What is choline and why does it matter for health?

Do you know what choline is? Learn what choline is, plus why it's important for health.

What is choline?

Choline is a water-soluble vitamin essential for brain, liver, muscle, and heart health.

Your body makes choline in small amounts. That’s why you must obtain choline from your diet.

Why is choline important for health?

Choline has numerous functions in your body. Choline is what helps produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is vital for memory, mood, and muscle control. It is a key compound for cell membranes and also supports gene expression and fat metabolism.

Choline deficiency can lead to muscle and liver damage, as well as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a.k.a. fatty liver disease. Choline deficiency is rare, especially among nonpregnant individuals.

Choline and pregnancy

Choline supports multiple processes in a baby’s development.

For example, it is essential for placental development and function, helping the placenta form new cells, grow new blood vessels, and transport nutrients to the fetus. Choline is what supports neural tube development and the synthesis of new cells and neurotransmitters for both the mother and the fetus.

Most prenatal supplements contain minimal to no choline because choline is such a large molecule to include in pills. Therefore, it is vital to consume sufficient amounts from food sources or an additional supplement.

Other health benefits of choline

Besides its role in pregnancy, choline has other benefits to support your health at various life stages.

Choline and brain health

Choline supports brain health by building membranes, enabling neurotransmitter communication, and influencing memory and cognition.

Specifically, choline influences brain health by:

• Helping to create the compounds needed to support cell membrane structures
• Producing acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter for attention, learning, and memory
• Supporting fetal neural tube development during pregnancy

Choline and liver health

Choline is vital for liver health because it helps with the movement of fat out of the liver, supports cell membranes, and prevents fat accumulation in the liver.

What is the right amount of choline?

There is no set recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for choline since there's insufficient data. But there is an adequate intake level, which reflects the recommended average daily nutrient intake level.

The adequate intake for choline is 425 mg per day for women and 550 mg per day for men. The Institute of Medicine established choline’s adequate intake during pregnancy and lactation as 450 mg and 550 mg, respectively.

Food sources of choline

Choline exists in plant and animal foods, such as:

• Beef liver
• Hard-boiled eggs (egg yolks are a significant source of choline)
• Soybeans
• Chicken breast
• Cod
• Red potatoes
• Wheat germ
• Kidney beans
• Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese

You can check the choline content of your food using MyNetDiary.

How to track choline in MyNetDiary

MyNetDiary makes it easy to track your choline intake. Go to your Dashboard, then select “Configure Dashboard” at the bottom. Tap “Customize Dashboard” and scroll down until you see "Choline" on the list of nutrients. Press the “+” sign to add it to your Dashboard for easy monitoring.

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Nutrients->Other Vitamins & Minerals Other Health Issues->Pregnancy & Breastfeeding