Choline might not be the sexiest nutrient in the room, but it deserves more time in the spotlight than it gets.
Choline is an essential nutrient used in many functions in the body, and most people do not get enough of it, especially pregnant and breastfeeding women, which can cause a lot of issues.
While humans can synthesize small amounts of choline in the liver, primarily as phosphatidylcholine, it is not enough to meet daily needs. In diets deficient in folate, choline needs will be even higher because choline takes over as the methyl donor.
Every cell in your body needs choline. You can imagine that not getting enough of something that every cell needs can cause some problems. Choline plays a massive role in fetal and child brain and nervous system development and far more roles than I could lay out in one blog article. You can read all about them here.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to get enough choline in your diet. Without sufficient dietary intake of choline, the whole body suffers.
What are some food sources of choline?
Before I get to that, it’s essential to understand that just because a food contains a particular nutrient, it does not mean it is the best form of that nutrient or that the form it has is well utilized. Choosing foods that contain the most bioavailable and absorbable forms of that nutrient should always be the goal. Here is an example of what I mean by that.
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Heme iron from animal products is better absorbed and utilized than non-heme iron from plant foods. In addition, things like tea and dairy do not reduce heme iron absorption but do reduce the absorption of non-heme iron.
Choline is best absorbed with fat and in the phosphatidylcholine form. Here are some good bioavailable and utilizable food sources of choline.
If you cannot get enough choline in your diet, then a whole-food choline supplement may be for you.
Beef Liver is probably the most nutrient-dense food on the planet. A heaping teaspoon of NXGEN Beef Liver powder provides the equivalent of nearly two ounces of regeneratively farmed beef liver, which supplies about 220 milligrams of choline, and a deeply nourishing treasure trove of other nutrients and beneficial compounds in their most absorbable forms. It can be blended in smoothies or mixed into food as an easy way to boost the nutrition of any meal.
Freeze-dried NXGEN Wild Salmon Roe capsules are a great source of choline (regular fish oil and refined fish roe supplements do not contain choline). They are also packed with a ton of other nutrients. Check out our blog to learn about the fantastic benefits of wild fish roe.
Of all the times it is most important to be getting enough choline, pregnancy and postnatal are the most important. Make sure your prenatal has plenty of choline in it. This nutrient is incredibly important to pregnant and nursing mothers. Unfortunately, most prenatal vitamins have little to no choline, despite most pregnant and nursing mothers not getting enough of this crucial nutrient. For example, the most popular prenatal vitamin on the market talks extensively about how vital choline is and then only puts a paltry fifty-five milligrams in, which is not nearly enough. Companies putting out prenatal vitamins with little to no choline should be ashamed of themselves. Check out our blog to learn more about how to choose a good prenatal vitamin.
Hopefully, this article gets you thinking about this oft-forgotten nutrient superstar and getting more of it in your diet.
Baby Parker ate lots of egg yolks to get his choline!
