Uridine monophosphate is a very popular supplement, used for its cognition-enhancing properties. It's included in many nootropic blends and a lot of experienced smart drug users include uridine in their stacks.

This interesting nootropic is known to increase dopamine and acetylcholine levels in the brain. These neurotransmitters are known to play a crucial role in memory, learning, motivation, and focus, among other things. And they are consistent with the nootropic benefits uridine users have reported which include the following:

Potential Uridine Benefits

• Improved memory
• Improved ability to learn
• Improved mood
• Reduced anxiety
• Improved sleep

So what is uridine monophosphate? We're gonna look at the benefits of supplementing with uridine, potential negative effects, where to buy, dosage, and more. First though, let's take a look at what exactly uridine is.

What Is Uridine?

Uridine is a nucleotide that's naturally present in the human body.¹ It can be found in a number of foods, including sugarcane, tomatoes, yeast, broccoli, and beer.² Yup, that's right: beer. It actually contains high levels or uridine.

DNA and RNA, the building blocks of life, are made up of nucleosides. In RNA, one of those nucleosides is uridine (the others being adenosine, thymidine, cytidine, and guanosine).³ It can be found all throughout the body and in the brain.

Our bodies are capable of creating some uridine and we get some from food, too. However, very little of it actually makes it to our brains.⁴ That's where uridine monophosphate comes in.

Uridine monophosphate is a form of uridine that can cross the blood-brain barrier.⁵ It has been shown to be involved in a number of different brain functions. Uridine increases acetylcholine levels⁶ and is known to affect dopamine release.⁷ These neurotransmitters are known to play an important role in memory, learning, motivation, focus, libido, and pleasure.

Uridine Monophosphate Benefits

Uridine monophosphate has a number of potential benefits which make it a great addition to any nootropic stack or it can be taken by itself. Let's look at some of those benefits now.

Improved Memory & Learning

Supplementing with uridine monophosphate can improve memory. It has been shown to aid in the growth of new synapses in the brain⁸, increase acetylcholine levels⁶, and increase signaling between neurons.⁷

Several animal studies have shown that uridine can improve learning and memory. One study conducted on gerbils showed that uridine monophosphate improved memory and ability to learn.⁹

Another animal study, this one conducted on rats, showed similar improvement in memory.¹⁰ These rats were tested 48 hours after being given uridine monophosphate and their memory retention was significantly improved.

These studies confirm what nootropic users already know. There are hundreds and hundreds of case reports around the internet of people's experiences with uridine. Many users report substantial improvements in memory and learning.

Improved Mood

Another uridine benefit that users report is improved mood. This isn't surprising since uridine is known to influence the way dopamine works in the brain.⁷¹¹

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is known to play a role in mood, pleasure, motivation, arousal, libido, reward, and anxiety.¹² By altering the way dopamine works in certain parts of the brain, uridine is able to improve mood, increase motivation, and affect other aspects of cognitive functioning.

Uridine monophosphate users have reported an increase in several dopamine-related areas. In addition to improved mood, uridine users report increased motivation, better focus, and increased feelings of well-being.

Reduced Anxiety

Another potential uridine benefit is that can help to reduce anxiety. Some uridine monophosphate users report a reduction in anxiety after they started supplementation.

There hasn't been much research done to look at uridine's effect on anxiety. However, one study conducted on rats showed that uridine affects several receptors in the brain known to play a role in anxiety.¹³ While not conclusive, this study supports the claim that uridine can reduce anxiety in some people.

Improved Sleep

Proper sleep is necessary for optimal brain function. Even partial sleep deprivation (not getting enough quality sleep) impairs cognitive and motor function, and can seriously affect your mood.¹⁴

Another uridine benefit that users report is improved sleep. There have been several studies done that support this claim.

One study conducted on rats showed that supplementing with uridine increased slow wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.¹⁵ Another animal study showed that supplementing with uridine caused a mild but long-lasting increase in sleep.¹⁶

Uridine Negative Effects

Uridine monophosphate seems to be very well-tolerated by most people. I couldn't find any cases of anyone having serious negative effects from taking uridine in any of the literature.

That being said, some minor negative effects are possible but unlikely. Some people that take uridine experience upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting. Taking it with food usually eliminates these negative effects.

Uridine Monophosphate Dosage

A standard uridine monophosphate dosage has not yet been established. However, most users find that a dosage of anywhere from 500-1,000 milligrams (mg) is effective.

One study that explored uridine as a treatment for bipolar disorder in teenagers used a dosage of 500 mg twice a day.¹⁷ The participants in the study reported an improvement in mood and no serious negative effects at that dosage.

Uridine monophosphate can be taken with or without food. To avoid experiencing nausea and upset stomach, it's usually suggested that uridine be taken with food.

Some nootropic users like to take sublingual uridine. Sublingual administration is when you let a substance dissolve under the tongue. This route of administration seems to be just as effective as taking it orally and requires a much-lower dosage. Since sublingual uridine hasn't been studied, there's no way to know what an effective dosage would be. For this reason, only experienced nootropic users should use sublingual uridine. But generally, uridine monophosphate is taken orally in either capsule or powder form.

Conclusion

As you can see, uridine monophosphate has a number of potential nootropic benefits. Improved mood, memory, learning, and sleep are all commonly reported by uridine users. And these benefits come with few, if any, negative effects.

You can see if you experience these uridine benefits by adding it to your stack or taking it by itself. Uridine seems to stack well with most other nootropics.

Have you used uridine monophosphate (or any other form of uridine)? What has your experience with it been like? Please leave your answer in the comments section at the bottom. And if you haven't already, please sign up for the Nootropics Zone newsletter below to stay informed about all things nootropic related.

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