Choline and phosphatidylcholine

Choline is considered an essential nutrient and can be found in the diet in both lipid- and water-soluble form natively in foods, added during food processing (e.g., lecithin), or in dietary supplements. Choline requirements can vary considerably dependent upon life-stage, nutrient-nutrient interactions, as well as variation in capacity for endogenous formation. Choline is required to support three primary metabolic processes: (1) acetylcholine synthesis; (2) oxidation to betaine, both an osmolyte as well as a major methyl donor for generation of the universal methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine; (3) the production of phospholipids with roles in cell and organelle membrane structural integrity as well as novel signaling functions. Dietary deficiency of choline results in deleterious impacts on the liver, muscle, and brain in preclinical and clinical studies. The relationship of dietary choline to health outcomes beyond deficiency prevention, including benefits of maternal choline supplementation for infant cognition, and concerns regarding choline intake's relationship to cardiovascular disease and neurocognitive aging are continued areas of active investigation with need for further research. Choline serves as an important case study for nutritional genomics, owing to the impact of common genetic variants on choline metabolism and requirements, and choline's influence on gene expression.