Santé Life Elixir: A Non-Alcoholic Lemon Sparkler with Cognizin® Citicoline

Cognizin citicoline keeps showing up outside of energy drinks and pre-workouts. The newest home is Santé Life Elixir, a Mediterranean-style sparkling lemon drink running 0.0% alcohol, 20 calories, and zero caffeine.

The non-alcoholic aisle has grown up fast, and Santé Life Elixir is a polished example of where it's headed. Each can is a sparkling, Mediterranean-inspired lemon drink with 0.0% alcohol, 20 calories, and no caffeine, and the formula includes Cognizin® citicoline, Kyowa Hakko's clinically studied brain-health ingredient, alongside marine collagen, adaptogens, and electrolytes.

Celebration Without Compromise

That's the motto at Santé Life, a Beverly Hills-based brand co-founded by Sonia Dali. The company built Santé for the moments when everyone else is ordering a cocktail: aperitivo hour, dinner parties, weddings, a day by the pool, or a quiet evening at home. The slim 8.4fl oz cans are made to be chilled and poured into a coupe, and the brand describes the experience as "a subtle ritual designed to soften the edges of modern life".

The formula is built to match. Santé pairs Cognizin, which the brand ties to "Refined Focus", with calming ingredients like L-theanine, GABA, and ashwagandha, then adds marine collagen and biotin for a beauty angle. Santé Life sums it up in three words: "Calm. Clear. Elevated." It's a caffeine-free blend made for the sober-curious, Sober October participants, and anyone who wants something special in the glass without the alcohol.

Kyowa Hakko is sponsoring today's educational article, so we're giving Cognizin extra attention below. Before digging in, check PricePlow for Santé Life Elixir availability:

Santé Life Elixir Nutrition Facts

• Calories - 20

• Total Fat - 0g

• Total Carbohydrate - 6g

  • Total Sugars - 3g

    • Added Sugar - 2g

• Protein - <1g

• Vitamins and Minerals

  • Sodium - 5mg (0% DV)

  • Calcium - 10mg (0% DV)

  • Potassium - 20mg (0% DV)

Santé Life Elixir Ingredients

Santé Life hasn't published individual ingredient amounts, so each section covers what the ingredient brings to the formula and what research shows at studied doses, starting with Cognizin.

• Cognizin® Citicoline

  Cognizin® Citicoline is Kyowa Hakko's branded, clinically studied form of citicoline (also called CDP-choline, short for cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine), and it's the ingredient Santé Life ties to "Refined Focus". Your body produces citicoline on its own as a choline donor for building acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine, the main phospholipid in neuronal cell membranes. Once absorbed, its two components, choline and cytidine, readily cross the blood-brain barrier to support those pathways.^[1]

  Oral absorption is virtually complete, and experimental research shows citicoline raises norepinephrine and dopamine levels in the central nervous system without significant systemic cholinergic side effects.^[2]

  Cognizin for Focus and Attention

  Attention is the most relevant research angle for a drink built around "Calm. Clear. Elevated." In a double-blind trial, 60 healthy women aged 40 to 60 took 250mg or 500mg of Cognizin daily for 28 days. Both doses significantly reduced commission errors on a sustained-attention test compared to placebo, and the 250mg group also made fewer omission errors.^[3] A separate two-week trial in 40 healthy young adults found that 500mg of citicoline daily improved vigilance and visual working memory while lowering a marker of oxidative stress.^[4]

  

  Cognizin® Citicoline is dubbed the The Brain Choline not just because it provides choline, but because it also supplies cytidine, which is also needed for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine

  Brain imaging research adds a mechanism. Using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy, researchers found that six weeks of Cognizin at 500mg or 2000mg daily in healthy middle-aged adults increased phosphocreatine by 7% and beta-nucleoside triphosphates (mostly ATP) by 14% in the anterior cingulate cortex, a frontal brain region involved in attention. The changes tended to be larger in the lower-dose group.^[5]

  Cognizin for Memory

  Cognizin also has strong memory research in healthy adults. In a 12-week randomized controlled trial, 100 healthy adults aged 50 to 85 with age-associated memory impairment took 500mg of Cognizin or a placebo daily, and the Cognizin group showed significantly greater improvements in episodic memory and overall composite memory.^[6] We covered this study in detail in Research Study: Cognizin® Citicoline Improves Memory in Older Adults.

