Choline

In depth

⏱ 1 min read

Choline is an essential nutrient that the body cannot synthesize in sufficient quantities to meet its needs, so it must be obtained mainly through the diet, and yet it is one of the micronutrients most frequently deficient in the general population, especially among pregnant women, where insufficient intake during gestation has measurable consequences for the fetus's brain development and the child's cognitive outcomes in later years; eggs are the most concentrated dietary source of choline, with about 150 milligrams per egg, almost a third of the recommended daily intake for adults, and for that reason they are literally irreplaceable from a nutritional standpoint for brain health.

Choline acts as a precursor of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter involved in memory, attention, and muscle control; as a precursor of phosphatidylcholine, a critical component of cell membranes that regulates intracellular transport; and as a donor of methyl groups in epigenetic processes that affect global gene expression; this multiplicity of functions explains why choline deficits during fetal development have such broad and lasting effects on the architecture of the central nervous system, affecting the organization of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, regions that are fundamental for learning and long-term memory.