What is choline? | The number one guide from A to Z

Whether you're looking into nootropics for the first time or have been using them for years, you've probably come across several people who recommend choline.

But you may be wondering: What is choline and why is it so recommended among people? nootropics users?

Well, the simple answer is that choline is an essential nutrient that, like nootropics, can improve cognitive function AND can help reduce headaches associated with nootropic use.

Here's what you need to know about the hill...

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What is choline?

Choline is an essential nutrient, but quite unique compared to other essential vitamins and minerals. You see, choline is not a vitamin or mineral; It is a unique organic compound found primarily in animal sources. It was not even recognized as an essential nutrient by the National Academy of Medicine until 1998.1].

Choline is a key player in many important bodily functions.The phospholipids that line cell membranes contain choline and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, as its name suggests, contains choline. Even uridine, one of the building blocks of DNA, is made from a choline-containing compound.2].

Because choline is relatively new to the nutrient scene, there is still a lot researchers are learning about it.

However, nootropic users seem to like choline. According to many anecdotal reports, it has nootropic properties of its own, while also helping to reduce some of the unpleasant side effects associated with the use of nootropics, namely headaches.

And although we are still learning about this nutrient, there has been a lot of research into its role in cognitive improvement, among its other benefits.

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Choline benefits

Choline plays several important roles in the body. The well-documented benefits of choline are:

• Neuroprotection and cognitive improvement: Choline is a structural component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is one of the main neurotransmitters that communicates signals to and from the nervous system. Some research has also shown that dietary choline intake is associated with better cognitive function.1].
• Cholesterol management: Choline may also help regulate digestion and cholesterol metabolism, preventing excess cholesterol from building up in the liver, which could potentially reduce the risk of heart disease.3].
• Structure and function of the cell membrane: Choline is a key component of the phospholipids that make up cell membranes, particularly phosphatidylcholine, the most abundant phospholipid in the body. These phospholipids not only form the structural membrane that surrounds the cell, but they also regulate cell permeability (what goes in and what goes out).Two studies have observed damage to liver and muscle tissue in humans after only 3 weeks of choline restriction, due to damage caused by increased cell permeability.1, 4].

Choline also supports DNA synthesis and fetal and infant brain development. In fact, pregnant women are often recommended to take choline in addition to their prenatal vitamins.

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Choline benefits

Choline plays several important roles in the body. The well-documented benefits of choline are:

• Neuroprotection and cognitive improvement: Choline is a structural component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is one of the main neurotransmitters that communicates signals to and from the nervous system. Some research has also shown that dietary choline intake is associated with better cognitive function.1].
• Cholesterol management: Choline may also help regulate digestion and cholesterol metabolism, preventing excess cholesterol from building up in the liver, which could potentially reduce the risk of heart disease.3].
• Structure and function of the cell membrane: Choline is a key component of the phospholipids that make up cell membranes, particularly phosphatidylcholine, the most abundant phospholipid in the body. These phospholipids not only form the structural membrane that surrounds the cell, but they also regulate cell permeability (what goes in and what goes out). Two studies have observed damage to liver and muscle tissue in humans after only 3 weeks of choline restriction, due to damage caused by increased cell permeability.1, 4].

Choline also supports DNA synthesis and fetal and infant brain development. In fact, pregnant women are often recommended to take choline in addition to their prenatal vitamins.

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Types of hill

There are several different types of choline found in food, in the body, or used in supplements. Here is a summary of what you need to know about the most common ones [8]:

• Choline bitartrate: This is the most common supplemental form of choline. It is about 40% choline by weight and is extremely inexpensive, but it is not absorbed or used by the body as well as other forms.
• Citicoline: Cytidine diphosphate-choline, also known as citicoline or CDP-choline, is a widely used nootropic and a precursor to uridine, one of the five nucleic acids used by the body to build DNA. It contains 18% choline and has some impressive cognitive benefits.
• Phosphatidylcholine: Phosphatidylcholine is the form of choline found in most choline foods. It is a phospholipid and contains 13% choline by weight.
• Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine: This form, also known as Alpha-GPC, is 40% choline. It is a favorite type of choline supplement among nootropic users as it is well absorbed and can cross the blood-brain barrier.9].
• Choline chloride: This supplemental form of choline is often used in animal feed, but is rarely used in supplements designed for human use.

Choline is also found in soy lecithin and some people take lecithin supplements; however, these contain only 2.5 to 3% choline by weight.

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Choline Dosing Guide

The National Academy of Medicine has established a set of guidelines for how much choline most people need, known collectively as Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).

The first is the recommended daily allowance (RDA). This amount is believed to meet the needs of most healthy people.Researchers do not yet know this number for choline, so choline does not have a recommended daily dose. On the other hand, choline has an adequate intake level (AI). AI ensures that most healthy people do not experience deficiency symptoms.

Choline AI for adults is [5]:

• Male: 550 mg/day
• Female: 425 mg/day
  • Pregnant: 450 mg/day
  • Breast-feeding: 550 mg/day

Surprisingly, most Americans don't get enough choline to reach the AI ​​level, meaning that between food sources and the choline the body produces naturally, they don't get enough of the nutrient.

