Table of Contents
Uridine Monophosphate (UMP or 5′-uridylic acid) is a pyrimidine nucleoside found in all living organisms ranging from humans to bacteria.
Uridine is one of 4 repeating units that make up RNA (Ribonucleic Acid). RNA and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) are the main information carrying molecules in each of your cells. Uridine is so important to brain development that it is included in human baby formulas.[i]
Uridine is essential for optimized cognition and memory throughout your life. When taken as a nootropic supplement, Uridine Monophosphate easily crosses the blood-brain barrier.[ii] UMP has much better bioavailability than dietary sources of uridine.
CDP-Choline levels are increased once uridine reaches your brain. CDP-Choline is required for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC). PC in turn is a precursor of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). Increased levels of PC and acetylcholine improves cognitive function.
Uridine is also a major building block for the synthesis of neurons and synapses. And uridine enhances the growth of neurites, which are projections from neurons that facilitate connections with other neurons.[iii]
Uridine Monophosphate helps:
- Mood. Uridine helps boost the release of dopamine in your brain. Leading to better mood, alertness and cognition.
- Neurotransmitters. Uridine is a precursor to the synthesis of acetylcholine.[iv] And boosts the release of dopamine in the brain.
- Neuroprotectant. Uridine is a precursor to the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC). A phospholipid that is a primary component of healthy cell membranes. Uridine also enhances neurite and synapse growth.
Overview
Uridine Monophosphate (UMP or 5′-uridylic acid) is a pyrimidine nucleoside that is one of 4 components that make up RNA (ribonucleic acid). RNA is a molecular cousin of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA are the memory bank for all living organisms.
RNA works as a messenger molecule, carrying the blueprint provided by DNA to tiny cellular factories called ribosomes. Ribosomes are in charge of protein synthesis and use the blueprint sent over from DNA by RNA to produce the right protein for the job required.
The bottom line is that without uridine to make up RNA, DNA couldn’t get the info out for proteins to be synthesized. And life as we know it would cease to exist.
Our bodies create some uridine. And we get uridine from the RNA of foods we eat including beets, beer, broccoli, fish, mushrooms, oats, parsley, sugar cane, tomatoes, and brewer’s yeast. Beer provides some of the highest uridine content of all the foods tested.
The problem is most of the uridine we get from food never makes it from our digestive system to our brain. So we need to supplement with uridine monophosphate (UMP) to experience the benefits of uridine.
Uridine does much more than merely act as a building block of RNA. Uridine acts in the formation of neurotransmitters, and the creation of new synapses.
Adding uridine monophosphate to your stack can help improve alertness, focus, memory, learning ability and mood.
Researchers have found that Uridine Monophosphate alone can improve memory. But stacking UMP with DHA (Omega-3) and choline works in synergy, increasing the number of synapses. Resulting in improved cognition.[v]
How does Uridine Monophosphate work in the Brain?
Uridine Monophosphate boosts brain health and function in several ways. But two in particular stand out.
- Uridine improves memory. Uridine helps boost learning and memory in several ways. Uridine helps the growth of new synapses in your brain, increases signaling between neurons, and assists in the formation of acetylcholine (ACh).
Memory is largely dependent on neuroplasticity which is associated with the ability to learn and form memories. This process of turning experiences into memories relies on the growth of new neurons (neurogenesis), new synapses (synaptogenesis), dendrite formation, and network reorganization.
New neurons (neurogenesis) are encased in a phospholipid layer made up partly of phosphatidylcholine (PC). PC is made from CDP-Choline which is produced with the help of uridine.[vi] Supplementing with uridine gives your brain the ability to create more phospholipids by providing an abundance of CDP-Choline. Resulting in new and stronger neurons.
Uridine is a precursor to the formation of CDP-Choline which is a precursor to the formation phosphatidylcholine (PC). PC separates into choline and sphingomyelin in your brain. Choline is then available to form acetylcholine (ACh). Optimal ACh levels is crucial for cognitive performance.[vii]
Uridine also helps increase synapse formation (synaptogenesis) by enhancing neurite growth. Uridine signals this outgrowth by activating the P2Y2 receptor which controls neuron differentiation and synaptic protein synthesis.[viii]
- Uridine impacts mood. Uridine stimulates the release of the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter dopamine from dopamine receptors in your brain.
Brain phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine (PC) are required for cellular growth and repair, and specifically for synaptic function. PC synthesis is controlled by levels of its precursor CDP-Choline which is produced from cytidine triphosphate (CTP) and phosphocholine.
Researchers found that uridine supplementation boosted levels of CDP-Choline. By promoting the synthesis of uridine triphosphate (UTP), which was partly converted to CTP.
