A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study looked at the relationship between low choline levels and anxiety or depression. The greatest association was between choline deficiency and anxiety.
Choline is not a vitamin, but is an essential nutrient. Although we can synthesize it in small amounts, it has to be consumed to maintain the right levels. Choline is found in fat molecules known as phospholipids and one source of it, which is phosphatidylcholine is the most common also known as lecithin. A good source of this is soy.
Choline is used in the synthesis of the phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, which are structural components of all human cellular membranes. It is also a precursor for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which has effects and duties related to muscle memory, memory in general and many other functions. Phosphatidylcholine is a required component of VLDL particles. Without adequate phosphatidylcholine, fat and cholesterol accumulate in the liver.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphotidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine, have been shown in numerous studies to improve cognition, mood, and memory taken in doses of 100mg to 800 mg or more per day. It has been tested in a number of studies in Italy on Alzheimer’s patients and those with Mild Cognitive Impairment; MCI.
