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Choline - Sources, Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms
phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol
Choline's biggest claim to fame is that it is one of the few substances that penetrates the "brain barrier". That means it can get into brain cells, unlike other nutrients, and, some think, aid memory. I took choline in my early twenties because Adelle Davis told me to. And it did nothing. I now realize it was because.... I was 23! At forty-something I think choline is wonderful! A choline supplement of 500mg to 1000 mg may help focus and memory.
My other reasons for taking choline are completely vanity-driven. Taking Choline raises levels of acetylcholine, the memory neurotransmitter, which decline with age. Acetylcholine is necessary for stimulating the contraction of all muscles, including muscles in the face. The result of lower acetylcholine levels is a less tight baseline contraction of all our muscles. So taking choline, it would seem, can tighten sagging jowls, eyelids and all the other sagging that occurs as a result of getting older. DMAE is also a precursor of acetylcholine and also considered a brain food and skin miracle-worker!
Because acetylcholine is found in nerves and brain and known to be involved with memory and learning, taking choline has been shown to improve mental focus, alertness. Dr Perricone writes about the Brain-Beauty connection involved in aging. Understanding how choline and DMAE work makes that connection a little clearer.
Choline seems to emulsify cholesterol keeping arteries clean
Choline aids in nerve impulse transmission
Choline helps form phosphatidylcholine, the primary phospholipid** of cell membranes.
Deficiencies may cause hardening of the arteries, cirrhosis of the liver and possibly Alzheimer's. The body does not necessarily make enough of this nutrient on its own so acquiring it through diet or supplements is necessary. (How did cave people live without online vitamin stores?)
Choline is found naturally in egg yolks, brain, heart, yeast, liver, wheat germ, green leafy vegetables.
Lecithin contains small amounts of choline and a GOOD B-complex 50, for example, will typically provide 50mg (but many B-Complexes are not good - check ingredients carefully).
Most people will take a choline supplement of 500-1000mg. See the nifty supplements featured on the right. Take choline with the B-complex. It needs B12, folic acid and L-carnitine (an amino acid) to be metabolized properly. Taking calcium to keep phosphorous / calcium balances in check may be necessary when you take choline.
*Lipid definition: Any of a group of organic compounds, including the fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides, that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents, are oily to the touch, and together with carbohydrates and proteins constitute the principal structural material of living cells.
**Phospholipid definition: Any of numerous lipids (as lecithins and sphingomyelin) in which phosphoric acid as well as a fatty acid is esterified to glycerol and which are found in all living cells and in the bilayers of plasma membranes called also phosphatide, phospholipin. ~ Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary
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