Choline in pregnancy. Why is it an indispensable part of pregnancy nutrition?

A healthy pregnancy requires a steady intake of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. It is crucial to follow your doctor's instructions about your nutrition and prenatal vitamin intake during your pregnancy.

Choline is an essential nutrient, yet it's often forgotten about during pregnancy. It is beneficial for both you and the baby throughout pregnancy. Choline is classified as a micronutrient rather than a vitamin or mineral. There are numerous food options and nutritional supplements that include choline. The liver produces some choline, but not nearly enough to meet daily requirements. It's also useful as a dietary supplement1.

Choline has multiple purposes in the body. Removing excess fat from the liver is one of these tasks. Thus, fatty liver disease can result from insufficient choline intake.

Choline is essential for learning and retention, as well as for maintaining a healthy neurological system and positive disposition. Also, it's important for keeping your muscles working properly2.

Role of Choline during pregnancy3,4:

For a long time, doctors relied heavily on folate to aid in the development of the neural tube in a foetus. New observational studies show that choline is essential for many different processes, not just neurodevelopment. They serve comparable purposes and share other common characteristics but are not identical.

Similar to folate, choline is essential for the growth and development of the nervous system, brain, and spinal cord in an embryo as it aids in the formation of new cells. This hypothesis suggests that deficits in folate and choline during this time could cause birth problems such as neural tube closure disorders.

Developmental benefits of choline: Choline supplementation during pregnancy has been shown to benefit cognitive abilities in children, including their ability to learn and remember. Research shows significant improvement in concentration and academic performance for kids whose mothers took choline supplements.

Placental Growth: The placenta, which nourishes and shields the foetus, forms throughout the first three months of pregnancy. Choline is essential in the development of the placenta's cellular structure. Choline aids in placental function stimulates the growth of blood vessels and facilitates the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the developing baby.

Choline and Autistic Disorder Treatment: Choline intake may help reduce the risk of autism, according to emerging research. Consuming sufficient choline during pregnancy has been shown to aid in the prevention of autism spectrum disorders in the offspring. It helps kids grow up with a healthy brain and less social awkwardness and anxiety. The hippocampus, which controls memory and emotion, can develop more successfully with adequate choline consumption. Children with autism often have abnormalities or underdevelopment of the hippocampus.

Food rich in Choline5:

Beef liver is the best food source of choline. Eggs are a good alternative to the liver if you don't care for the taste or texture. About a third of your daily choline requirements can be met by eating just one egg yolk.

Meat, poultry, and seafood are other excellent dietary sources of choline. brussels sprouts, potatoes, soybeans, and are examples of plant-based foods that contain choline; however, animal products like meat and eggs are far more concentrated sources of choline per gramme, which means that vegans and vegetarians may not be obtaining sufficient amounts of choline from diet alone.

  1. Prenatal choline supplementation makes essential nutrient available for fetal development. News-Medical.net Learn more (2022).
  2. Everything You Need To Know About Choline During Pregnancy. feedmomandme Learn more (2021).
  3. Korsmo, H. W., Jiang, X. & Caudill, M. A. Choline: Exploring the Growing Science on Its Benefits for Moms and Babies. Nutrients 11, 1823 (2019).
  4. Zeisel, S. H. Choline: Critical Role During Fetal Development and Dietary Requirements in Adults. Annu Rev Nutr 26, 229–250 (2006).
  5. Why Choline During Pregnancy Is So Important | Ro. Learn more.