Brain Supplements -- Choline

Choline supplements are starting to gain in popularity because some recent studies have shown that choline fulfills a variety of important functions inside the body, including controlling cholesterol and providing food for the brain. Choline is the most abundant phospholipid in the body and is utilized by the body in the transportation of fats from the liver, and cleansing other internal areas of the body. Choline is commonly supplemented through the compound lecithin, and in studies, lecithin/choline was shown to both lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. But there are some drawbacks to lecithin that are making people look for a better way to supplement choline. As far as brain chemistry is concerned, choline is necessary in order for the brain to form the specific neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which seems to be involved in mood and memory. Like other important neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, acetylcholine is needed in order for a person to feel normal, aware, and content.

As far as taking a lecithin/choline supplement for cholesterol and heart health is concerned, there are other supplements that have seen greater success than lecithin. And due to the fact that lecithin is derived from soy in modern days, and refined using a process that some experts find questionable, supplementing lecithin might not be your best bet. Soy products have been in the spotlight a lot recently because soy has been shown to contain compounds labeled "pseudo-estrogens," meaning that they effect the body in a similar way that estrogen does. This can be unhealthy for both men and women.

Choline is often grouped with vitamin B, along with inositol, which is a similar compound, though these aren't technically part of that family. Choline is not generally deficient in most persons since choline is readily available through fish, chicken, eggs, milk, beans, and a variety of vegetables. Choline deficiency is generally only a risk for strict vegetarians, pregnant women, and those with certain specific deficiencies. Even for persons who consume less than the needed daily amount of choline, they still don't generally form a deficiency because the body will make some of the choline it needs. So unless your doctor recommended that you take a choline supplement, it might not be your best bet.

Taking a choline supplement for brain function on the other hand, can have many benefits. But even in this realm there are many options. Many supplements that seek to promote brain function contain choline in their ingredients, as well as many other natural compounds such as inositol, amino acids, herbs, and other things that help in the production of vital brain chemicals. These brain supplements try and enhance the overall function of the mind and brain. Other supplements, such as choline bitartrate, are more specifically focused, and uses a variation of choline in order to stimulate the production of acetylcholine. Still others, such as choline and inositol, have been shown to compliment each other in the stimulation of neurotransmitter production. So depending on what you're looking for, there are different kinds of choline supplements out there.

In my opinion, supplements that have choline along with other ingredients are better than pure choline because standard diets aren't generally deficient in choline. Choline is great, because choline is able to pass the blood brain barrier and helps to stimulate neurotransmitter function, but there are many other supplements as well that stimulate the production of other neurotransmitters.