SupplementsSpecialtyCholine
Choline
as choline chloride
The nutrient most people have never heard of, and about 9 in 10 Americans don't get enough of it.
- Builds up
- Weeks
- In your body
- 1-2 hour peak
- Per 1 capsule
- 420 mg
- 30-day supply
- $7.30One capsule a day, plus packing and delivery
What is choline?
Choline is a nutrient your body uses to build cell walls, move fat out of your liver and make acetylcholine, a messenger your nerves use for memory and muscle control. It was only named an essential nutrient in 1998, which is partly why so few people know about it.
Your liver can make a little, but not enough. The rest has to come from food, mostly eggs, meat, fish and milk. One large egg holds about 147 mg, and about 90% of Americans fall short of the recommended amount.
Ours is choline chloride. The label lists 420 mg a capsule and counts that as 76% of the Daily Value, which is about what you'd get from three large eggs.
What it does
- LiverHelps your liver move fat along and supports normal liver function.
- Brain and nervesUsed to make acetylcholine, a messenger involved in memory and muscle control.
- Cell structureA building block for the walls around every cell.
- MethylationPasses small tags between molecules, and supports normal homocysteine metabolism.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
What people take it for
Good evidenceFilling a food gapThe clearest reason. Most people eat less than the recommended amount, especially if they eat few eggs or no animal foods.
Some evidencePregnancyNeeds rise in pregnancy, and fewer than 1 in 10 pregnant women reach the target. Most prenatal vitamins leave it out.
Early daysMemory and focusPeople who ate more choline scored better on memory tests in one large study. That shows a link, not proof that a capsule does it.
How long it takes
A capsule shows up in your blood within hours. Your liver is the slower story: when people in one study ate almost no choline, signs of fatty liver or muscle stress appeared within 6 weeks and cleared once choline came back.
- 1 to 2 hoursThe highest level in your blood, then your liver and cells put it to work
- 2 weeksThe point where a larger amount lowered homocysteine in one small study
- About 6 weeksHow long it took a very low-choline diet to show up in the liver and muscles, and why steady intake matters
How long it stays in your body
Choline peaked in the blood about 1 to 2 hours after a supplement in a small study. We couldn't find a clean half-life, because your body quickly turns it into other things.
What's in a capsule
One capsule holds 420 mg, listed as choline chloride, which the label counts as 76% of the Daily Value. The recommended daily amounts are 425 mg for women and 550 mg for men, a little more in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and your food adds to the total.
Why your needs may not match the label
Estrogen helps your liver make its own choline. That's why, on a very low-choline diet, 44% of premenopausal women showed signs of liver or muscle stress, compared with 77% of men and 80% of women past menopause. So needs can jump after menopause.
Genes matter too. As many as half of people carry common gene differences that raise their need for this kind of nutrient. In the low-choline study above, 6 men showed these signs even while eating the recommended amount, so that number isn't a guarantee.
Choline also works alongside folate and B12. All three feed the same recycling step that clears homocysteine, so running low on one puts more pressure on the others. There's a catch too: some gut bacteria turn choline into a compound called TMAO, and we go into that below.
What it interacts with
- Aspirin, and any history of clotsIn one small study, about 450 mg of choline a day raised TMAO more than 10 times and made platelets, the cells that form clots, stickier. Low-dose aspirin softened this but may not cancel it, so ask your doctor if you've had a clot, heart attack or stroke.
- TMAO blood testsWater-soluble forms of choline like ours raise TMAO within hours. Whether TMAO causes heart problems is still not settled.
- Folate and B12They share a pathway with choline, so being low on one can raise your need for the others.
- Other medicinesWe didn't find well-studied drug interactions, which isn't the same as there being none. Mention it to your pharmacist if you take regular medicines.
Goes well with
Side effects
- At this amount, most people notice nothing, though there isn't much long-term research on capsules.
