Uridine Monophosphate and Your Brain: Can Drinking Beer Make You Healthy?

Hey there, aspiring neurohacker! Uridine monophosphate is a powerful and fascinating nootropic that could unlock better sleep, mood, and cognitive function. Some even claim that its ability to activate dopamine receptors has given them their lives back.

We never make promises we can’t keep, so let’s cover what we do know. Use this guide to uridine monophosphate, its benefits, and its effects on sleep, depression, and dopamine receptors to make the decision for yourself.

WARNING: We’re going to advise you to drink beer…

What is Uridine Monophosphate?

What is Uridine Monophosphate

Uridine monophosphate (5′-uridylic acid) is a nucleotide that is one of the four key components of RNA, the messenger that carries instructions for DNA and is essential for all known forms of life.

5′-uridylic acid is generating buzz among neurohackers and health enthusiasts because it is vital for the healthy function of the central nervous system, and could hold powerful benefits for cognitive function if implemented properly [1]. It’s so essential for life that it’s a major component of breast milk and baby formulas.

Since those two options probably don’t appeal to you at this stage of your life, we’re just going to explain how taking it as a supplement could have a major impact on your mood, sleep, and cognitive function.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty science of uridine monophosphate (UMP).

What Are the Benefits of Uridine?

Uridine benefits include:

Cognition: Your ability to think, deduce, remember, dream, etc. is a result of innumerable neurons and synapses all interconnected in one cognitive dance that we still don’t fully understand. However, uridine is part of a chemical cocktail (along with choline and DHA) that increases synapse density by encouraging the formation of neurons and synapses [2]. Boosting your ability to create thinking cells never hurts! There is evidence that uridine leads to better brain function and memory.

Uridine Monophosphate sleep

How Does Uridine Monophosphate Work in the Brain?

Uridine is present in a number of foods, including tomatoes, broccoli, nuts, and sugarcane extract. However, there is a bit of a problem with getting uridine from your diet:

Our bodies kind of suck at getting uridine from the gut to the brain…

That’s where uridine monophosphate comes in. Since it can cross the blood-brain barrier more easily, it’s more bioavailable than many other forms of uridine. That’s why uridine supplements are becoming so popular.

Did you know?: One of the best natural sources of uridine is BEER. Seriously. Brewer’s yeast is a major component of beer and one of the best ways to get uridine into your system. Please drink responsibly.

Quick Detour: DNA, RNA, and You

dna, rna, and ump

Inside of your cells is DNA, the genetic code of all living things. Think of it like your genetic programming that contains instructions for your growth, development, and functioning (hopefully it’s been tested for bugs).

DNA is structured as a double helix, which is basically just a twisted ladder shape. One major component of that structure is RNA, and one of the major components of RNA is UMP (along with DHA and choline).

OK, now that you’re an expert in biology, let’s pick up where we left off.

Back to Uridine Monophosphate

Uridine increases CDP-choline once it reaches your brain, which in turn is used to synthesize phosphatidylcholine. All of this is necessary for the production of acetylcholine, a vital neurotransmitter. Adding more uridine to your diet may encourage the production of phospholipids via CDP-choline. And phospholipids are what encase new neurons when they are formed.

The brain is complicated, but basically what this boils down to is this: uridine is fuel for cognitive function. It encourages the growth of synapses, communication between neurons, and neural plasticity.

OK, great, so what does this have to do with your happiness, memory, and cognitive function?

Let’s get to it…

Uridine as a Nootropic: What are the Effects on Sleep, Dopamine, Depression, etc.?

Since you’re reading this article, we assume you’re wondering about the nootropic effects of uridine. Is it really a brain-enhancing supplement? Can it really help you take your life back if you’re unhappy? How does it aid mood, sleep, and brain function?

Uridine monophosphate holds great potential, and, unlike many other supplements, has shown results in the lab across numerous disciplines.

Either through age-related decline or simply not getting enough of it, many people experience side effects of not getting enough of UMP. In fact, you may even be experiencing certain issues now if you were never breastfed.

Are you experiencing any of the following?

Memory loss or reaction time issues?

Low mood or increased anxiety?

Brain fog?

Trouble sleeping?

If so, pay special attention to the following. It could help you start living a happier, healthier life.

Uridine and its Effects on Dopamine Release/Receptors

dopamine and uridine

Dopamine is the feel-good chemical. It’s a chemical messenger that sends signals to your brain and is heavily involved in motivation and reward.

