Holistic Health Supplements What Is Choline? Choline is an essential nutrient responsible for some brain functions By Carisa Brewster twitter linkedin Carisa D. Brewster is a freelance journalist with over 20 years of experience writing for newspapers, magazines, and digital publications. She specializes in science and healthcare content. Learn about our editorial process Carisa Brewster Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Meredith Bull, ND on December 21, 2020 facebook linkedin Meredith Bull, ND, is a licensed naturopathic doctor with a private practice in Los Angeles. She helped co-author the first integrative geriatrics textbook, "Integrative Geriatric Medicine." Learn about our Medical Review Board Meredith Bull, ND on December 21, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Choline and Brain Function Dietary Sources Needs Excess Deficiency Choline is an essential nutrient found naturally in foods and produced in small amounts by the liver. Both plants and animals need choline to maintain cell structure. In humans, choline helps synthesize acetylcholine, one of seven major neurotransmitters responsible for many nervous system functions. Choline is also an integral part of a number of other physiological processes, including metabolism and lipid transport. Your body does not make all of the choline that you need, so you must consume the rest from your diet. Choline can also be found sold as a nutritional supplement. Molekuul / Science Photo Library / Getty Images Choline and 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 Sources 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 fishNon-animal sources including nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumesApples, tangerines, kiwi, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage How Much Choline Do You Need? Choline levels are not regularly screened in healthy people. Not enough evidence is available to provide a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for choline, but an adequate intake (AI) has been established, measured in milligrams (mg) per day. AI levels determine nutritional sufficiency: Birth to 6 months: 125 mg/day7-12 months: 150 mg/day1-3 years: 200 mg/day4-8 years: 250 mg/day9-13 years: 375 mg/dayAdolescent girls aged 14-18: 400 mg/dayAdolescent boys aged 14-18: 550 mg/dayWomen aged 19 or older: 425 mg/dayMen aged 19 or older: 550 mg/dayDuring pregnancy: 450 mg/dayWhen lactating: 500 mg/day People who menstruate may not need to consume the recommended AI amount because estrogen stimulates the production of choline. Can You Take in Too Much Choline? 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. Who Is at Risk for Choline Deficiency? Choline deficiency is rare. Normal levels of choline vary from 7 to 20 micromoles per liter in non-pregnant adults. Research has shown that not consuming choline-rich foods for a week does not cause levels to decrease below 50% of what is normal. But there are some conditions that increase the risk of deficiency. These include pregnancy, genetic conditions, or being fed intravenously. Signs of deficiency are: Muscle damageLiver damageNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) A Word From Verywell If you have concerns about your choline levels and how it may be affecting your health, talk with your doctor. If you are pregnant, review your risk of deficiency with your prenatal care provider. Consult with a healthcare professional before taking any supplements. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Office of Dietary Supplements. Choline. Updated July 10, 2020. Sheffler ZM, Reddy V, Pillarisetty LS. Physiology, neurotransmitters. StatPearls. Updated May 21, 2020. Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Choline. Zheng Y, Li Y, Rimm EB, Hu FB, Albert CM, Rexrode KM, Manson JE, Qi L. Dietary phosphatidylcholine and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality among US women and men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Jul;104(1):173-80. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.131771 Heianza Yoriko, Ma Wenjie, DiDonato Joseph A., et al. Long-term changes in gut microbial metabolite trimethylamine n-oxide and coronary heart disease risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2020;75(7):763-772. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2019.11.060 Gossell-Williams M, Fletcher H, McFarlane-Anderson N, Jacob A, Patel J, Zeisel S. Dietary intake of choline and plasma choline concentrations in pregnant women in Jamaica. West Indian Med J. 2005;54(6):355-359. doi:10.1590/s0043-31442005000600002