L-Citrulline in MemoHoney: The Amino Acid That Becomes Arginine
Quick answerYour body converts citrulline into arginine, and that arginine then supplies nitric oxide. A MemoHoney capsule prints 200 mg of it, half as HCl and half as malate. Blood pressure trials used gram doses with mixed results. Citrulline might lower blood pressure, so ask first if you take heart, blood pressure or ED medicine.
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- Where it is named
- Printed with its own amount on the Supplement Facts panel
- Amount per capsule
- 200 mg (100 mg HCl + 100 mg malate)
- Doses used in studies
- Gram doses in blood pressure trials (Khalaf et al., 2019)
- Share of the studied dose
- A small fraction
- Also called
- Citrulline hydrochloride
What sets L-citrulline apart from other amino acids?
L-citrulline is an amino acid, but the body does not use it to build protein. It sits in the middle of a recycling loop. That loop turns citrulline into arginine and back again.
In MemoHoney, citrulline takes up two of the seven label lines. It is the second-largest ingredient after arginine. You can see its place on the ingredients page.
Most citrulline research is about exercise and blood pressure. Memory is not the main topic of that work.
How does citrulline become arginine?
Once absorbed, citrulline is turned into arginine. A study in healthy adults found that swallowing citrulline lifted blood arginine further than an equal amount of arginine did (Schwedhelm et al., 2008). Arginine taken by mouth is partly broken down in the gut and liver first. Citrulline gets past that step more easily.
- Swallowed
Citrulline reaches the gut with the capsule and its glass of water.
- Absorbed
It passes into the blood with less breakdown along the way.
- Converted
The kidneys turn much of it into arginine.
- Used
Vessel linings turn the new arginine into nitric oxide.
That link explains why the two so often share a label. The L-arginine page explains the nitric oxide step in detail.
How much citrulline does MemoHoney list?
- 100 mgL-citrulline HCl
- 100 mgL-citrulline malate
- 200 mgBoth lines together
Both lines are salt forms. HCl is a hydrochloride. Malate comes from malic acid, the sour compound in apples.
The printed weights include those partners. The actual citrulline content therefore falls slightly short of 200 mg. The label does not print the exact split; see the Supplement Facts page for the panel as printed.
Why does the label list two citrulline forms?
The label does not explain the choice. Pairing a hydrochloride with a malate is common in sports formulas. The label makes no claim about why both are used.
For you, the practical point is simple. Both lines are citrulline, and both count toward the same total. If you also use a workout powder, check its label for citrulline malate so you know your full daily amount.
What the label makes clear
- Each form has its own printed amount
- No proprietary blend hides the split
- One capsule a day keeps the total easy to track
What it leaves open
- Carrier weight is not broken out
- 200 mg is far below trial doses
- Workout products may add more citrulline on top
What doses did citrulline studies use?
| Source | Who or what | Dose | Finding | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khalaf et al., 2019 | Review of arginine and citrulline trials | Gram doses | Some trials showed modest blood pressure drops; results varied | (Khalaf et al., 2019) |
| Schwedhelm et al., 2008 | Healthy volunteers | Oral citrulline vs oral arginine | Citrulline raised blood arginine more efficiently | (Schwedhelm et al., 2008) |
| MemoHoney label | Not a study | 200 mg a day | The capsule itself has never been trialed | Label image |
The trials in the 2019 review used grams of citrulline. Some showed modest blood pressure drops, but results varied and long-term data are thin (Khalaf et al., 2019).
A capsule with 200 mg is a small fraction of those amounts. Nobody has tested that dose alone.
L-citrulline vs L-arginine: what is the difference?
| Point | L-citrulline | L-arginine |
|---|---|---|
| Main job in the body | Turned into arginine, mostly by the kidneys | Used directly to make nitric oxide and protein |
| Amount in one MemoHoney capsule | 100 mg HCl plus 100 mg malate, 200 mg total | 200 mg base plus 200 mg AKG, 400 mg total |
| Raises blood arginine | More efficiently, in one study of healthy volunteers | Less efficiently when taken by mouth |
| Studied doses | Grams per day in pressure studies | 4 to 24 g a day in pressure studies |
| Medicine caution | May add to blood pressure drugs and nitrates | Can stack with pressure drugs, nitrates and ED pills |
Think of citrulline as an indirect road to the same place. Both end at arginine and nitric oxide. That shared ending is also why their medicine cautions look alike.
