AN ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT
CHOLINE
A nutrient that helps your brain, liver, muscles, and every cell in your body.
Learn how much you need and discover simple ways to get it through food.
WHY IT MATTERS
Choline works throughout your body
Your liver makes a small amount, but not enough to meet all your needs. The rest must come from food.
Brain & Nerves
Helps make acetylcholine, a messenger involved in memory, mood, and muscle control.
Liver
Helps move fat out of the liver and supports normal fat metabolism.
Muscle
Supports the nerve signals your muscles need to move.
Every Cell
Helps build the membranes that surround and protect your cells.
DAILY NEEDS
How much choline do you need?
These values are Adequate Intakes, not a one-size-fits-all prescription.
Men 19+
Adequate Intake
550mg/day
Pregnancy 19+
Adequate Intake
450mg/day
Women 19+
Adequate Intake
425mg/day
Lactation 19+
Adequate Intake
550mg/day
Choline Facts
- Many prenatal vitamins lack sufficient choline, combining a balanced diet with food sources or an additional supplement is often necessary to meet these targets.
- Breast milk is naturally rich in choline, an essential nutrient that supports healthy brain development and a strong nervous system in babies.
- Choline is not officially classified as a vitamin, but it is grouped with the B-complex nutrients because it performs similar functions in the body’s cells.
Choline-Rich Foods
Compare the choline in common foods with the daily value.
Values are approximate and may vary by preparation. Bar lengths show the percentage of the 550 mg Daily Value.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Choline Q&A
Straightforward answers about daily needs, food sources, safety, and the role choline plays in your health.
What is choline and what does it do?
Choline is an essential nutrient that supports your brain, liver, muscles, and cells. It helps make acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved in memory, mood, and muscle control, helps move fat out of the liver, supports muscle signaling, and helps build the membranes that surround your cells.
How much choline do I need each day?
For adults ages 19 and older, the Adequate Intake is 550 mg per day for men and 425 mg per day for women. During pregnancy, the recommended amount is 450 mg per day, and during lactation, it is 550 mg per day.
What foods have the most choline?
Beef liver contains the most choline, with about 356 mg in 3 ounces. Other good sources include egg yolks, beef, roasted soybeans, chicken, cod, potatoes, kidney beans, quinoa, and broccoli.
Can you take choline while pregnant?
Choline is especially important during pregnancy, when the recommended intake is 450 mg per day. Many prenatal vitamins do not contain enough choline, so food sources or an additional supplement may be needed, but we recommend talking with a healthcare professional before taking a choline supplement during pregnancy.
Are choline supplements safe to use?
You should try to meet choline needs primarily through food. Talk with a healthcare professional before taking a choline supplement, particularly during pregnancy or if you are managing a medical condition.
Can you get enough choline on a plant-based diet?
You can find choline in roasted soybeans, potatoes, kidney beans, quinoa, and broccoli. Depending on your diet and your unique needs, a plant-based diet may not meet all of your choline needs.
Do eggs have a lot of choline?
Yes. One large hard-boiled egg provides about 147 mg of choline, making eggs one of the richer food sources.
What are the side effects of too much choline?
High choline intake can cause fishy body odor, vomiting, sweating, low blood pressure, and liver toxicity. The adult upper limit is 3,500 mg per day from food and supplements combined.
Does choline help with memory and brain health?
Choline plays an important role in brain and nervous system function. It helps the body make acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved in memory, mood, and muscle control, and NRI researchers also study how choline influences brain development and long-term health.
MEET THE EXPERTS
NRI Researchers
Isis Trujillo-Gonzalez, PhD
Assistant Professor of Nutrition
Dr. Trujillo studies how choline, genetics, and early nutrition influence brain development and long-term health.
Steven H. Zeisel, MD, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Pediatrics, Founding Director of the NRI
Dr. Zeisel is an internationally recognized nutrition researcher whose work helped establish choline as an essential nutrient and advances understanding of nutrition, genetics, and brain development.
WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS
Insights from the NRI
Your liver makes a small amount, but not enough to meet all your needs. The rest must come from food.
SUPPLEMENTS AND SAFETY
Can you get too much?
Yes. High choline intakes can cause fishy body odor, vomiting, sweating, low blood pressure, and liver toxicity. The adult upper limit is 3,500 mg per day from food and supplements combined.
Start with food
Most people should meet nutrient needs primarily through food. Talk with a healthcare professional before taking a choline supplement, especially during pregnancy or when managing a medical condition.
The simple takeaway
Choline is essential, many people consume less than the recommended amount, and a varied diet can help. Your personal needs may be influenced by age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, genetics, and other nutrients in your diet.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why Precision Nutrition Matters
Everyone responds to food differently. Genetics, metabolism, lifestyle, environment, and the microbiome all influence how nutrients affect our health. Precision nutrition helps researchers move beyond one-size-fits-all advice toward approaches designed around the individual.
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