The nutrient choline is important for various processes in the body. Here you can find out what these are and how you can also supply yourself with the nutrient vegan while reading the book of dead.
The nutrient choline is involved in many complex processes in the body. However, it is difficult to pigeonhole it: Science is now studying the interactions of choline and other substances in the body to get to the bottom of the nutrient.
One thing is certain: choline is important for healthy bodily functions and can be found not only in animal products but also in foods in a vegan diet.
Choline is vitamin-like, but also considered a trace element. A technical paper by Leibniz University in Hanover for the BZfE explains that choline was initially considered a vitamin. As vitamin B4, it thus belonged to the group of B vitamins. But choline does not quite fit the definition of vitamins. A vitamin is a nutrient that is essential for human life. The body depends on the supply of vitamin-rich food to provide itself with vitamins. Vitamins are therefore essential nutrients that provide building blocks for many processes in the body.
However, as research has found out, this is not quite true of choline. The human organism can produce choline itself, but not in the quantities needed. This means that choline is probably similar to a vitamin
But the nutrient still raises questions. For example, recent studies suggest that there are interactions between choline and other nutrients.
ITS FUNCTION
Research now has a good understanding of what choline does in the body. The medical portal DocCheck explains that choline’s chemical character is that of an ammonium compound. These compounds are important building blocks for essential amino acids that the body needs.
Among other things, choline is involved in these processes in the body:
According to the BZfE, choline can be found in the body in larger quantities in the muscles, the central nervous system and the liver.
HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?
The body can produce choline itself from precursors. Metabolic products of folic acid and vitamins B1 and B2 are also involved in this process.
Studies therefore suspect a connection between the supply of folic acid, vitamins B1 and B2, and choline. An adequate supply of the nutrients could enable the body to produce more choline itself.
Nevertheless, the researchers:inside see the need to take in additional choline through the diet.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provides the following recommendations for the additional daily requirement of choline:
400 milligrams for adults and adolescents 15 years and older.
140 to 340 milligrams for children from 1 year to 14 years.
160 milligrams for infants from seven months to 1 year.
480 milligrams for pregnant and nursing women. Breast milk contains high amounts of choline. Accordingly, the requirement is also higher for breastfeeding women.
Choline is contained in many foods, so an adequate supply should be ensured. DocCheck believes that the risk of choline deficiency is more likely to be disease-related if the metabolic pathway for the nutrient is affected.
Choline supply also works with a vegan diet: Not only eggs contain choline.
Choline is found in larger amounts in egg yolks, meat or fish, and offal, such as liver. However, you don’t necessarily have to eat animal products to get your choline supply. Many plant foods also contain the important nutrient.
These plant foods contain choline:
Incidentally, folic acid or vitamins B1 and B2 are also found in legumes, whole-grain products as well as almonds or soy products. With these foods in your diet, you also support the body’s own choline production, according to the latest research
