In 1998, the Institute of Medicine recognized choline as an essential nutrient, setting an adequate intake at 550 mg/day for men and 425 mg/day for women (rising to 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for breastfeeding women).
However, according to the often referenced National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, while American infants get enough (since choline is found in breastmilk and added to formula), 90% of children, adults and pregnant women are not getting enough!
Steven H. Zeisel, MD, PhD, a leading researcher on choline commented that “In pregnancy we know that low choline diets are associated with increased rates of birth defects, and we know that low choline diets in adults present with fatty liver and sometimes muscle damage that is reversed when choline restored.”
“Given the importance of choline in making a healthy baby, pregnant women should be the target., ” said Dr. Zeisel.
