Choline

Background 

Choline is an essential nutrient that supports many critical functions throughout the body, including brain health, liver function, cellular structure, and fat metabolism. Although the body can produce small amounts of choline, it cannot make enough to meet its needs, making dietary intake important. Choline is naturally found in foods such as eggs, beef, fish, poultry, dairy products, soybeans, and cruciferous vegetables. 

Choline serves as a building block for phospholipids, which form the structure of every cell membrane, and is a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, learning, muscle control, and nervous system communication. Because of these diverse roles, choline has become an important nutrient for supporting cognitive health, healthy aging, and overall metabolic function. 

Traditional Uses 

Choline itself was not identified as an essential nutrient until the 20th century, but choline-rich foods have long been recognized as valuable sources of nourishment. Foods such as eggs and organ meats have been prized across cultures for supporting growth, strength, and vitality. 

Today, choline is widely recognized for its role in supporting brain function, healthy liver metabolism, nervous system health, and normal fat transport throughout the body. It is also an important nutrient during pregnancy and throughout life to help support healthy cellular function. 

What Does Science Tell Us? 

Choline plays a central role in many of the body's most important biological processes. One of its primary functions is serving as a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that supports memory, learning, attention, and muscle contraction. Adequate choline intake helps maintain healthy communication between nerve cells throughout the brain and nervous system. 

Choline is also essential for maintaining healthy cell membranes. It is required to produce phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, two phospholipids that provide structure and integrity to cells throughout the body. 

Another well-established role of choline is supporting liver health and fat metabolism. Research shows that choline is necessary for the production of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), which transport fats out of the liver. Adequate choline intake helps maintain normal fat metabolism and supports healthy liver function. 

Emerging research also suggests that choline supports cardiovascular health through its involvement in homocysteine metabolism. As a methyl donor, choline helps convert homocysteine into methionine, supporting healthy methylation pathways and normal cardiovascular function. 

Because choline participates in brain function, cellular integrity, liver health, and methylation, maintaining adequate intake is essential for supporting overall health throughout every stage of life. 

Safety 

Choline is generally recognized as safe when consumed within recommended amounts from foods and dietary supplements. It is an essential nutrient with an established Adequate Intake (AI), and the National Academies have established a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for supplemental intake. 

At higher supplemental doses, some individuals may experience mild digestive discomfort, nausea, increased sweating, or a fishy body odor due to the production of trimethylamine. These effects are uncommon at typical dietary supplement levels. 

Individuals who are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition should consult a healthcare professional before beginning supplementation. 

References 

  1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Choline Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/ 
  2. Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. National Academies Press. 1998. 
  3. Zeisel SH, da Costa KA. Choline: An essential nutrient for public health. Nutrition Reviews. 2009;67(11):615-623. 
  4. Wallace TC, Blusztajn JK, Caudill MA, et al. Choline: The underconsumed and underappreciated essential nutrient. Nutrition Today. 2018;53(6):240-253. 
  5. Derbyshire E, Obeid R. Choline, neurological development and brain function: A systematic review focusing on the first 1,000 days. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1731.