Do Vegans Need Choline?

WHAT IS THE POINT OF CHOLINE AND DO VEGANS GET ENOUGH

Choline is an essential nutrient that plays major roles in the nervous system. It is involved in the production of acetylcholine, which is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain. It is also involved in creating cell membranes, DNA synthesis, and also fat metabolism via effectively transporting fat out of the liver.

Studies² have shown that the population as whole has sub-optimal levels of choline. Vegans are particularly at risk as major sources are from animal products and eggs.

As acetylcholine is involved in nerve transmission, athletes and people utilising their brain for many calculations will have an increased need for choline. Requirements for more choline can be caused by a range of factors including common genetic variations, use of alcohol, nootropics or other psychostimulant drugs.

Athletes will also have an increased need for choline due to its role in muscle cell membranes. It is implicated in increased synthesis reduced breakdown of muscle tissue.⁹

WHAT DO GENES HAVE TO DO WITH IT

Genes effect our ability to absorb and metabolise different nutrients, and this is particularly true for choline. Around 50% of people with European lineage tend to have genes that require more choline, such as a mutation in MTHFD1.³  Genetic differences can result in a 3 fold increase in choline requirements. Estrogen stimulates a gene involved in choline metabolism, therefore premenopausal women are less likely to be at risk from choline deficiency.⁴

WHAT ARE THE BEST VEGAN SOURCES

The best vegan sources of choline are Navy Beans (80mg / cup), Tofu (69.8mg / serving) Broccoli (66mg / cooked cup) and green peas (47.5mg /cup).

Eggs contain around 166mg per single large egg, therefore vegetarians eating eggs will find it easier to reach the NIH recommendations of 425mg / day for women and 550mg / day for men.⁵

It is certainly possible, but not necessarily simple, to get your choline requirements from a vegan diet with a well planned menu. Supplementation with CDP-Choline may however infer cognitive benefits even to those meeting the minimum guidelines.

 

THREE TYPES OF CHOLINE SUPPLEMENT

Choline Bitartrate; A cheap supplement that can raise Choline levels in the body but doest not effectively cross the blood brain barrier to become acetylcholine in the brain.

Alpha GPC; Effectively crosses the blood brain barrier to increase choline levels in the brain. Most effective to increase choline levels at night during rest.

CDP Choline / Citicholine; Effectively crosses the blood brain barrier to become acetylcholine in the brain, and also stimulates the release of other neurotransmitters to increase brain function.

Studies⁶ showed supplementation with 250mg of Citicholine produced improved attention in healthy populations. Other studies have shown it can improve memory in elderly populations.

Citicholine also increases uridine in the brain which helps repair and rebuild neurones. Uridine is thought to improve neural plasticity, encourage synaptic formation and rodent studies showed this ability is further enhanced when co supplemented with DHA.⁷

“As a long term vegan I had tried supplementing Choline Bitartrate but did not notice any improvements, however I later found CDP Choline had profound effects on my energy levels and concentration. This is why it we chose it as a key ingredient in Vegan Powah despite it being multiple times the cost of Bitartrate. ” – Bradley

CDP Choline is usually found in organ meats such as liver, and is potentially why some people describe these meats as being able to give them a surge of energy and a reason why predator animals tend to go for organ meats first. Vegan Powah contains fully vegan CDP Choline combined with DHA from algae.

Pregnant vegans should be aware that shortages in choline can be damaging to neural development of their baby. ⁸