Improving and maintaining brain health — from playing computer games to taking supplements — is the latest "hot" health topic for aging boomers.

Now comes Harvard University with a study saying there is a natural way to energize your brain, sharpen decision-making skills and feel more alert.

And the researchers are not talking about a grande-size coffee from Starbucks.

Replenishing brain cells with Citicoline, a natural substance found in all living things, has few negative side-effects of stimulants like caffeine but many of the benefits, says Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, lead researcher on the project and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

All of her research focuses on brain imaging. She recently presented the findings about Citicoline at a conference of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego.

"Most people assume if they are eating healthfully they are getting the nutrients needed for their brain to thrive," she says. "That may not be the case. As we age, some nutrients may become less available making supplementation beneficial."

And when choosing a supplement brand, Yurgelun-Todd says, it's important to take a good quality, pure product for all the obvious reasons.

QUESTION: I'm assuming Citicoline is a supplement that's available in health food stores? How do we know how much to take?ANSWER: Yes, it's in health food stores. And the doses vary from 500 to 2000 mgs. If you get good results at 500 mg, you don't need the 2000 mg dose.

QUESTION: Does Citicoline supplement only benefit an aging brain?ANSWER: There is some suggestion that Citicoline may help attention deficit disorder. We haven't done those experiments yet but they are being planned.