Honest note: is there memory evidence for citrulline?
We found no review showing that citrulline improves memory in healthy people. Nobody has published a study of MemoHoney. Health agencies say supplements have not been shown to prevent dementia (NCCIH, Supplements for cognitive function).
A little forgetfulness often comes with age. Memory loss that gets in the way of daily life should be checked, since some causes can be treated (NIA, Memory problems and aging). The page on the name and the label explains what the capsule is, and is not.
Is citrulline safe with heart or blood pressure medicine?
Talk to your doctor before mixing
Citrulline might lower blood pressure, so it may add to the effect of blood pressure drugs and nitrates (WebMD, L-citrulline). Because it turns into arginine, the arginine cautions also apply, including ED pills such as sildenafil (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine).
A heart attack trial found no benefit and more deaths with arginine (Schulman et al., JAMA 2006). That trial did not test citrulline. Still, since citrulline raises arginine, anyone who has had a heart attack should ask a cardiologist first.
Feeling woozy or faint when you get up is the sign to watch. The side effects page covers what to do next.
Which readers should clear citrulline with a doctor?
Check with your doctor first if this sounds like you
- People who take any blood pressure medicine
- People who use nitroglycerin or other nitrates for chest pain
- People who take ED pills such as sildenafil
- Anyone who has had a heart attack or lives with another heart condition
- Anyone who often feels dizzy or faint when standing
- Anyone pregnant, nursing or not yet 18 (a label caution)
Take the bottle itself, or a clear label photo, to that appointment. Your doctor can weigh the citrulline and arginine together. The who it is for page has a short self-check.
Which foods contain citrulline or support it?
Watermelon is the classic source of citrulline. The amino acid was named after the melon's Latin name. Other melons, cucumbers and squash hold smaller amounts.
Nuts, seeds, beans and other protein foods add arginine instead. Food amounts vary with ripeness, variety and portion size.
If you eat a varied diet, you already take in both amino acids. No food list replaces advice from your own doctor.
Citrulline questions people type into search
What is L-citrulline used for?
It is sold mainly in workout and “nitric oxide” products. The body turns it into arginine, which is used to make nitric oxide.
Does L-citrulline beat L-arginine?
For raising blood arginine, one study found citrulline worked more efficiently than the same amount of arginine. That does not prove it works better for any health goal.
What is the citrulline total per MemoHoney capsule?
The label lists 200 mg per capsule: 100 mg of citrulline HCl and 100 mg of citrulline malate. Part of each weight is the carrier.
Does L-citrulline help memory?
No review shows that it improves memory in healthy people. Its research is mostly about blood pressure and exercise.
Does L-citrulline clash with blood pressure pills?
Ask your doctor first. Citrulline might lower blood pressure, so it may add to the effect of blood pressure drugs.
Is it safe to take citrulline with nitroglycerin or ED pills?
Check with your doctor before you combine them. Nitrates and ED pills such as sildenafil also lower blood pressure, and the effects may add up.
What foods have citrulline?
Watermelon is the best-known source; the name comes from its Latin name, Citrullus. Other melons and cucumbers have smaller amounts.
What is citrulline malate?
It is citrulline joined to malic acid, the form often found in workout powders. The printed weight counts the malate part too.
Is L-citrulline known for side effects?
Few are known for short courses; WebMD calls it possibly safe in the short term. The bigger worry is that it might lower blood pressure, especially alongside medicines that do the same.
Is 200 mg of citrulline enough to do anything?
Nobody has tested that amount on its own. Blood pressure trials used grams, so 200 mg is a small fraction of the studied doses.
Want the full formula? See MemoHoney packs
One capsule a day, 30 per bottle, with every amount printed on the label and no honey in it. Packs start at $49 a bottle on 6 bottles, with a 60-day money-back window. On heart or blood pressure medicine? Check with your doctor first.
