Did you know up to 91% of Americans are not consuming enough choline?

Here's the problem.

• Choline was only recently recognized as an essential nutrient (1998)
• Those who partake in endurance training are more at risk
• Pregnant and post-menopausal women are also at risk
• Alcohol intake increases choline requirements
• Besides eggs, foods rich in choline are rarely eaten
• Choline is imperative to your cellular health - which cannot be overlooked

Choline is a micronutrient that's important for liver function, normal brain development, nerve function, muscle movement, supporting energy levels and maintaining a healthy metabolism.

Choline plays a part in several important processes within the body that are carried out hundreds of times, every single day.

Choline is a water soluble nutrient that is related to those in the B vitamin complex family.

Just like B vitamins, choline plays a similar role in terms of supporting energy and brain function, as well as keeping the metabolism active.

Choline helps in the process of methylation, which is used to create DNA, for nerve signaling, and for detoxification. It's also important for the function of a key neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which helps nerves to communicate and muscles to move, acts as an anti-aging neurotransmitter, and performs other basic processes.

Choline is not actually considered a mineral or a vitamin, but is an essential micronutrient needed for many functions in the body, especially for brain function.

While there isn't an official Daily Value Recommended for choline by the USDA, it's important to avoid a choline deficiency to help support various systems throughout the body, including the nervous, endocrine, digestive and reproductive systems.

Our bodies are able to make a small amount of choline on their own, but the rest we must obtain from food sources.

Choline can be found naturally in:

• Eggs
• Liver
• Beef
• Salmon
• Cauliflower
• Brussel Sprouts
• Breast Milk

In fact, eggs are sometimes called a "brain food" because of their high concentration of choline.

Choline is still being studied in order to learn more about its benefits and uses, but at this time most experts agree that the amounts below are sufficient for producing optimal benefits:

• Infants and babies: 125–150 mg
• Children ages 1-8: 150–250 mg
• Teens ages 8-13: 250–375 mg
• Women above age 14: 425–550 mg
• Men above age 14: 550 mg
• Pregnant women: 450–550 mg
• Women who are breastfeeding: 550 mg

The answer is simply: Most people do not get an adequate amount of choline from food alone.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, males aged 20-59 consume an average of 406-421mg of choline per day, while females in the same age group consume around 290-303mg per day.

In addition, experts recommend getting even higher levels of choline in order to boost brain function and retain memory.

Some reports have shown that a percentage of the choline found in food sources isn't actually absorbed by the body.

This makes choline supplementation a good choice for almost anyone, since the majority of humans do not consume the recommended value.

If you are looking to boost memory and brain function, then choline supplements are particularly useful.

At UMZU, we recommend getting an additional 750mg-1g of choline per day for optimal brain function.

Neurotransmitters help neurons communicate with each other throughout the body. A portion of choline is converted to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contraction, activates pain response, and aids memory and thought processes. The majority of choline is converted to phosphatidylcholine, a major phospholipid that helps build fat-carrying proteins.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that most choline should be consumed through your diet.

Foods that contain choline include: 

• Animal-based foods, such as meat, eggs, dairy, and fish
• Non-animal sources including nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes
• Apples, tangerines, kiwi, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage

The tolerable upper intake levels (TUIL) for choline is 3,500 mg for adults (including during pregnancy and lactation), 3,000 mg for adolescents 14-18 years, 2,000 mg for children 9-13 years, and 1,000 for children aged 1-8 years.

There are a few studies evaluating the impact of choline intake on health, but the data is inconclusive. One study found an association between taking high levels of choline and increased mortality.

Researchers speculate it could be because of an increased production of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite that is linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease. 

When taken by mouth, Choline is likely safe for most people when taken in doses below 3.5 grams daily. Taking high doses of choline is possibly unsafe. Taking doses over 3.5 grams daily might cause side effects such as sweating, a fishy body odor, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Choline is likely safe when used during pregnancy and breast-feeding in doses up to 3 grams daily for those up to 18 years of age, and 3.5 grams daily for those 19 years and older. There isn't enough reliable information to know if choline is safe to use in higher doses when pregnant or breast-feeding. It's best to stick to recommended doses.

Choline is likely safe for most children when taken by mouth in appropriate amounts. Doses up to 1 gram daily for children 1-8 years of age, 2 grams daily for children 9-13 years, and 3 grams daily for children 14-18 years, are not likely to cause unwanted side effects. Taking higher doses of choline by mouth is possibly unsafe due to the increased risk of side effects.

Taking choline with atropine might decrease the effects of atropine.

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