Choline

Scientific studies on the relationship between choline and disease prevention:
One swallow does not make a summer. A famous Dutch saying that could not be any more obvious. Just because one single scientific study about a certain topic makes certain claims, it does not necessarily mean it is true. On the other hand, a review article (a collection of scientific studies on a certain topic) of randomized, placebo-controlled double blind clinical trials (RCTs) will answer the following question:
"Do taking dietary supplements make sense?" Yes for a positive conclusion and no for a negative conclusion.

One swallow does not make a summer. A famous Dutch saying that could not be any more obvious. Just because one single scientific study about a certain topic makes certain claims, it does not necessarily mean it is true. On the other hand, a review article (a collection of scientific studies on a certain topic) of (prospective) cohort studies or case-control studies will answer the following question:
"Should I change my diet?".

1. Higher choline dietary intake may reduce breast cancer
2. No association between dietary choline/betaine with incident cardiovascular disease

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• Choline isn’t technically a B-vitamin, but it is often included in the B-vitamin family because it works closely with other B-vitamins, especially folic acid and vitamin B12.
• Choline is needed for neurotransmitter synthesis (acetylcholine), cell membrane signaling (phospholipids), lipid transport (lipoproteins) and methyl-group metabolism (homocysteine reduction).
• Excellent sources of choline include liver, eggs, lecithin, legumes and wheat germ.
• In foods, choline exists in free and esterified forms (as phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin).
• There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for choline.
  However, most people get 300 to 1000 milligrams each day from their diet, which seems to be enough to prevent a deficiency.
  The Institute of Medicine recommends that healthy adults consume between 425 and 550 milligrams of choline daily.
• Dietary choline deficiency is rare.
• Dietary choline is absorbed by the intestine in the form of lysophosphatidylcholine or choline and uptake of the latter is mediated by choline transporters.
• The close interrelationship of choline, folic acid, vitamin B12, and methionine metabolism intersects at the formation of methionine from homocysteine.
• Choline can be metabolized to betaine.
• The tolerable upper level (UL) has not been set.