Description
Choline is an essential nutrient which plays a role in weight and metabolism, muscle movement, anti-aging, energy, and good brain health [1].
How to Do It
There are two ways to add Choline into your diet.
First, you can consume it from the foods you eat. Foods high in choline include:
- Eggs
- Meat
- Oily Fish
- Beans
- Dairy
- Nuts
- Seeds
The second way to increase your intake is through taking supplementation. The supplements CDP-choline and alpha-GPC tend to be higher in choline content, and are easier on the stomach.
Benefits
Time Commitment
Only time commitment is in planning meals which include foods higher in choline.
Why it works
Choline helps convert the amino acid homocysteine to methionine. Homocysteine is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. So logically being deficient in Choline means there is a potential for homocysteine to build up in your blood, increasing your risk factors.
Choline also helps to produce Acetylcholine, which is involved in brain health. Additionally Choline plays a role in synthesizing DNA, also impacting the health of the body [6].
Suggested Frequency
Eat foods high in Choline daily. It is recommended to avoid deficiency women eat approximately 425mg and for men it is 550mg daily.
Side Effects
Very high levels would have to be consumed to produce side effects - the equivalent of 24 eggs a day!
These side effects include low blood pressure, sweating, body odor, and bowel problems [7].
Required Equipment
None, unless you want to use supplements.
Gurus/Celebrities/Doing it
Jennifer Aniston (big fan of eggs)
Category Health/Productivity/Focus:
- Health
- Productivity
- Mood
Notes
- Choline is important during pregnancy (AI 450mg) as deficiency has been linked to neural tube defects.
- Also note that breastfeeding women, elderly, and children have different requirements for Choline.
Supporting Studies and Articles
Expand Collapse- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19906248
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20446114
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3729018/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3347848/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252552/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25182020
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-Consumer/
