Choline
Notes from DrKF:
If you’re not consuming enough eggs, you might need extra choline. Choline is a conditionally essential nutrient and key methylation player involved in a variety of important processes throughout the body, including in the muscle, brain, and liver; cell membranes; and neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine. While we can synthesize some choline, we do so rather inefficiently. The process also requires three methyl donor-dependent steps, making it a very methyl donor-demanding process. We also need extra choline when we get older for cognitive function and during pregnancy, as it’s essential for baby’s cognitive development. Choline is eventually metabolized to betaine, another important methyl donor that can make SAMe in the methylation cycle without the need for B12 and folate.
Dosage: 450–550 mg of choline bitartrate daily (on the higher end if you are pregnant or nursing). Consider beet supplements for a source of betaine, or you can take three to six grams of betaine itself.
