Celebrating Women’s Health Week
This week is Women’s Health Week, and today I’m shining a light on an often forgotten nutrient: choline!
The Importance of Choline
I often care for women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant and always discuss the importance of a varied diet and supplementation of iodine and folate. More recently, I’ve also been discussing the importance of choline. Choline is a water-soluble nutrient required for DNA synthesis, neurotransmitter production, cell membrane structure, and it also plays a critical role in lipid and cholesterol transport.
Choline in Pregnancy
Despite increasing evidence that adequate choline benefits multiple aspects of neural development and other baby and pregnancy outcomes, there is minimal awareness of the importance of choline in pregnancy. A 2022 Australian study estimated that 61% of women had inadequate choline intake (RDI 450mg) in early pregnancy, and 75% were deficient in later pregnancy!
Choline for Children
A 2024 study found that this is also an issue in children, with just 35% of infants and 23% of toddlers meeting choline requirements, despite it remaining important for nervous system development.
Sources of Choline
Although our body makes small amounts of choline, we need to get most of it from our diets. Choline is highest in animal products, and there are also small amounts in vegetables. Like most vitamins and nutrients, it’s ideal to get these from our diets rather than rely on supplements.
Eggs: A Great Source of Choline
Eggs are an excellent source of choline, with one large egg containing roughly 163mg of this essential nutrient. Eggs can also be a good source of complete protein, B12, and selenium, all of which are important in pregnancy and early development. As someone who doesn’t eat meat but eats eggs, this is good news for me and many of my patients. Eggs are cheap, versatile, and despite previous fears regarding heart disease risk, the Australian Heart Foundation recommends that eating eggs daily is fine. Only people with high LDL or diabetes should limit egg consumption to seven per week.
Recommendations for Choline Intake
I recommend eggs to my patients as a healthy complete protein source and also as an especially excellent food for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and young children. 😊