  Santé Life hasn't published its per-can Cognizin dose, so we can't yet say how one can compares to the 250mg to 500mg daily doses used in these trials. Either way, Cognizin gives Santé a well-researched, non-stimulant focus ingredient, which makes it a smart anchor for a caffeine-free drink meant for evenings and celebrations.

• Marine Collagen

  Marine Collagen is collagen sourced from fish, typically supplied as hydrolyzed peptides that dissolve easily in drinks. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and three amino acids (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) account for 57% of its amino acid content.^[7] Santé Life calls it "Inner Glow", and skin is where collagen's research is strongest.

  A 2023 meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials with 1,721 participants found that hydrolyzed collagen significantly improved skin hydration and elasticity compared to placebo, and the elasticity results didn't differ significantly by collagen source.^[8] In one well-known trial, women aged 35 to 55 who took 2.5g or 5g of collagen peptides daily for eight weeks saw significant gains in skin elasticity.^[9]

  

  The Nutrition Facts panel lists less than 1g of protein per can, so the collagen here sits below the 2.5g daily dose used in the lowest-dose skin trials. Think of each can as a contribution to your daily collagen intake that rounds out the formula's beauty angle alongside biotin.

• GABA

  GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter, and it's Santé Life's "Soft Unwind" ingredient. In a small human study, oral GABA increased relaxation-associated alpha brain waves and reduced beta waves within an hour. A second experiment in the same paper found that GABA helped maintain salivary immunoglobulin A levels in people with a fear of heights as they crossed a suspension bridge, while levels dropped in the placebo group.^[10] A placebo-controlled crossover study found GABA shortened sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) and increased non-REM sleep time, with blood levels peaking about 30 minutes after intake.^[11]

  The broader evidence is still developing. A 2020 systematic review of 14 placebo-controlled trials found limited evidence for stress benefits and sleep, so GABA is best viewed as a supporting player.^[12] It does have a well-matched partner in this can: in rodent research, a GABA and L-theanine combination shortened sleep latency and extended sleep duration more than either ingredient alone.^[13]

• L-Theanine

  L-Theanine is the amino acid behind green tea's reputation for calm, alert focus, and Santé Life pairs it with "Calm Clarity". In human EEG research, oral L-theanine at 50mg to 200mg increased alpha brain wave activity within 40 minutes, a sign of relaxation without drowsiness.^[14]

  A systematic review of randomized controlled trials concluded that 200mg to 400mg of L-theanine per day may help reduce stress and anxiety in people exposed to stressful conditions.^[15] The benefits extend to attention, too. In a placebo-controlled trial in adults aged 50 to 69, a single dose of L-theanine shortened reaction time on an attention task and improved working memory performance.^[16]

  

  The latest study performed on Cognizin® Citicoline was published in 2021, showing improved memory in healthy older adults.^[17]

  That calm-but-alert profile complements Cognizin's attention support, which makes L-theanine one of the most logical additions to a caffeine-free focus drink.

• Ashwagandha

  Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is the best-known adaptogen in the formula, and Santé Life connects it to "Grounded Balance". Its research base is large and well-known. A 2022 meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials with 1,002 participants found that ashwagandha significantly reduced both stress and anxiety compared to placebo, with the most favorable stress results at 300mg to 600mg per day.^[18] In one dose-ranging trial, stressed adults taking 250mg or 600mg daily saw significant reductions in perceived stress and serum cortisol, along with better sleep quality than the placebo group.^[19]

  Researchers attribute these effects mainly to modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body's central stress-response system, with GABAergic and serotonergic pathways also involved.^[20] That GABAergic overlap gives ashwagandha a natural place next to GABA and L-theanine.

