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choline bitartrate, choline chloride, choline dihydrogen
Choline is a part of many chemicals within the body. It’s water-soluble. All of the jobs of choline are not yet known. It may be needed for your liver and kidneys to work well. Choline is also a part of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This is a chemical that passes messages between nerves. It also passes messages between nerves and muscles.
Choline is also the building block of lecithin and sphingomyelins. Lecithin is a part of cell walls, plasma, and lipoproteins. Sphingomyelin is the insulating material of brain and nerve tissue.
You can get all the choline you need from your diet. Choline deficiency happens only in rare cases. For this reason, the use of choline supplements is limited. Choline doesn’t have an established use as a supplement in healthy people.
There may be benefits that have not yet been proven through research.
Choline supplements may help treat neurological issues due to the cholinergic system. But studies show that these supplements don’t affect brain metabolism.
Choline is claimed to help treat these conditions:
Tardive dyskinesia
Huntington chorea
Tourette syndrome
Friedreich ataxia
Presenile dementia
Fatty liver and cirrhosis
Choline supplements are said to reduce cholesterol, control mood swings, and protect the liver from damage due to alcohol. They also may lower blood pressure, boost memory, and treat Alzheimer disease. Choline may also enhance athletic performance.
Choline may help prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy. It also aids in fetal brain development.
The Adequate Intake (AI) is the level needed to ensure nutritional adequacy. Most people in the U.S. don't get enough choline in their diet.
Group
Adequate intake
Birth to 6 months
125 mg
7 to 12 months
150 mg
1 to 3 years
200 mg
4 to 8 years
250 mg
9 to 13 years
375 mg
Men 14 to 18 years
550 mg
Women 14 to 18 years
400 mg
Men 19 years or older
Women 19 years or older
425 mg
Pregnant people
450 mg
Breastfeeding people
About 9 in 10 to 19 in 20 pregnant people don't meet the AI for choline. Prenatal vitamins usually contain little or no choline. Some studies suggest that low choline levels in pregnancy are linked with an increased risk for neural tube defects. But other research found no such link.
Foods that contain choline include meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, egg yolks, soybean, wheat germ, peanuts, broccoli, cauliflower, and liver.
Food source
Nutrient content
Beef liver, 3 oz.
365 mg
Egg, 1 large
147 mg
Soybeans, ½ cup
107 mg
Chicken breast, 3 oz.
72 mg
Potatoes, red, flesh and skin, 1 large
57 mg
Milk, 1 cup
43 mg
Broccoli, ½ cup
31 mg
Peanuts, ¼ cup
24 mg
Cauliflower, ½ cup
Choline deficiency in animals may lead to liver problems and kidney damage. These liver problems have led to liver cancer in laboratory animals. But this has not yet been found in humans.
People being fed by IV may have low serum levels of choline, which may require them to need choline supplements
Choline may cause a stomachache, diarrhea, or loose stools. This can happen at normal doses. Large amounts (about 20 g) of choline may cause other side effects. These can include dizziness, low blood pressure (hypotension), and fishy body odor. They can also include depression and heart rhythm problems.
Choline may cause depression in some people. You should not use choline if you have bipolar disorder.
People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk to their healthcare providers before taking any supplements.
There are no known interactions between choline and any food or medicine. People with low folate levels may need more choline.