Uridine also enhanced neurite outgrowth with the help of nerve growth factor (NGF). The research team found that dopamine release correlated with neurite outgrowth influenced by UMP.[ix]
Increased levels of dopamine has a significant affect on mood, learning and attention.
How things go bad
Uridine levels decline as we age. And if you were not breast-fed as a baby, you started life at a deficit. Breast milk provides the uridine required for optimal brain growth.
↓ Cognition, memory, recall, reaction time and mood diminish
↓ Brain cell membranes degenerate
↓ Neurotransmitter levels decline
↓ Neurons and synapses decline
All of these changes in brain energy metabolism are contributing factors to neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, epilepsy, and dementia.
But even if you’re not concerned with age-related cognitive decline, or the effects of aging, Uridine Monophosphate can help.
Uridine Monophosphate benefits
Uridine plays a critical role in the pyrimidine metabolism in your brain.[x] In the simplest terms, uridine monophosphate promotes neuron and synapse growth and DNA repair.[xi]
Benefits reported by neurohackers include; uplifting and stabilizing mood, reducing stress and OCD symptoms, a reduction in anxiety, and modulating and normalizing dopamine release.
Adding uridine monophosphate to your nootropic stack helps:
- Reduce general cognitive decline
- Increase free phosphatidylcholine (PC)
- Increase acetylcholine in your brain
- Increase receptor (neurogenesis), and synapse (synaptogenesis) densities
- Improve cellular phospholipid membrane health
- Boost learning and memory
How does Uridine Monophosphate feel?
Neurohackers report the effects of uridine monophosphate (UMP) supplementation is most pronounced when stacked with DHA or Omega-3’s.
UMP elevates mood and relieves depression. Feelings of “well-being’ are enhanced. And verbal fluidity, memory and focus are all noticed at doses as low as 150 mg of UMP.
Those dealing with ADHD report that uridine monophosphate increases cognition without causing anxiety or mood changes. This is backed up by science that shows uridine reduces the side effects associated with medication that effects dopamine and GABA neurotransmission.[xii]
Others report that uridine monophosphate helps bring clarity of thought, resolving problems is faster and easier, math is easier, and making decisions from a clear emotional state simplifies life.
The common thread through most reviews on uridine monophosphate is greater success when taking uridine with a choline supplement like Alpha GPC and Omega-3’s. This synergy is backed up by multiple clinical human trials.
Uridine Monophosphate Clinical Research
We have plenty of research on uridine monophosphate. But most of the studies and trials have been done using animals. Likely because uridine is naturally found in every cell of the human body. It’s a key element in a chain of four molecules that make up the RNA chain.
And since uridine is a natural element, it cannot be patented. So very little money can be made by the large pharmaceutical companies since UMP can’t be sold as a “drug”.
The clinical evidence that we do have for uridine monophosphate strongly suggests that it is a powerful and useful nootropic.
Uridine Supplementation Boosts Intelligence
Consumption of certain nutrients can influence brain function even if you’re not trying to “fix a problem”. We know that supplemental DHA (Omega-3) can improve cognition in humans. DHA makes up 60% of your brain and is most prominent in the phospholipid membrane of each of your brain cells.
Adding DHA to your nootropic stack has also been shown to increase the density of dendritic spines in the hippocampus which enhances synaptic transmission.[xiii]
Researchers have found that supplemental Uridine Monophosphate (UMP) also promotes synthesis of synaptic phosphatides. But scientists found that taking DHA with Uridine has an even greater effect on synthesis of synaptic phosphatides. Greater than taking each nootropic on its own.
Scientists also found that combining DHA with Uridine Monophosphate and choline amplifies increases in dendritic density in the hippocampus.
In one very detailed study with gerbils, researchers found that supplementing uridine, DHA, and choline significantly increased learning and memory in the young animals.[xiv]
Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal said of this study, “Now that we know how to make gerbils smarter, it’s not too far a stretch to hope that people’s intelligence can also be improved. Quite frankly, this can’t happen soon enough, as every environmentalist, advocate of evolution and war opponent will attest.”
The synergy of these three nootropics (DHA, Uridine Monophosphate, and choline) in boosting learning and memory are powerful motivation for any neurohacker to add these supplements to their stack.
Uridine Monophosphate Fights Depression
Research has confirmed the antidepressant effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Associate Professor of Psychiatry William A. Carlezon Jr. of Harvard also found that uridine, a compound found in sugar beets and molasses, has similar effects. And when both Omega-3 and uridine were used in combination, there were found to be effective at lower doses of each.
Professor Carlezon speculated that the antidepressant effects of Omega-3 and uridine were caused by affecting fats in the brain. Making membranes more resilient eased the flow of neurotransmitters.
An imbalance of neurotransmitters is thought to be a cause of depression.
To test this theory, the Professor and his colleagues put rats through a 15-minute swim test during which the animals eventually stopped trying to climb out of the water tank and became largely immobile. Just enough to keep their heads above water.
