, and Kosher.

MOSH protein bars are formulated with nutrient-dense ingredients that support brain and body function. Each MOSH protein bar contains 6+ brain ingredients including Cognizin®, lion’s mane, ashwagandha, omega-3s, vitamin B12, and D3. Cognizin® has been scientifically studied for its beneficial effects on brain health, specifically enhancing focus, attention and memory. MOSH products are designed to support overall brain health as part of a comprehensive mindstyle lifestyle that includes 6 pillars of brain health: medical health, physical exercise, food and nutrition, mental fitness, social interaction, and sleep and relaxation. MOSH bars are not intended to treat or prevent any brain disease.

Cognizin® provides essential nutrients like choline that are especially crucial for brain cells. To sustain your focus and concentration, your brain requires an adequate ongoing supply of energy and healthy communication between neurons. Cognizin® supports healthy brain metabolism and helps provide phospholipids essential to healthy brain function.* 5, 9,11,13 (250mg) *One MOSH bar contains 125mg of Cognizin® 5. Babb SM et al. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2002; 161:248-54. 9. Silveri MM et al. NMR Biomed. 2008; 21(10):1066-75. 11. McGlade E. et al., Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2012; 3:769-773. 13. McGlade E, et al. J Atten Disord, 2015.

The Women's Alzheimer's Movement (WAM) is the preeminent organization focused exclusively on women and Alzheimer’s. WAM was created to raise awareness around Alzheimer’s as a disease that discriminates against women, since two out of every three brains that develop Alzheimer’s belong to women–with women of color at even higher risk– and 2 out of 3 caregivers of all races and ethnicities being women as well. Until 10 years ago, the conventional thinking was that the higher incidence of Alzheimer’s in women simply reflected the fact that women tend to outlive men. That narrative was disrupted back in 2010, when WAM founder Maria Shriver partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association on a ground-breaking report challenging the assumption that age alone accounted for the higher number of women with Alzheimer’s. Ever since that seminal Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s, WAM and Shriver have taken every opportunity to highlight the disproportionate and particular impact of Alzheimer’s on women. WAM's mission is to discover why Alzheimer’s discriminates against women and communities of color and to prepare women and their families for the impact of Alzheimer’s by providing them with information and tools to help prevent the disease. WAM envisions a future in which Alzheimer’s will no longer destroy the lives of women and their families. WAM works to change the future for women and Alzheimer’s by focusing on the four pillars: research, education, advocacy and clinical care. WAM funds critical gender based research to advance our knowledge of how Alzheimer’s affects women, educates the public about Alzheimer’s through summits, national polls, reports and educational guides. WAM advocates at all levels of government for policies, increased funding and other social, political and economic changes that will move the needle on Alzheimer’s. WAM provides on the ground services to give women the medical guidance they need to reduce their risk for developing the disease.

We recommend that pregnant or breastfeeding women contact their healthcare practitioner prior to consuming MOSH to ascertain whether consumption is safe.

MOSH protein bars are available to purchase online at www.moshlife.com, Amazon, Thrive Market, and select fine retailers including Erewhon Markets. MOSH is also now in Sprouts!