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Vitamins & vitamin-like compounds

Uridine

Uridine

Uridine is a naturally occurring nucleoside, often sold as uridine monophosphate (UMP). One Japanese trial reported a memory-test benefit in adults with subjective memory decline, but broader cognitive benefits remain unconfirmed. Compare the exact form, labeled serving amount and relevant study population when assessing nootropic claims.

Memory SupportCellular SupportIsolated CompoundEndogenous CompoundLimited Human EvidenceForm Dependent EvidencePopulation Specific Evidence
Updated October 2026/7 min read/17 citations
Reviewed by the NootropicsIndex editorial team.Method: prioritize cited human research and official safety or regulatory sources; compare retailer-listed prices without endorsing products.Affiliate disclosure
Extra caution

Who should avoid this or get expert review first

This is not a recommendation to use. These groups should treat the profile as a reason to slow down and verify safety, rules, and personal context.

  • During fluorouracil or capecitabine therapy9Avoid unsupervised uridine/UMP use during fluorouracil or capecitabine therapy. Any proposed use requires oncology-team review because a related prescription form can oppose these medicines.
01

What is it?

Uridine, UMP and the disodium salt

2

Uridine is a nucleoside, a sugar-linked building block used in RNA. UMP adds a phosphate group; the disodium salt adds sodium ions. These forms have different molecular masses, so equal milligrams do not mean equal amounts of uridine. Check which form the label measures.

Combination evidence has limits

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A 2020 Cochrane review of three Souvenaid trials found little or no difference on several cognitive measures, alongside a small benefit on one combined cognitive and functional outcome in a specific patient group. The drink contains multiple nutrients, and the trials cannot attribute any result to UMP alone or establish a healthy-adult benefit.

A direct UMP memory trial

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A trial in 99 Japanese adults over 40 with perceived memory decline reported a primary composite-memory benefit in the higher-dose group. The lower-dose results emphasized subgroups. Manufacturer-linked authors and unavailable full text limit appraisal; the finding needs independent replication.

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Names, aliases and forms

Common NameUridine
Chemical NamesUracil riboside; Uridine monophosphate; Uridine 5'-monophosphate disodium salt
AbbreviationUMP
Salt FormDisodium UMP
Cas Numbers58-96-8; 3387-36-8
Molecular FormulaC9H12N2O6
InchikeyDRTQHJPVMGBUCF-XVFCMESISA-N
03

Mechanisms of action

Cell-membrane building blocks

4

Phosphatides are lipids that help form cell membranes. Animal research examines uridine with choline and DHA as precursors for these lipids and the membranes at connections between nerve cells. This supplies a biological rationale, rather than evidence that a UMP stack improves human cognition.

04

Potential effects and evidence map

Grade C: a single manufacturer-linked UMP trial reported a memory signal in adults with subjective decline. Broader efficacy and independent replication remain unresolved; animal, biomarker and multi-nutrient results answer different questions.

Effect domainMagnitudeGrade
Memory / learning15
CumulativeConfidence: Low

One UMP trial reported a memory-test signal in adults with subjective decline.

Note Population-specific finding; effect size and independent replication remain unresolved.

1/5
C
Cellular / long-term brain support4
UnknownConfidence: Low

Uridine contributes to cell-membrane precursor pathways, but this does not establish a lasting brain-health benefit from supplementation.

Note Mechanistic and preclinical rationale, not a clinical outcome.

1/5
D
Focus / attention15
UnknownConfidence: Medium

A reliable broad focus benefit from isolated UMP is unestablished.

Note Exploratory subgroup cognitive findings do not establish a replicated focus benefit.

0/5
E
Mood / wellbeing10
UnknownConfidence: Medium

The cited evidence does not establish a reliable mood benefit from ordinary UMP supplements.

Note No extrapolation from prescription triacetate or other uridine formulations.

0/5
E
05

Typical dosages and timing

Memory-complaint trial: UMP disodium15300-600 mg/day

Two separate daily doses were tested in adults with subjective memory decline. The primary benefit was reported for the higher dose. This is trial context, not a generally validated nootropic regimen.

Single-dose UMP disodium study10500-1000 mg

Separate single doses were tested for appetite in healthy adults. These experimental amounts do not establish a daily cognitive regimen. Check retail serving amounts on the current merchant label.

UMP disodium: two-week trial13300 mg/day

A 2024 trial in 21 healthy young men tested daily UMP during a training pause. It assessed muscle measures rather than cognition, and was small and industry funded. This supplies studied exposure context, not a validated nootropic regimen.

06

Timing & effect horizon

Effect horizonCumulative
Cumulative
Study window15Cumulative
12 weeks
Observation window, not onset15

The memory trial assessed repeated use over its study window. It establishes neither the first day of benefit nor cognitive duration after stopping. A precise UMP The time for blood levels to fall by half during the final elimination phase.Source and cycling schedule remain unestablished.

07

Safety, side effects and risk profile

Known risk and safety gaps13
A small two-week trial in young men reported no observed adverse effects from the UMP test supplement. This supports a minimal known base-risk rating for short oral exposure, but cannot establish safety during long-term daily use or in other populations.
Interaction risk9
Confidence: Low

A potentially serious medication-context concern applies during fluorouracil or capecitabine therapy; the interaction magnitude at UMP supplement doses is unquantified.

Note Related-drug mechanism supports specialist review, not a measured healthy-adult UMP harm rate.