After the test, the rats were dried off with a towel, placed in a warm enclosure for 30 minutes and then returned to their cages. The next day, rats were retested for 5 minutes each. And the rats that had not received enough omega-3’s or uridine became motionless much less quickly.
The researchers equate the onset of immobility in rats to depression in humans. The animals that received either Omega-3 or uridine, or lower doses of both, continued to swim around.
Professor Carlezon said of the study, “They seem to be protected from the ability of stress to cause depression”.
Adding Omega-3’s or uridine monophosphate to your stack can help you avoid depression. For an even more pronounced antidepressant effect, combine Omega-3’s with uridine monophosphate, but at lower doses of each.[xv]
Uridine Monophosphate May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s researchers agree that cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s patients is caused by loss of brain synapses. Researchers at MIT had a theory that restoring some of these synapses could provide an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s.
An MIT team reported in Brain Research that rodents given a cocktail of DHA (Omega-3), uridine and choline showed a greatly increased concentration of dendritic spines. These dendrites receive messages in postsynaptic neurons.
The head of the research team Professor Richard Wurtman said of the study that synapse regeneration had occurred. To Alzheimer’s researchers, this synapse regeneration was very unusual and came as a surprise.
In this study, some of the rats received all three compounds (Omega-3, uridine and choline), and some received only one. The improvements in synapse growth and cognitive ability were greatest in the rats given all three.[xvi]
Other research ongoing for at least the last 15 years shows that early treatment using “diet” could significantly slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
I would argue that most neurohackers supplementing with Omega-3’s, uridine monophosphate and choline could avoid Alzheimer’s altogether.
Published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, a study from the University of Eastern Finland and conducted throughout Europe proved you could reduce dementia risk. And reduce amyloid accumulation in Alzheimer’s mouse models.
The results of this study showed that even slight changes in the composition of the diet may, under a sufficiently long period of time and at an early stage of the disease, lead to significant changes in brain metabolism and improved memory performance.[xvii]
The supplements used in this study included uridine-monophosphate, phospholipids, B-vitamins, and antioxidants. This combination has been put into a new supplement called “Souvenaid” (Amazon) which is undergoing clinical trials in Europe and the United States.
Uridine Monophosphate Recommended Dosage
Recommended dosage of Uridine Monophosphate (UMP) for nootropic benefit is 150 – 250 mg per day twice per day.
I recommend taking Uridine Monophosphate with a good multivitamin that includes the B-Vitamin group and a broad range of trace minerals including magnesium.
For the best results stack Uridine Monophosphate with Omega-3’s that include at least 700 mg of DHA and 300 mg of EPA. I highly recommend Performance Lab® Omega-3.
Introduce a good choline source after a couple of weeks of supplementing with uridine monophosphate. Start with 50 mg of Alpha GPC or CDP Choline. And increase your dose depending on response to 300 mg.
If you find that choline supplementation increases depression, stop using choline and try using ALCAR as an alternative.
Everyone’s body chemistry is different. To find the optimal dose of uridine monophosphate for you will take patience and some experimentation. Too little UMP and you won’t see any benefit for a long time. Too much uridine and you’ll feel emotionally dull and/or overly focused.
Uridine Monophosphate Side Effects
Uridine is produced naturally in your body. So is considered well-tolerated and safe. Taking uridine monophosphate with food may help avoid any side effects.
Neurohackers report only minor side effects like a decrease in emotions (feeling like a robot). But this has only been noted at very high doses of uridine monophosphate.
If you do not respond well to B-Vitamins or SAM-e, you may not enjoy the benefits of UMP. To learn more about the methylation-factor involved in this reaction for some people, you can read about methylation here.
Type of Uridine to buy
Uridine Monophosphate (UMP) is available in capsule and powder form. UMP is water soluble and can be taken sublingually.
Sublingual doses are reported to be up to 7 – 10-times the equivalent dose compared to using Uridine Monophosphate orally or by swallowing a capsule.
Triacetyluridine (TAU) comes in capsules, and is fat soluble. TAU is up to 4 -7-times stronger when taken orally compared to Uridine Monophosphate.
Neurohackers report that Uridine Monophosphate is more effective, and a better value than TAU.
Nootropics Expert Recommendation
Uridine Monophosphate 150 – 250 mg twice per day
I recommend using Uridine Monophosphate (UMP) as a nootropic supplement.
Your body does make some uridine on its own. And you get uridine from the food you eat. But research has shown that your body does not retain enough of a usable form of uridine for cognitive benefit.
Uridine Monophosphate is critical for the formation of RNA (ribonucleic acid). The main messenger molecule needed to transfer DNA’s blueprints for protein synthesis.