Dopamine deficiency is a major cause of psychological issues, lack of motivation, lethargy, and a host of other issues that plague modern society.

If you’re feeling low, tired, or anxious, uridine may be a key component of helping regulate or stabilize your mood.

That’s where UMP comes in. You see, phospholipids (UMP is vital to their production) are important for cell generation and repair, as well as synaptic function. Adding more uridine to your diet could help repair your dopamine receptors and help improve your mood.

The modern world is full of dopamine-killing foods and activities. Processed sugar, caffeine, endless media consumption, sedentary jobs—they all burn out our brain’s ability to feel that natural good feeling dopamine is supposed to give.

Avoiding these activities and encouraging the repair of your brain cells is the first step to a more stable, happier you.

What does science say?: The effects of uridine and dopamine have been encouraging to say the least. One study showed that uridine increased striatal dopamine release in rats [4], while another study showed that uridine and DHA had major restorative effects for dopamine on rats with Parkinson’s disease [5].

Vitamonk’s Experience: We strive to optimize every facet of our lives, so it’s hard to pinpoint any one supplement and say “there, that’s the reason we feel happier.” Still, we take UMP regularly (as well as a number of other supplements) and have noticed elevated mood. We can’t say for sure if it’s just the UMP, though.

Uridine and Sleep

Studies have shown uridine to increase slow-wave sleep patterns and improve sleep in rats. In one study, supplementing uridine resulted in significant increases in sleep in male rats [6].

Getting better, deeper sleep is key to feeling better, having more energy, and improving cognitive function.

Uridine, Depression, and Anxiety

uridine for anxiety and depression

Uridine’s benefits for neurotransmitters that heavily influence mood have encouraged scientists, biohackers, and many others to experiment with it to overcome low mood.

While it can enhance dopamine reception and production and does promote healthy brain function and mood, it’s hard to say that it has any direct effects on depression.

What we do know is that a more stable, well-regulated mood is key to feeling better. So, combining uridine with other life improvements such as exercise, reduced media consumption, and a healthy diet can help you regulate your mood.

Uridine and Improved Memory

You now know that uridine encourages new synapses, neuroplasticity, and neurogenesis. It doesn’t make you a genius just by popping a few pills, but it could have a number of positive effects on learning and memory.

Check this out…

One very detailed study done on gerbils showed that uridine (when combined in a “cocktail” with DHA and choline) resulted in significant increases in phospholipids, which then lead to enhanced cognitive functions like learning and memory [7].

The real interesting aspect here is that the animals in the study were completely healthy. Many studies are done solely on animals with specific conditions. This one showed that even healthy animals (and perhaps humans) can benefit from increased uridine consumption.

Uridine Dose and Side Effects

Uridine is produced naturally by your body, so unless you are supplementing extremely high doses, it should be well-tolerated. There are no major (potential) side effects other than an upset stomach (assuming you stay within a healthy range).

According to anecdotal evidence and lab studies, the recommended dosage is between 150-500 mg.

The optimal dose for uridine depends on you. Too little and you’ll get no effect, too much and you’ll get an upset stomach or may experience odd feelings (we felt some “burn out” after taking high doses). Do a bit of experimenting and see how you feel with 300 mg and go from there.

Where Can I Buy Uridine?

You can buy uridine just about anywhere, but chances are, supplements will be made with harmful artificial ingredients. In the end, taking these supplements do more harm than good since any marginal benefit received from uridine monophosphate is canceled out by the harmful ingredients.

That’s why we were sure to make a uridine monophosphate supplement that helps you perform at your mental peak, lift your mood, and improve cognitive function WITHOUT harmful artificial fillers or byproducts. That way, you can get all of the benefits with none of the side effects.

>>> Click here to read more about our uridine supplement <<<

VitaMonk Uridine Monophosphate Hack!

Hey, Do You Like Cocktails?

Beer is a great source of uridine, but nothing is better than a good uridine cocktail.

No, we don’t mean a margarita with ground up supplements (though that sounds good right now). What we mean is that uridine is best taken in combination with other supplements. These substances synergize with each other to unlock major benefits and take your supplement game to the next level.

If you really want to level up, taking uridine monophosphate and alpha GPC, the best choline supplement that crosses the blood-brain barrier, creates a powerful synergistic effect on the production of acetylcholine. Together, these supplements give you the most powerful, cleanest neural enhancement kick on the market.