3/5
C
Evidence uncertainty11
Confidence: High

The Danish assessment in 2020 could not exclude adverse effects from its proposed UMP supplement use because dedicated safety data were inadequate.

Note Minimal base risk (1/5) refers to short-term oral UMP use in generally healthy adults. Available studies do not identify a common clinically meaningful or dose-limiting harm; detailed and long-term safety data remain limited. Appetite changes and specialist interactions require separate consideration.

1/5
C
Pregnancy / lactation caution17
Confidence: Low

The registered memory trial excluded pregnant and breastfeeding participants; it cannot establish supplemental UMP safety for these groups.

Note Evidence gap, not evidence of reproductive toxicity. Dietary occurrence does not establish supplement safety.

1/5
E
Appetite may change10

The lower-dose study found increased hunger and lean-mass-dependent food-intake responses. The higher dose lacked a simple appetite increase. Long-term body-weight and metabolic effects remain unresolved.

Different forms and higher doses14

A tiny free-uridine trial at 2 g/day for one week reported one fainting episode with uncertain attribution. Its brain-precursor biomarker changes do not establish a cognitive benefit, and neither its dose nor its safety findings can be transferred directly to UMP capsules.

08

Interactions and cautions

Fluoropyrimidine medicines9

The U.S. triacetate label warns of diminished fluorouracil/capecitabine efficacy outside emergency use. This related prescription form supports a precaution; the risk magnitude at UMP supplement doses is unquantified.

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Legal and regulatory status

U.S. product-class distinction9

As of October 14, 2026, DailyMed lists uridine triacetate as a prescription medicine in the United States. Its label establishes neither UMP supplement approval nor authorization in other jurisdictions.

10

Practical buying and quality notes

  • Use the exact labeled chemical form and total ingredient mass. For capsules, total mass is capsule count multiplied by milligrams of the named ingredient per capsule. For example, 60 capsules containing 250 mg UMP disodium each supply 15 g of that salt; divide the package price by 15 for price per gram. This is serving math, not a dose recommendation. Check current merchant labels when catalog quantities disagree.2
  • Keep free uridine, UMP disodium and multi-ingredient formulas in separate comparisons. A cheap gram of one form is not automatically equivalent to a gram of another. Look for the named ingredient amount, batch identity and purity testing, and a matching certificate of analysis. Include shipping and currency when comparing total cost.2
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FAQ

Is UMP with choline and DHA a proven cognitive stack?

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One small acute study in 20 trained young men tested UMP with alpha-GPC and DHA and found no cognitive difference from placebo. That result does not settle repeated-use stacks or isolate UMP.

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References

  1. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 6029, Uridine.
  2. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 169020, Uridine 5-monophosphate disodium salt.
  3. Cansev M. Uridine and cytidine in the brain: their transport and utilization. Brain Res Rev. 2006;52(2):389-397.
  4. Wurtman RJ, Cansev M, Sakamoto T, Ulus IH. Use of phosphatide precursors to promote synaptogenesis. Annu Rev Nutr. 2009;29:59-87.
  5. Wurtman RJ. A nutrient combination that can affect synapse formation. Nutrients. 2014;6(4):1701-1710.
  6. Holguin S, Martinez J, Chow C, Wurtman R. Dietary uridine enhances the improvement in learning and memory produced by administering DHA to gerbils. FASEB J. 2008;22(11):3938-3946.
  7. Wang L, Albrecht MA, Wurtman RJ. Dietary supplementation with uridine-5'-monophosphate (UMP), a membrane phosphatide precursor, increases acetylcholine level and release in striatum of aged rat. Brain Res. 2007;1133(1):42-48.
  8. de Waal H, Stam CJ, Lansbergen MM, et al. The effect of Souvenaid on functional brain network organisation in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease: a randomised controlled study. PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e86558.
  9. DailyMed. VISTOGARD (uridine triacetate) oral granules, U.S. prescribing information. Updated March 31, 2026.
  10. Hanssen R, Rigoux L, Albus K, et al. Circulating uridine dynamically and adaptively regulates food intake in humans. Cell Rep Med. 2023;4(1):100897.
  11. Poulsen M. Risikovurdering af uridin i kosttilskud. DTU National Food Institute, report 20/1013142. July 7, 2020.
  12. Burckhardt M, et al. Souvenaid for Alzheimer's disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;12:CD011679.
  13. Inoue M, Kubota A, Takazawa Y, et al. 5'-UMP inhibited muscle atrophy due to detraining: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparative study. Front Sports Act Living. 2024;6:1403215.
  14. Agarwal N, Sung YH, Jensen JE, et al. Short-term administration of uridine increases brain membrane phospholipids precursors in healthy adults: a 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy study at 4T. Bipolar Disord. 2010;12(8):825-833.
  15. Nakagawara K, Ishige K, Suzuki N, Takara T. Effects of uridine 5'-monophosphate on cognitive functions in healthy middle-aged and older adults: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group comparison study. Jpn Pharmacol Ther. 2022;50(9):1565-1589.
  16. Bunn JA, Crossley A, Timiney MD. Acute ingestion of neuromuscular enhancement supplements do not improve power output, work capacity, and cognition. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2018;58(7-8):974-979.
  17. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry. UMIN000045507, registered UMP cognitive-function trial. Disclosed September 20, 2021.
Note

This page is informational and summarizes available evidence. It is not medical advice, a recommendation, or a substitute for guidance from a qualified clinician.