Choline – Health benefits, dosage, safety, side effects

You have probably seen choline in one of the fat-burning supplement’s ingredients list. It is one resourceful nutrient that is naturally synthesized in the human liver but the amount is very low for modulating various aspects of the body. 

Some people opt to take choline orally to compensate for the missing bits. We are here to discuss Choline – health benefits, dosage, safety, side effects and more. Should you consume choline in your diet? Let’s find out.

What Is Choline?

It is a nutrient that is vital for keeping a human healthy. Choline is found in the human body and also in foods such as cauliflower, beef liver, egg yolks, etc. This nutrient is crucial in maintaining healthy liver and brain function.

This compound is known to have beneficial properties for maintaining weight. It can increase the metabolism of fat, help you shed the extra fat; withstand fat buildup in the blood and not to mention it helps with fatty liver issues. 

Choline has many similarities with the B vitamin group, but this compound is not any form of mineral or vitamin whatsoever.  

Is Choline Safe?

Choline is pretty safe because it is already present in your body. Although the formation is minimal, your body needs choline to stay healthy. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men should take 550 mg of choline in their everyday diet and women should follow 425 mg daily. 

Choline is present in the most common foods like beans, meat, nuts, etc, so it falls in the safe category. However, overdosing can drop your blood pressure and promote toxicity in the liver. Overshooting the dose can build up TMAO, which can lead to heart disease. 

How Much Choline Is Ideal For Human Consumption?

For men, it is said that 550 mg is the safe dose per day. For women, 425 mg and pregnant people can go up to 450 mg daily. This is the daily safe limit standardized by IOM. 

Precautions To Be Taken 

When taking it orally one should always abide by the dose restrictions. Overdoing things can cause health issues. Dosing over 3.5 grams can have negative effects.  

For adult pregnant women, 3.5 grams daily is the maximum stretch. Children who are up to 8 years old can take 1 gram daily. Beyond the mentioned limit might be troublesome. Those who are 9 to 13 years can go up to 2 grams per day. It is advised that you limit choline intake to up to 3 grams daily for people aged 18. 

Possible Side Effects Of Choline

It’s not always good to stack a compound in your body. Your body has its limitations in tackling ingredients. Overdose and sensitivity to choline can easily take a toll on the human body. Here are the possible side effects:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Body Odor
• Low blood pressure
• Liver damage
• Cardiovascular disease

Benefits Of Choline

Coline in your body helps you to stay healthy. Deficiency can result in fatty liver disease, liver damage and many more. So talking about positives, here is the advantage that choline offers:

• Sufficient choline in pregnant women can avoid possible birth defects
• Choline is known to improve fat metabolism, so it can help reduce weight
• It can help ameliorate memory and mood
• It can regulate metabolism for increased energy and endurance
• Choline helps to reduce homocysteine in the blood

Should You Take Choline Supplement?

We can just tell you to go take choline for no reason. People who suffer from reduced folate levels might need choline to improve their energy, but that doesn’t mean you need to use supplementation. Changing food habits can fill the void. 

That being said, many people take choline supplements in case of extreme issues. We advise you to consult a doctor and let them determine whether you need choline from food or dietary supplements. 

Conclusion

There is no denying that Choline has benefits for the liver, heart and brain health. It is a compound that is synthesized in your body to some extent, but there might still be issues with choline deficiency when your lifestyle goes awry. 

We hope our take on Choline – health benefits, dosage, safety, side effects has shined some light on how it aids humans. If you think a lack of choline is the root cause of your downfall, talk to a doctor for suggestions. Simple diet changes or supplements can work wonders.  

References

James L Mills, Ruzong Fan, Lawrence C Brody, Aiyi Liu, Per M Ueland, Yifan Wang, Peadar N Kirke, Barry Shane, and Anne M Molloy. Maternal choline concentrations during pregnancy and choline-related genetic variants as risk factors for neural tube defects. 2014 Oct; 100(4): 1069–1074. PMID: 25240073. Published online 2014 Aug 13. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.079319

Gehan Elsawy, Osama Abdelrahman and Amr Hamza. Effect of Choline Supplementation on Rapid Weight Loss and Biochemical Variables Among Female Taekwondo and Judo Athletes.2014 Mar 27; 40: 77–82. PMCID: PMC4096089; PMID: 25031675; Published online 2014 Apr 9. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2014-0009

Antimo Moretti , Marco Paoletta, Sara Liguori, Matteo Bertone, Giuseppe Toro and Giovanni Iolascon. Choline: An Essential Nutrient for Skeletal Muscle. Nutrients 2020, 12(7), 2144; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12072144