Choline dosage - Information on choline chloride, and choline bitartrate

Choline is an essential nutrient required by the body to make several important compounds necessary for healthy cell membranes. Choline helps form phosphatidylcholine, the primary phospholipid of cell membranes. Choline is also the precursor to acetylcholine, one of the important brain chemicals involved in memory. This nutrient, usually as part of phosphatidylcholine, is widely available in a number of foods, particularly eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, and meats and vegetables, as well as in human breast milk. Dietary intake of choline ranges from 300 to 900 mg a day. Most individuals who have a normal diet are not deficient in choline. The importance of choline was emphasized in 1998 when the National Academy of Sciences classified it as an essential nutrient. In the past, it was thought that the human body made adequate amounts when needed. However, a study by Dr. Steven Zeisel, from the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, demonstrated that volunteers on a choline deficient diet were not able to produce enough of this nutrient. For more choline information.

Choline Side effects
A common side effect of choline ingestion is increased body temperature and sweating. Nausea and loss of appetite can result from very high doses. Most people notice having more focus and being more alert. A positive side effect is that choline helps with erections.

Choline in the diet, do you still need a choline supplement?
Some men and women who consume the recommended daily amount of choline may still develop an insufficiency and experience liver dysfunction as a result. Dr. Kerry-Ann da Costa, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, believes some people may need more than the recommended amount of choline for optimal health. The study included 57 healthy adults -- 26 men, 16 premenopausal women and 15 postmenopausal women - who consumed a daily diet consisting of 550 milligrams of choline for the first 10 days. The subjects were then put on a diet for up to 42 days that contained less than 50 milligrams of choline, and were also randomly assigned to received folic acid supplements or no folic acid supplements. By the end of the study, 39 participants, including more than three quarters of the men and postmenopausal women, showed signs of liver dysfunction. Pre-menopausal women appeared to be less affected by the choline deprivation, however, with only 44 percent exhibiting liver dysfunction. Folic acid did not appear to influence the subjects' susceptibility to choline deficiency. Dr. Steven H. Zeisel, also of UNC at Chapel Hill, explained that "evolution designed women" so choline levels wouldn't get too low. Pre-menopausal women's "ability to make it from scratch is turned on by estrogen," he continued. However, men and post-menopausal women don't have enough estrogen to do this. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2007.

Choline and Pregnancy
According to the results of several studies in rats, providing choline during pregnancy enhances memory and learning capacity in the fetus (Williams 1998). Dr. Christina Williams, a behavioral neuroscientist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, says her study findings demonstrate, "That supplementation with choline during the last third of pregnancy has fairly dramatic and long-lasting effects on the memory of offspring." A 1997 study published in Advances in Pediatrics by Dr. Zeisel showed that choline reserves are depleted during pregnancy and lactation (Zeisel 1997). This depletion may affect normal brain development and memory in the offspring. The National Academy of Sciences suggests that pregnant women consume at least 450 milligrams of choline per day.

Choline Recommendations
Individuals whose diet includes a wide variety of foods are not likely to suffer from choline deficiency. Growing infants, pregnant or lactating women, and individuals with liver cirrhosis may potentially be deficient in choline (Zeisel 1994). Whether choline supplements benefit older individuals with age related memory decline has not yet been adequately determined. Because of its relative safety, and potential benefits, I recommend small amounts of choline in the elderly who have age related cognitive decline. See chapter 18 for specific recommendations. Choline can be taken occasionally by younger individuals on days when better concentration and focus would be helpful.

What benefits do choline and phospholipids provide?
Individuals who don’t have a good dietary intake of phospholipids may find that taking these nutrients leads to an improvement in learning and memory. Most young and healthy people who take phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylserine are not likely to notice any significant changes, although supplements could help some seniors. The effects from choline, and its cousin CDP-choline, are more noticeable.

Which Conditions Can Choline and Phospholipids Benefit?
The clinical application of these nutrients has not yet been fully evaluated, but scientists have studied their role in age related cognitive decline (ARCD), Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. No firm conclusions are yet available as to whether phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine help these conditions. Choline and CDP-choline could potentially be beneficial in ARCD and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Making of Phospholipids
In order to better understand how the nutrients in this chapter work, it helps to know how they are related to each other. As you can see from figure 8.1, PS can be converted into PC. Choline converts into CDP-choline and then PC. All of the nutrients listed in this figure, except for acetylcholine, are available over the counter as supplements. Acetylcholine is a brain chemical, among various other functions, involved in memory and learning. Choline benefits choline for mind and brain choline

Choline questions
Q. Is sweating a side effect of choline supplement use?
   A. Yes, sweating can occur on dosage greater than 300 mg of choline bitartrate.

Q. I have heard that taking choline can help some people with liver problems. My problem is my local DR's and I have been unable to locate someone or some place that can conduct a blood test that will measure a serum choline level to identify if there is a deficiency. I have been told that one should find out if there is a deficiency before starting to take a Choline supplement.
   A. Choline deficiency is rare and may occur in those who have malnutrition or are eating a very restrictive diet. Testing for choline in the blood is unlikely to reveal any information that would be clinically helpful. Anyone with suspected liver problems should have blood liver function tests and if abnormal, further studies can be done to determine the problem and course of action.

Q. Is it best to take choline on an empty stomach or with food? At what time of the day is most effective?
   A. Choline is best taken early in the day since it can interfere with sleep if taken in the evening. Taking cholien right before a meal is fine although it works well when taken with a meal.

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