Animal Source Foods
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy in Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Eggs are also an excellent source of choline, which plays an important role in fetal and neonatal brain development (116). Inadequate choline intake during pregnancy increases the risk for neural tube defects such as spina bifida (116). Choline intake is also associated with decreased plasma levels of homocysteine and inflammatory factors. Recent studies have also shown that high intake of choline is associated with reduced breast cancer incidence and mortality (116). However, studies also show that a majority of the population, including a majority of pregnant and lactating women, do not have adequate choline intakes and that adding an egg a day to the diet could alleviate this inadequacy (116). The importance of choline in fetal and neonatal brain development has been shown in numerous studies, and inadequate choline intakes during these critical periods can have very negative effects (116). Choline plays roles in neurotransmission, brain development, and bone integrity (112). For example, acetylcholine is a well-known neurotransmitter of the central nervous system. Moreover, dietary choline is considered especially important for maintaining a healthy liver (117). Dietary sources of choline include egg yolk, organ meat such as liver, and wheat germ. Eggs have also been shown to promote weight loss in overweight and obese subjects by increasing feelings of satiety and reducing short-term energy intake (113). Briefly, thanks to myriad biologically active components, egg provides well-balanced nutrients for infants and adults.
Preconceptual Health
Michelle Tollefson, Nancy Eriksen, Neha Pathak in Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan, 2021
Choline is an essential nutrient that is of increasing interest due to its role in transporting fats across cell membranes and for the proper function of neurotransmitters and brain development. Choline also influences epigenetic modification that regulates gene expression through DNA and histone methylation. Recently, findings from randomized controlled trials show a benefit of prenatal choline supplements on cognitive outcomes in children.86 Also, there is some data suggesting that choline supplementations can help diminish some of the adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on infant growth and cognitive function.86 The RDA of choline is 425 mg/day in reproductive-age women. However, consumption of 450–1000 mg/day of choline is suggested because of emerging evidence that it would support fetal development and improve pregnancy outcomes.86 Plant-based sources of choline include soy, nuts, legumes, broccoli, quinoa, buckwheat, Brussel sprouts, oats, and wheat.87
Role of Vitamin D and Antioxidants in the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Abhai Kumar, Debasis Bagchi in Antioxidants and Functional Foods for Neurodegenerative Disorders, 2021
Choline is a nutrient obtained from dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, grains, fruits, and cruciferous vegetables. Choline is a primary precursor for the neurotransmitter Ach. The synthesized Ach activates the cholinergic receptors (muscarinic and nicotinic) at the synaptic cleft. Because a decline in cholinergic transmission can influence cognition and behavior, it is closely linked with cognitive health (Ylilauri et al. 2019; Ferreira-Vieira et al. 2016). Choline primarily serves as a methyl donor. A recent study showed that a lifelong supplement of choline reduced the development of β-amyloid in the brains of mice. The study also concluded that choline attenuates activation of the microglia, which are involved in maintaining the neuronal health by removing the debris within the brain. Normally, these microglia are persistently activated in AD, which can result in neuronal inflammation and death (Velazquez et al. 2019).
Intake of eggs, choline, lutein, zeaxanthin, and DHA during pregnancy and their relationship to fetal neurodevelopment
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2023
Danielle N. Christifano, Lynn Chollet-Hinton, Dirk Hoyer, Alexander Schmidt, Kathleen M. Gustafson
Experts agree choline is essential for proper fetal and infant development; however, nearly all pregnant women in the United States fall short of the Adequate Intake (450 mg/day), with only ∼10% of Americans meeting recommendations.1 Eggs are one of the richest sources of choline in the human diet, providing 115 mg of choline per one yolk, yet most women get their choline primarily from milk which contains fewer mg of choline per serving.2 Furthermore, eggs contain a variety of nutrients in addition to choline, including lutein, zeaxanthin, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which have been implicated in infant memory and cognition.3 While each of these nutrients have been studied in isolation in terms of infant outcomes, together they have the potential to act synergistically to promote healthy brain development early in life.
Hippocampal neural cell degeneration and memory deficit in high-fat diet-induced postnatal obese rats– exploring the comparable benefits of choline and DHA or environmental enrichment
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 2021
Gayathri S. Prabhu, Mohandas K. G. Rao, Kiranmai S. Rai
Alternately, intervention with dietary brain nutrients like choline and DHA to high fat diet-induced obese rats resulted in significantly higher mean number of surviving neural cells in CA1 and CA3 sub-region of hippocampus compared to the same in age matched OB rats. Supplementation of choline and DHA to OB rats helps reduce LDL levels and as choline helps in maintaining lipoprotein and membrane structural integrity it favors neural cell survival [35]. Choline deficiency has been associated with fatty liver, liver damage. Studies have shown that dietary supplementation of choline can regulate cholesterol metabolism in liver of phosphatidyl-ethanolamine-N-methyltransferase [PEMT]/Ldlr knockout mice fed a high-fat diet, thus maintaining cholesterol levels [36]. And also choline consists of methyl group donors that support brain structure and brain functions related to learning, cognitive and memory functions [37]. On the other hand, docosahexaenoic acid an omega three fatty acid, influences PEMT for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine from phosphatidyl-ethanolamine [38]. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and oxidative damage which in turn preserves the neural cell damage when exposed to high fat diet [39]. Thus DHA supplements along with choline favors reduced neural cell damage. Docosahexaenoic acid when given with choline has been shown to stimulate choline acetyltransferase [ChAT] enzymatic activity thus stimulating neural cell growth and development [40].Combined supplementation of choline and DHA enhances neurodevelopment and membrane growth [41].
Dietary choline is related to neural efficiency during a selective attention task among middle-aged adults with overweight and obesity
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2021
Caitlyn G. Edwards, Anne M. Walk, Corinne N. Cannavale, Isabel R. Flemming, Sharon V. Thompson, Ginger R. Reeser, Hannah D. Holscher, Naiman A. Khan
Choline, an essential water-soluble nutrient, has been linked to cognitive improvements among perinatal and geriatric populations. Choline is vital for neurotransmitter synthesis (as the precursor to acetylcholine [ACh]), cell-membrane integrity (through phosphatidylcholine), and methyl-donor metabolism (through the conversion of methionine to homocysteine), and higher choline intake has been associated with lower whole body % fat and higher levels of lean mass [4,5]. Choline can also be produced through de novo biosynthesis through the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase pathway, albeit in concentrations that are insufficient to maintain many biological processes [6]. Thus, it is imperative that choline be consumed through diet. Common foods rich in choline include eggs (147 mg/serving), soybeans (107 mg/serving), chicken breast (72 mg/serving), and beef (72 mg/serving). The Institute of Medicine recommends an Adequate Intake (AI) for choline of 425 mg/d for women and 550 mg/day for men [7]. However, 90% of the US population does not meet this AI recommendation [7].
Related Knowledge Centers
- Choline Chloride
- Ethanolamine
- Methyl Group
- Nitrogen
- Ion
- Chemical Formula
- Salt
- Choline Bitartrate
- Quaternary Ammonium Cation
- Choline Hydroxide