Uridine is a precursor in the synthesis of CDP Choline. Which is a precursor to the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC). PC is required for the synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh).
Uridine enhances the release of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. And this release of the neurotransmitter dopamine by using Uridine supplements enhances the growth of neurons and synapses.
Uridine Monophosphate is especially helpful if you’re dealing with stress or depression.
I suggest a dose of 150 – 250 mg of Uridine Monophosphate twice daily. It takes a while to feel the effects of uridine monophosphate. But you can amplify the effects of Uridine by stacking it with 300 mg of Alpha GPC or CDP Choline and 700-1,000 mg of DHA (Omega-3).
Do not push it by taking more than the recommended dose of UMP. You may experience unwanted side effects.
Join The Discussion - 145 comments
monica
December 11, 2019
I started taking Uridine Monophosphate and 2 week later I got shingles. I feel these two things are linked due to the spark in the nerves and shingles hides in your nerves till it wakes up one day. I am only 30 so it is odd to get a shingles outbreak at this age.
How long does Uridine Monophosphate stay in your system? I stopped taking one month ago due to the shingles. I’m hoping it has cleared my system and will not cause any other negative affects.
David Tomen
December 12, 2019
Monica, shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. This virus can lay dormant for years and can get reactivated by things like increased stress, trauma, HIV, drugs that suppress your immune system, or certain cancers.
Uridine is not a trigger for shingles and I’m not aware of any mechanism of action that is related in any way to a shingles outbreak. It must be a coincidence. But I wish you the best and get well soon Monica.
Matthew Weiss
November 21, 2019
Since UMP converts to CDP-Choline, does it increase serotonin in any noticeable way? If so, how by how much? I ask because I cannot tolerate serotonin.
Henry
November 21, 2019
Greetings David!
I take Mind Lab Pro daily. I also take Performance Lab Energy a few times a week (when I need the extra boost) with great results. After reading up on Uridine Monophosphate I’m thinking of including it in my daily stack. I would like to know your thoughts… I’m also considering NAC.
Thank you for your input.
David Tomen
November 21, 2019
Henry, both are good ideas and would go well with your current stack.
Matthew Weiss
November 20, 2019
Hi David,
How much CDP-Choline is yielded from supplementing with Uridine? I ask because I have to avoid supplements which increase serotonin, CDP-Choline being one of them. Is UMP likely to increase serotonin measurably via conversion to CDP-Choline? Thanks.
Matt
David Tomen
November 21, 2019
Matthew, I don’t think it’s possible to tell exactly how much CDP-Choline will be produced. Because there are too many variables including transporters, your blood-brain barrier health, and likely a few other things (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16769123). It does increase dopamine levels which naturally suppresses serotonin.
Malik
November 18, 2019
So Mr David do you think this is the most effective nootropic in creating dopamine receptors , if not what do you think is ?
David Tomen
November 21, 2019
Malik, better options are Sulbutiamine, N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC) and Vitamin B8 (Inositol).
Ranold Oree
April 28, 2020
For the most effective creation of dopamine receptors are these (Sulbutiamine, N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC) and Vitamin B8 (Inositol)) Taken separately or as a single stack?
David Tomen
April 28, 2020
Ranold, take them in a single stack following the dosage recommendations for each.
Ranold Oree
April 29, 2020
Thank you.
MOHAMMAD ALSAAD
November 3, 2019
Hello David
I have a history with Neuroendocrine tumor and still recovering in the small bowel (speared years before I started to use nootropics) and since there are some researches that show some connection between uridine and tumors, I think it’s safer for me to replace it from my stack.
Please, I would like to know what do you think are the healthiest substitutes for Uridine?
David Tomen
November 3, 2019
Mohammad, if you go back and read this review from top to bottom you’ll realize that there is no substitute for Uridine. Because your body and brain need uridine.
It would be more helpful to you if you shared with me what you are trying to accomplish by using Uridine. Once I know your end goal I may be able to suggest other nootropics.
Mohammad Alsaad
November 4, 2019
Thank you David, for all the efforts you have put in your studies and articles.
My goal from using Uridine Monophosphate
to mainly improve Synapses growth and connectivity, improve CDP-Choline function, and boost my dopamine.
not sure if my RNA blocks need improving.
I usually Stack it with Sulbutiamine, Alpha GPC, DHA, and Mindlab pro.
Thanks for your efforts.
Shawn
October 12, 2019
Does Uridine help repair upregulate dopamine receptors? I’m looking for something to help upregulate/repair my dopamine receptors… any ideas?
David Tomen
October 14, 2019
Shawn, it does. Uridine enhances neurite outgrowth with the help of nerve growth factor (NGF). Studies show that dopamine release is correlated with neurite outgrowth influenced by supplementing with Uridine Monophosphate.
Mick
October 8, 2019
Thanks David