How do you know you’re getting enough choline?
We don’t class choline as a vitamin or a mineral - but it is an essential nutrient.
This means it’s required for normal bodily function and human health. Although your body makes some, you need to get the majority of choline from your diet to avoid a deficiency.
Some people might need more than others. It’s important to understand your needs so you can personalise your diet to ensure you’re getting enough choline.
Sign up here for free to find out how much choline you need every day.
Contents
What is Choline?
We need choline for two important tasks:
- To build the walls of all the cells in our bodies.
- To make acetylcholine - the brain chemical (neurotransmitter) helping us concentrate.
Choline is less available on a plant-based diet - but still, over 90 per cent of the general population (mostly omnivores) do not get enough choline. Depending on your genetics, you might have a higher need for choline.
Why You Need Choline
You need choline for:
- Brain function
- Focus
- Concentration
- Memory
- Mood regulation
- Liver function
- Fat metabolism.
Why Worry About Eating Enough Choline Foods?
If you’re not eating enough high choline foods, you could be at risk of a deficiency.
But here’s the problem. Symptoms of a choline deficiency are difficult to pinpoint - before it’s too late. In the later stages of choline deficiency, you may notice issues with your concentration, focus and memory. In extreme cases, not eating enough high choline foods can lead to liver failure.
It’s better to make sure you’re eating enough choline foods before it gets to that stage.
Sign up here for free to find out how much choline you need every day.
Is Choline Deficiency a Real Risk?
Yes. Over 90 per cent of the population do not get as much choline as recommended. On top of this, a common gene in PEMT can reduce the amount of choline your body can make itself. If you have this gene, it is even more important you get enough choline from food.
It is especially essential for pregnant women and postmenopausal women. Choline is crucial for the development of the foetus. Oestrogen helps the body make its choline - and postmenopausal women have lower oestrogen levels.
Choline Foods: Plant-Based Foods Highest in Choline
Beans and cruciferous vegetables are the best source of choline on a plant-based diet. But are you eating enough beans to get the choline you need?
Well, that depends. If you’re pregnant, menopausal or you have the slow variation of the PEMT gene you might need more choline than other people.
Sign up here for free to find out how much choline you need every day.
Here are the best plant-based high choline foods to include in your diet:
Vegetables
Some vegetables are the best sources of choline on a plant-based diet. Per portion (around a cup of cooked veg) these are the best sources of choline to include in your diet:
- Collard greens: 73 mg
- Brussels sprouts: 63 mg
- Broccoli: 62 mg
- Shiitake mushrooms: 53 mg
- Asparagus: 52 mg
- Cauliflower: 50 mg
- Greens peas: 48 mg
Beans and Pulses
Beans and pulses are some of the best sources of choline on a plant-based diet. Per 100g cooked beans and pulses these are the best sources of choline:
- Soya beans: 48 mg
- Navy beans: 45 mg
- Chickpeas: 43 mg
- Pinto beans: 35 mg
- Butter beans: 35 mg
- Black-eyed peas: 33 mg
- Lentils: 33 mg
- Black beans: 33 mg
- Baked beans: 32 mg
- Tofu: 29 mg
Grains
Some grains also provide choline but not as much. They are still a good contributor to your choline intake on a plant-based diet though. Per serving of cooked whole grains (usually 100 g) these are the best sources of choline:
- Quinoa: 23 mg
- Oats: 21 mg
- Buckwheat: 20 mg
- Pearl barley: 13 mg
Symptoms of Choline Deficiency
If you don’t eat enough high choline foods you could be at risk of:
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
- Muscle damage
- Cognitive decline
Genes Affecting Your Choline Needs
Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase (PEMT) is an enzyme responsible for making phosphatidylcholine – a key component of cell membranes. Whilst the majority of phosphatidylcholine in the body is derived from dietary sources, PEMT can synthesise it directly. PEMT is especially vital in the brain, which requires large amounts of phosphatidylcholine, and choline which is derived from phosphatidylcholine breakdown, to maintain normal function.
Should You Supplement Choline?
Depending on your genes, you might benefit from supplementing choline.
Citicoline (CDP-choline) is the recommended form of choline supplement because it is less prone to conversion to trimethylamine (TMA) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) than other forms of choline.
TMA and TMAO have been associated with cardiovascular disease, but only in those on a high-meat diet.
Personalise Your Plant-Based Diet
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Conclusion
If you care about your health, you should take care to ensure you’re getting enough choline every day. If you don’t, it could lead to problems later in life such as brain dysfunction and liver issues. Sign up here for free to find out how much choline you need every day.
