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Vitamin FAQ: All About Choline
FACTS:
A member of the B complex and a lipotropic (fat emulsifier).
Works with inositol (another B-complex member) to utilize fats
and cholesterol.
One of the few substances able to penetrate the so-called blood-brain bar-
rier, which ordinarily protects the brain against variations in the daily diet,
and go directly into the brain cells to produce a chemical that aids memory.
No RDI/RDA has yet been established, though it’s estimated that the aver-
age adult diet contains between 500 and 900 mg. a day.
Seems to emulsify cholesterol so that it doesn’t settle on artery walls or in
the gallbladder.
The utilization of choline in the body depends on vitamin B12, folic acid,
and the amino acid L-carnitine.
WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOU:
Help control cholesterol buildup.
Aid in the sending of nerve impulses, specifically those in the brain used
in the formation of memory.
Assist in conquering the problem of memory loss in later years. (Doses of
1–5 g. a day.)
Help eliminate poisons and drugs from your system by aiding the liver.
Produce a soothing effect.
Aid in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
DEFICIENCY DISEASE:
May result in cirrhosis and fatty degeneration of liver, hardening of the arteries, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.
BEST NATURAL SOURCES:
Egg yolks, brain, heart, green leafy vegetables, yeast, liver, wheat germ,
and, in small amounts, in lecithin.
SUPPLEMENTS:
Choline may be sold under the name of phosphatidylcholine
or phosphatidylinositol.
Six lecithin capsules, made from soybeans, contain 244 mg. each of inos-
itol and choline.The average B-complex supplement contains approximately 50 mg. of choline and inositol.
Daily doses most often used are 500–1,000 mg.
TOXICITY AND WARNING SIGNS OF EXCESS:
None known.
ENEMIES:
Water, sulfa drugs, estrogen, food processing, and alcohol.
PERSONAL ADVICE:
Always take choline with your other B vitamins.
If you are often nervous or “twitchy,” it might help to increase your choline.
If you are taking lecithin, you probably need a chelated calcium supple-
ment to keep your phosphorus and calcium in balance, since choline seems to
increase the body’s phosphorus.
Try getting more choline into your diet as a way to a better memory.
If you’re a heavy drinker, make sure you’re giving your liver the choline it needs to do the extra work.
