Background Abstract A fact sheet explaining the role of choline in the human body, how much choline we need at different life stages, examples of dietary choline sources, as well as evidence associating choline with early brain and cognitive development 3 minutes PDF Download PDF Choline is an essential nutrient to support normal cell functions and fetal development, and is of particular importance to pregnant and lactating women.1 What are the roles of choline in human body? Support structural integrity and signaling functions of cell membranes1 Maintain normal maternal homocysteine level that is associated with healthy pregnancy1,2 Act as a precursor for the biosynthesis of acetylcholine as the neurotransmitter3 Produce sphingomyelin as a crucial component of cell membrane3 How much choline do we need4 Age/Life stage Adequate Intakes (AIs) for Choline (mg/day) Birth to 6 months 125 7–12 months 150 1–3 years 200 4–8 years 250 9–13 years 375 14–18 years 550 for males; 400 for females 19+ years 550 for males; 425 for females Pregnant women 450 Lactating women 550 Examples on food sources of choline4 Food Milligrams (mg) per serving Beef liver, pan fried, 3 ounces 356 Egg, hard boiled, 1 large egg 147 Soybeans, roasted, ½ cup 107 Chicken breast, roasted, 3 ounces 72 Beef, ground, 93% lean meat, broiled, 3 ounces 72 Cod fish, cooked, dry heat, 3 ounces 71 Mushrooms, shiitake, cooked, ½ cup pieces 58 Broccoli, chopped, boiled, drained, ½ cup 31 The choline interaction with other nutrients on early brain and cognitive development: Infants: An observational study found that higher levels of choline together with higher DHA or lutein in human milk were positively associated with better recognition memory of infants at 6 months of age.5 Schoolchildren: A study revealed that higher concurrent intakes of choline (median = 311 mg/day), together with DHA and lutein were associated with better short-term memory and general mental processing ability of school children at around 6 years old.6 For more nutritional information, please view https://Singapore.wyethnutritionsc.org This material is for healthcare professional reference only. Wyeth® is a registered trademark of Wyeth LLC. Used under license. Reference Zeisel SH. Annu Rev Nutr. 2006;26:229-250. Velzing-Aarts FV, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;81(6):1383-1389. Zeisel SH et al. FASEB J. 1991;5(7):2093‐2098. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Choline - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/#en2. Accessed 23 May 2019. Cheatham CL and Sheppard KW. Nutrients. 2015;7(11):9079‐9095. Mulder K et al. Cogent Medicine. 2016;3:1265203 [Abstract]. Locked On FAB action liks Share Messenger WhatsApp Copy Link Search On Register Off Save (for later) On Share it