What is choline? If you’ve been around the supplement community for a while, you’ve probably heard about this supplement. Actually, choline is a macro-nutrient, but it can be difficult to get enough choline through your diet.

That’s why many people take choline as a supplement. It’s a very safe supplement to take, since it’s a macronutrient. Choline helps your body with the following:

• Brain function and development
• Healthy functioning of the liver
• Exercise
• Heart health
• Maintaining high energy levels
• A healthy metabolism

In this article, I’ll give you a quick outline that answers the ‘”What is choline” question. I’ll also give you a reference list of 10 foods that you can eat to maintain a healthy level of choline in your body. At the end you’ll find the recommended choline supplement (for when it’s difficult for your to get your daily dose of choline through your diet)

So, let’s dive into this article about choline! (what is choline and the benefits it has for your health)

What is choline

Choline is a macro-nutrient that can be found in a wide range of natural foods. It is water-soluble, just like many of the B vitamins and is responsible for many metabolic processes in the body. It mainly supports energy and brain function. And since these are 2 very important things, a choline deficiency can have a wide range of symptoms.

Here are some of the symptoms for choline deficiency:

• Fatigue
• brain fog
• Learning disabilities
• Mood changes
• Muscle aches

If you experience any (or all) of the above signs, then it’s a good idea for you to check your choline levels. You can also start incorporating choline-rich foods into your diet to see if the symptoms go away.

Alternatively, you can take a choline supplement. They are generally inexpensive and choline has no side effects. Many people notice an increase in brain function, since choline is one of the main components for the key neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter works as an anti-aging neurotransmitter and helps improve your brain function and communication between neurons.

On top of that, choline has a slew of other heath benefits. Continue reading to find out the benefits of choline:

Benefits of choline

#1 Good for your liver

Choline helps to transport fats in the body. This is very important for the liver, since it can prevent build-up of fatty acids in the liver (also know as fatty liver).

A healthy level of choline is required to keep the liver in good shape and prevent liver damage. And a healthy liver is very important, since it helps you clean your body and stay healthy.

#2 Helps with memory & brain functioning

As said before, choline helps with brain functioning. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is responsible for a well-functioning brain. As we  age, our brains become less elastic. And one of the reasons for this is that our body produces less acetylcholine.

By making sure you get enough choline, you can improve the memory of the brain. It also helps to prevent cognitive decline. It might therefore help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease.

Curious about another supplement that increases brain function? Read my L theanine review here.

#3 Increases exercise and muscle performance

Since choline is important for communication in the brain, it can help improve your athletic performance. A healthy choline level is needed for optimal reaction times.

On top of that, choline helps with high energy levels. And high energy levels are good for sports and exercise. It also preserves nerve endings, so your muscle will recover better from strenuous exercise, like biking, or running.

#4 Good for your heart

Choline helps to increase the body to make homocysteine. This molecule assists in preventing fat build-ups in your body. This is very important as it also prevents fat build-ups in the arteries.

Fat build-up in the arteries is one of the main causes of strokes and heart problems. Therefore, getting enough choline is essential if you want to avoid heart problems.

#5 Benefits development of the (unborn) child

The developing brain uses a lot of choline to make new connections between cells. That’s why pregnant women should make sure they get enough choline in their diet or through supplements.

Choline will support a healthy pregnancy. And when the baby is born, the brain is still developing. A growing child also needs enough choline to make sure their brains develop well.

A mother can also help the baby after it is born by breastfeeding. Mothers milk is naturally very rich in choline since it is so important for the baby’s health.

How to get more choline

There are 2 ways to get more choline: through your diet. Or by taking choline supplements. I suggest you take a look int he following list of choline-rich foods and see if you can add some to your diet.

Alternatively, feel free to take choline supplements. They’re not that expensive and it won’t harm you. And if you suffer from a choline deficiency, than taking choline supplements may be one of the best decisions you can make.

10 foods rich in choline

Here’s a list of foods that contain a lot of choline:

• Liver
• Salmon
• Split peas
• Beans
• Eggs
• Grass-fed beef
• Chicken breast
• Turkey
• Cauliflower
• Brussel sprouts

You probably can add some of these foods to your diet. But if you feel you need more choline, then I recommend taking supplements:

Choline supplements

There are many choline supplements available. However, the quality is not the same for most of them. I recommend the following choline supplement: ALPHA-GPC Choline. The reason for this is that it’s a safe high-quality supplement. It contains 300 mg of choline, which is enough to get the health benefits of choline.

On top of that, if you get it from Amazon, it’s also inexpensive. And since choline is very important for your health, it’s good to get a high-quality inexpensive supplement.

Click here to order ALPHA GPC Choline (300mg)!

 

 

P.S. After reading this ‘”what is choline” article, you probably want to buy some choline supplement. Get them here!