- Very high amounts can cause a fishy body smell, vomiting, heavy sweating, low blood pressure and liver trouble. The adult upper limit is 3,500 mg a day, from food and supplements together.
Check first if
- History of clots, heart attack or stroke: ask your doctor first, because of the TMAO findings.
- Trimethylaminuria, also called fish odor syndrome: your body can't clear a smelly by-product of choline, and people with it are often put on a low-choline diet. Ask your doctor first.
- Kidney or liver disease: ask your doctor first.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: choline matters here, but check what's right for you with your doctor.
The blood tests that go with it
- HomocysteineCholine helps clear it, along with folate and B12.
- ALTA liver test. It rose in people eating too little choline.
- ASTRead with ALT to check on your liver.
- CKShows muscle stress, which is another sign seen with low choline.
- FolateWorks side by side with choline.
- Vitamin B12The third partner in the same pathway.
Work it out
Supplementation
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Want it more precise? Get the app.
A page can only tell you about Choline. The app tells you about you: whether it fits, when to take it, and whether it's working.
- Checked against your blood work and everything you already take
- On your daily timeline, around your sleep, training and meals
- Followed over time, so you can see what moved
CholineOPEN 09:00Choline against your blood work, your sleep and what you already take.
AIYou rarely eat eggs, and your homocysteine is a little high. Want to look at your choline and B12 together?
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Questions
What is choline good for?
It supports your liver, your brain and nerves, and the structure of every cell. People mostly take it to fill a gap in their diet, during pregnancy, or for memory and focus.
What are the benefits of choline?
The clearest benefit is getting enough, because most people don't. Eating too little can lead to fatty liver and muscle stress. The evidence for sharper memory is still early.
How long does choline take to work?
It reaches your blood in 1 to 2 hours, but you probably won't feel it. Think of it as a steady nutrient rather than something with a quick effect.
What are the side effects of choline?
At ordinary amounts, usually none you'd notice. Very high amounts can cause a fishy body smell, sweating, vomiting and low blood pressure.
Which foods have the most choline?
Liver, salmon and eggs are near the top. A large egg holds about 147 mg, and most of it is in the yolk. Plant foods hold much less, so vegetarians and vegans tend to get the least.
Who should not take choline?
Check first if you've had a clot, heart attack or stroke, if you have kidney or liver disease or fish odor syndrome, or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
Can I take choline every day?
It's a daily nutrient, so that's how it's meant to work. Long-term research on capsules is thin, and you should count what you get from food too.
Is choline bad for your heart?
It's not settled. Choline can raise TMAO, a compound linked to heart problems, but studies of how much choline people eat haven't shown more heart disease. If you're at higher risk, ask your doctor.
Do women need more choline after menopause?
They may. Estrogen helps your liver make choline, and in one study women past menopause showed signs of running low about as often as men.
Sources
- Wallace TC et al. Choline: the underconsumed and underappreciated essential nutrient. Nutr Today, 2018.
- Zeisel SH, da Costa KA. Choline: an essential nutrient for public health. Nutr Rev, 2009.
- Fischer LM et al. Sex and menopausal status influence human dietary requirements for the nutrient choline. Am J Clin Nutr, 2007.
- Korsmo HW et al. Choline: exploring the growing science on its benefits for moms and babies. Nutrients, 2019.
- Böckmann KA et al. Differential metabolism of choline supplements in adult volunteers. Eur J Nutr, 2022.
- Zhu W et al. Gut microbe-generated trimethylamine N-oxide from dietary choline is prothrombotic in subjects. Circulation, 2017.
- Olthof MR et al. Choline supplemented as phosphatidylcholine decreases fasting and postmethionine-loading plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy men. Am J Clin Nutr, 2005.
- Poly C et al. The relation of dietary choline to cognitive performance and white-matter hyperintensity in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr, 2011.
- Nicolas S et al. Fish odor syndrome: a socially disabling disorder. Rev Med Interne, 2022.
Written by LifeFrom from these sources, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. Talk to your doctor before starting a supplement.
