ERIC CIAPPIO
Strategic Development Manager, Balchem, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States

Abstract

Choline is an essential nutrient, important throughout the lifespan. From the growing body of evidence on prenatal supplementation of choline and its critical role in infant brain development, to the use of choline in adult supplements targeting brain health and liver health, the science has evolved.

WHAT IS CHOLINE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?
Choline is an essential nutrient, much like vitamin C or iron, meaning that your body cannot make enough to meet its demand so it must come from the diet. While choline was discovered in the 1860s, it was only established as an essential nutrient relatively recently – in 1998 in the United States (1) and in 2016 in the EU (2).

You can think of choline’s role as something of a transporter. For example, by participating in one carbon metabolism, it helps to transport methyl groups to regulate gene expression and support cellular function. By acting as a precursor for the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine, it helps to transport signals from the brain and through the nervous system to support functions such as memory and muscle control (3). And by acting as a component of the molecule phosphatidylcholine, it helps to transport fat out of the liver to support lipid & energy metabolism. These functions are important throughout life, and choline is essential for everyone at every age (2).
 
CHOLINE IS A KEY NUTRIENT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
It is well establishe ...