What do you think of when you hear the word "micronutrient"? Maybe things like Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, or Vitamin C come to mind. But what about Choline? This micronutrient can be compared to the Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen. It is most definitely a superstar player in your body, but it will never get the fame and recognition of the Michael Jordan names out there like Calcium and Vitamin C.
This lack of recognition may come from the fact that it's hard to explain exactly what Choline is. It's an essential nutrient, but it's not a vitamin or mineral. (1) Yes, you read that correctly. It has some similarities to B-Vitamins, and was at one point called Vitamin B4, but it's not classified as a vitamin anymore.
Why is it so important? Choline has numerous functions within the body, but there are 3 primary ones it has because of what it converts to.
A) Conversion to Betaine.
Betaine helps maintain liver, heart, and kidney health. It also works as an osmolyte by helping to maintain cellular water volume. (2)
B) Conversion to Acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays a massive role in your brain. It also is involved with muscle contractions and control. (3)
C) Conversion to Sphingomyelin.
Sphingomyelin is crucial for the integrity of cellular membranes and triggering apoptosis (cellular death) of damaged cells. (4)
On top of all that, Choline also plays a large role in dopamine metabolism and your memory. (1)
So how much do you need? Adult men aged 19+ have their Adequate Intake (AI) set at 550 mg. While adult women aged 19+ who are not pregnant or lactating have their AI set at 425 mg. (1)
However, 92% of the U.S. population is not meeting this recommended intake! (5) Which is a serious problem considering how important this nutrient is.
How can you get more in your diet? Some great food sources are: (1)
A) Beef liver (3 ounces cooked = 356 mg)
B) Eggs (1 large egg = 147mg choline)
C) Soybeans (1/2 cup = 107 mg choline)
Or… if none of that sounds good, then you can look at the revolutionary Pinnacle Men's and Women's Multis! The Men's Multi is locked and loaded with 550 mg Choline per serving, and the Women's Multi also has the 100% AI value of 425 mg.
This right here is one of the biggest separators between our Multis and other multivitamins on the market. Others will include little or no Choline in their formula because it's technically not a vitamin or mineral. However, it is an essential nutrient just like any other vitamin or mineral, and again 92% of the U.S. population is not getting enough of it!
Therefore, we felt it was necessary to include the 100% AI value for Choline just like we do for every other vitamin and mineral in our formula. Take a look at our men's and women's formula to see for yourself. Then go ahead and take a look at any other multivitamin online or around your house. Good luck finding one with a Choline dosage that matches ours :)
1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-
2. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/80/3
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK