Choline, Phosphatidylcholine & Citicholine
Updated September 30, 2023
Brain-Neuro-Psych Program
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Choline's Roles
- Component of cell membranes, affects signaling and membrane-bound receptors
- Methyl donor, esp with folate deficiency
- Lipid transport
- Brain development, protection, and recovery possibly including Alzheimer’s dementia
- Needed to produce neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
- Has a role in cardiovascular and peripheral artery disease, neurological disorders and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Choline Factoids
Essential nutrient, liver cannot manufacture the full daily requirement
Most people in the US, including 90-95% of pregnant women (according to the NIH), consume less than the optimal intake.
Supplemental forms include choline bitartrate, choline citrate (liquid), phosphatidylcholine and lecithin.
Choline deficiency can cause muscle damage, liver damage and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Low levels of certain B vitamins can increase choline requirements, and overlaps with fplat and other B vitamins.
See above for choline’s roles
Choline and NAFLD (from the NIH)
Testing Choline
While choline cannot be tested directly using conventional labs, another biomarker called TMAO, is measurable and involved in choline processing.
While high TMAO is undesirable and correlates with cardiovascular and kidney disease, the literature is sparse on low TMAO, which probably reflects choline deficiency.
Info from Quest and LabCorp are referenced below. Please go to their websites for more complete information.
