Your brain needs Choline

May 02, 2024CholineInnovation
4 MIN

Your brain needs Choline

Nature Made® is proud to introduce you to our Choline Collection! What is Choline, you may ask? Choline is a vitamin-like compound that the Institute of Medicine recognized as an essential nutrient in 1998.[1] Your brain and nervous system need Choline to support memory, mood, muscle control, and other functions.§ It's also an essential nutrient to support fetal brain development during pregnancy.† 

So why is it so important? Choline is an essential precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in healthy brain and nervous system function. Acetylcholine does a lot in our brain and nervous system, including helping to transport signals throughout our bodies.[2]†

 

Food Sources of Choline

If Choline is so essential, how do you get it? We produce a small amount of Choline in our liver, but a diet high in Choline-rich foods helps us get the Choline we need to support our brain and nervous system. What does a diet rich in Choline look like?

Some of the foods highest in Choline are beef liver and hard-boiled eggs.[3] While those might be some of the highest sources, that doesn't mean you can't get Choline from non-animal products, but in lesser amounts. Vegetarian and vegan sources of Choline include soybeans, wheat germ, and cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli. However, because of the lower sources of Choline in plant foods, you may not be getting enough Choline in your diet if you are a vegan or a strict vegetarian. In fact, 90% of U.S. adults do not consume enough Choline in their daily diet.[4] Thankfully, there are plenty of options from Nature Made® for Choline supplementation, so let's jump into a quick run-down of our Choline Collection!

 

Choline Gummies

Are you looking for a tasty source of daily Choline? Here's something that might catch your fancy! Nature Made® Choline Gummies provide 300 mg of Choline to support a healthy brain and nervous system in two daily gummies; that's over half your daily value of Choline in one serving. These tasty Green Apple flavor gummies do not contain artificial flavors, synthetic dyes, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. They are also gluten-free and vegan!†

 

Choline Extra Strength Dosage Capsules

Choline Extra Strength Dosage Capsules

Nature Made® now offers Choline Extra Strength Dosage Capsules, with 800 mg of Choline in three daily capsules to help make Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that supports memory, mood, and muscle health. These Extra Strength Choline capsules contain a clinically studied ingredient to support focused attention in young adults. College-age students supplemented with 800 mg of Choline showed higher accuracy on "click and aim" hand-eye coordination computer tasks.[5] Though these new Choline capsules have an Extra Strength Dosage, they are far below the Tolerable Upper Limit for Choline (which is 3,500 mg a day) [6], so if taken as directed, you don’t need to worry about taking too much Choline. Always talk to your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement. Start your day with Nature Made® Choline Extra Strength Capsules for mood, memory and muscle support.§

 

Prenatal Choline

Did you know that 95% of women do not meet the recommended intake level of Choline while pregnant or nursing? Choline is an essential nutrient that supports the baby's brain and spinal cord development; that's why Nature Made® Prenatal Multi + Choline includes 265 mg of Choline in 1 daily capsule. That's 140% more Choline per dose.◆ These capsules are paired with a prenatal multivitamin softgel with 20 nutrients for daily support. Taken together, this includes key nutrients Folic Acid, DHA and Choline for the baby’s brain, cognitive, and spinal cord development‡ alongside nutrients to support the mom's muscle relaxation, skin health, and energy metabolism support.★ If that wasn't enough, Folic Acid supports the baby's nervous system development, and Omega-3 Fatty Acid DHA helps support the baby's brain and eye development. All those benefits are packed into just one daily softgel + one daily capsule.†

 

Bottom Line

Choline is vital at every age, gender, and life stage, and Nature Made® is proud to present our Choline Collection to help you support your brain and nervous system. Nature Made® supplements are guaranteed to meet our high-quality standards.†

 

◆Compared to the leading 2 pill prenatal multivitamin at date of manufacture.

‡ When taken as suggested.

§ Choline helps make acetylcholine to support memory, mood and muscle health.†

★Helps convert food into cellular energy†


† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


References

  1. Sam C, Bordoni B. Physiology, Acetylcholine. [Updated 2023 Apr 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557825/
  2. Zeisel SH, da Costa KA. Choline: an essential nutrient for public health. Nutr Rev. 2009;67(11):615-623. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00246.x
  3. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Choline. Nih.gov. Published 2017. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/
  4. Devarshi, P., et al. "Nutrient Gaps in U.S. Adults by Age and Gender: Vitamin A, D, E, K, C, Magnesium, Calcium, Choline and Dietary Fiber." Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 120.9 (2020): A27.
  5. Naber M, Hommel B, Colzato LS. Improved human visuomotor performance and pupil constriction after choline supplementation in a placebo-controlled double-blind
  6. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Choline. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin and Choline. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press; 1998: 390-422.

Authors

Graham Morris

NatureMade Copywriter

Graham has a degree in film with a focus on screenwriting from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He enjoys learning new things and finding the best, most engaging way to communicate them to a wide audience. Graham appreciates simplicity in life and nutrition, and wants to find the easiest, no-stress ways to stay healthy.

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Sandra Zagorin, MS, RD

Science and Health Educator

As a member of the Medical and Scientific Communications team, Sandra educates healthcare professionals and consumers on nutrition, supplements, and related health concerns. Prior to joining Pharmavite, Sandra worked as a clinical dietitian at University of Chicago Medicine in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Sandra received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Science, with minors in Spanish and Chemistry from the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. She earned her Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition from RUSH University in Chicago, IL. As part of her Master’s program, Sandra performed research on physical activity participation and correlates in urban Hispanic women.

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