Choline adequate intakes

Phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) is not required in the diet because it can be synthesized in the body. The components of phosphatidylcholine (including choline) all can be produced, as shown in Figure 33.28. A pathway for de novo choline synthesis from glucose exists, but the rate of synthesis is inadequate to provide for the necessary amounts of choline. Thus, choline has been classified as an essential nutrient, with an Al (adequate intake) of 425 mg/day in females and 550 mg/day in males. 

The brain makes acetylcholine from choline, an essential nutrient that is found in fat molecules called phospholipids. The most common form is phosphatidylcholine, also in the food supplement lecithin (derived firom egg yolks or soy). According to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center, adequate intake levels of choline for adults are 550 milligrams per day for men and 425 milligrams per day for women. You will find relatively rich sources of choline in food portions such as 3 ounces of pan-fried beef liver (355 g)> 1 cup of toasted wheat germ (172 mg), 1 large egg (126 mg), or 2 cups of chopped cooked broccoli (126 mg). 

The Institute of Medicine, USA National Academy of Sciences, recommended an adequate intake (I) of 550mg/70kg body weight for choline in the diet. This amount may be influenced by gender, and it may be influenced by pregnancy, lactation, and stage of development (Table 1). 

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