Although signs of a true choline deficiency are rare, many people fall short when it comes to foods with choline in their diet. It's tempting to speculate how much better the health of Americans as a whole would be if everyone got enough of this powerful nutrient.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the tolerable upper intake level (UL), which is the most the average healthy person can take without starting to risk the side effects of choline toxicity. The UL for choline for adults is:

• Male: 3,500 mg/day
• Female: 3,500 mg/day
  • Pregnant: 3,500 mg/day
  • Breast-feeding: 3,500 mg/day

When choosing your choline dose, it is best to aim for at least the AI ​​of 425-550 mg/day, but that would include choline from all sources, including foods with choline.

On a supplement bottle, the “% Daily Value” for choline shows you how much AI a single dose of the supplement will provide. Most choline supplements contain between 45% and 100% choline AI.

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The best choline supplements

Interested in supplementing with choline? Here are our top picks for the best choline supplement:

1. Jarrow Formulas Citicoline

As we mentioned above, citicoline is not just a choline supplement: it is a unique compound made from choline that is used as a nootropic in its own right. This one from Jarrow Formulas, a trusted supplement manufacturer, has rave reviews about its effectiveness for concentration, memory, and mental clarity.

2. NOW supplements choline and inositol

Our next recommendation, from NOW Foods, is made with choline bitartrate, so it's very reasonably priced. It also has excellent reviews and provides 45% of the daily value of choline, along with inositol, a type of sugar rich in brain tissues that can help boost brain function when taken in supplement form.

3. Nested Naturals Choline Bitartrate

This choline supplement is also made from choline bitartrate, but provides more than 90% of the daily value of choline. It is also vegan, so it may be appropriate for people who follow vegan diets and therefore cannot consume many of the richer sources of choline. Like the other products we recommend, it has excellent reviews from users who praise how much it has helped them with their memory and attention span.

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Foods with Choline | Beginner's Guide

Choline is richest in animal sources, particularly egg yolks and beef liver, which are concentrated sources of several nutrients.

According to the US government's National Institutes of Health, the 10 foods richest in choline are [5]:

• Fried beef liver, 3 ounces: 356 mg (65% of the daily value)
• Large hard-boiled egg: 147 mg (27% of the DV)
• Braised beef, lean, 3 ounces: 117 mg (21% DV)
• Roasted soybeans, ½ cup: 107 mg (19% of the DV)
• Roasted chicken breast, 3 ounces: 72 mg (13% DV)
• Roasted ground beef, 93% lean, 3 ounces: 72 mg (13% of the daily value)
• Atlantic cod, cooked dry heat, 3 ounces: 71 mg (13% DV)
• Large red baked potato with skin: 57 mg (10% of the DV)
• Toasted wheat germ, 1 ounce: 51 mg (9% DV)
• Canned beans, ½ cup: 45 mg (8% DV)

Although most people do not get enough choline in their diet, it is more than possible. Make sure your diet is rich in lean proteins, such as lean meat, chicken, and fish. If you are vegan or vegetarian, beans and soy are your best option.

Additionally, to easily meet your daily value for choline, be sure to include egg yolks in your diet. Although they have been the subject of controversy in the past, most experts now agree that the benefits of egg yolks far outweigh the minor potential risk posed by their cholesterol content.

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Choline and modafinil

A popular modafinil stack (or combination of supplements or other nootropics that help boost modafinil) is modafinil and choline.

This is because one of the most common side effects of Modafinil is headache, and many users have reported that taking choline along with Modafinil makes this annoying side effect go away.

Unfortunately, there really isn't any research to support this, except for a study from the 1980s that found a link between low levels of choline in red blood cells and cluster headaches.10].

Anyway, there are several Modafinil users who report that taking choline is the only way they can enjoy the nootropic benefits of Modafinil, because it is the only thing that has worked for them to get rid of Modafinil headaches. Additionally, there are no known interactions between modafinil and choline that would make them unsafe to take together [11].

This is what one Reddit user I recommended to another who was asking about using choline for headaches:

“Definitely add choline! This will help with your headaches. Take 250 to 500 mg at breakfast and 250 later in the day if it doesn't go away. I’ve had the same problem before using nootropics.”

However, remember that there is no concrete research to support this link between modafinil and choline, so your mileage may vary. For other ways to relieve your headache with modafinil, check out our post on how to get rid of it. Headaches with modafinil.

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What is choline? | Verdict

The verdict on this case is already known...

Choline is an essential nutrient that helps regulate cognitive function and the permeability of cell membranes. Many people report increased focus and concentration when taking choline supplements, and it is also commonly combined with Modafinil to prevent Modafinil headaches.

However, there is currently no scientific evidence to support the use of choline to prevent headaches with modafinil.

Anyway, if you're interested in supplementing with this brain-boosting nutrient, stock up on our best choline supplement choice.

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