Choline is a recently discovered nutrient. It was only recognized as a required nutrient by the Institute of Medicine in 1998.
Although your body produces some, you must get choline from your diet to avoid a deficiency.
However, many people do not meet the recommended intake for this nutrient .
Choline is an essential nutrient. This means it is necessary for normal bodily function and human health. Although your liver can produce small amounts, you need to get most of it through your diet.
Choline is a water-soluble organic compound. It is neither a vitamin nor a mineral.
However, it is often grouped with the B vitamin complex because of its similarities. In fact, this nutrient affects a number of vital bodily functions.
It impacts liver function, healthy brain development, muscle movement, the nervous system, and metabolism.
Therefore, adequate amounts are needed for optimal health.
Choline plays an important role in many processes in your body, including:
It is needed to produce fats that support the structural integrity of cell membranes (3 Trusted Source).
Is involved in the production of compounds that act as cellular messengers.
is essential to produce a substance needed to remove cholesterol from the liver. Inadequate choline can cause a buildup of fat and cholesterol in the liver (4 Trusted Source, 5 Trusted Source).
Choline and other vitamins, such as B12 and folate, help in an important process of DNA synthesis.
This nutrient is needed to produce acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter. It is involved in memory, muscle movement, heart rate regulation and other basic functions.