  Extract type matters with this herb, and some concentrated extracts have lowered cortisol and stress scores at just 60mg to 120mg per day in adults with high stress and anxiety.^[21] Santé Life hasn't specified which ashwagandha extract it uses.

• Schisandra

  Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is a berry with a long history in traditional Chinese medicine, but its modern reputation as an adaptogen took shape in the former USSR, where it entered official medicine in the early 1960s after two decades of Russian research.^[22] Santé Life labels it "Vital Essence".

  

  In healthy subjects, that research reported improvements in endurance, accuracy of movement, mental performance, and working capacity, along with shifts in nitric oxide and cortisol levels. Lab studies also show strong antioxidant activity from schisandra preparations, whose main secondary compounds are lignans.^[22]

  Human clinical trials on plant adaptogens remain limited overall, so schisandra is best seen as a complementary adaptogen alongside ashwagandha.^[23]

• Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

  Biotin (vitamin B7) is a water-soluble B vitamin that acts as a cofactor for several enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and the breakdown of branched-chain amino acids.^[24] It's Santé Life's "Beauty Ritual" ingredient, a nod to biotin's popularity in hair, skin, and nail products. Research shows the clearest hair and nail benefits in people with low biotin status or specific hair and nail conditions, so it's best viewed as everyday nutritional support in a beauty-minded formula.^[25]

• Flavor System: Sparkling Lemon

  Santé Life describes the flavor as crisp, Mediterranean-inspired lemon with delicate effervescence and a clean finish that's never overly sweet, and its ingredient chart pairs lemon with "Bright Finish". The Nutrition Facts panel backs up the light touch, with 6g of carbohydrates and 3g of total sugars per can (2g of it added) for 20 calories.

How to Use

• When to drink it: Santé Life says to enjoy it whenever the moment calls for something more considered, from aperitivo hour and dinner to a quiet night in.
• With or without food: Either works, and Santé Life suggests pairing the crisp lemon profile with seafood, salads, pasta, or Mediterranean dishes.
• Other notes: Serve it chilled in a coupe with a lemon peel or straight from the can, and start with one to see how you feel. It contains fish-derived marine collagen, and Santé Life recommends checking with your healthcare provider first if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or managing a medical condition.

Who It's For

• The sober-curious and Sober October crowd: Santé gives you something celebratory to raise at dinners, parties, and weddings, with 0.0% alcohol and 20 calories per can.
• Anyone who wants calm focus without caffeine: With Cognizin, L-theanine, GABA, and ashwagandha in a stimulant-free can, it fits evenings and social settings where caffeine would be the wrong call.
• Hosts and entertainers: Santé Life suggests keeping cans chilled alongside the wine and cocktails, so guests who aren't drinking still get something special in the glass.

Conclusion: Cheers to a Clear Head

Santé means "health" in French, and it's also the word you say when you raise a glass. Santé Life Elixir leans into both meanings. It's a 20-calorie, 0.0% ABV sparkling lemon drink that looks right in a coupe, and its formula is anchored by Cognizin® citicoline, Kyowa Hakko's branded ingredient with human research supporting attention and memory.

That combination separates Santé from a typical mocktail. Cognizin brings non-stimulant cognitive support. L-theanine, GABA, ashwagandha, and schisandra lean toward calm, while marine collagen and biotin add a beauty angle. The result is a caffeine-free mix of focus and relaxation for Sober October, dinner parties, and the evenings in between.

It's also another sign of how far Cognizin has spread beyond energy drinks and pre-workouts. The ingredient has become a go-to nootropic for functional beverages, as we saw at Kyowa Hakko's SupplySide Global 2025 booth, and you can hear the latest Cognizin research straight from Kyowa's team on Episode #163 of the PricePlow Podcast.

Check PricePlow for Santé Life Elixir in 4, 8, 12, and 24-packs, plus the Discovery 4-Pack, and sign up for Santé Life news alerts so you'll hear about new flavors and launches: