Choline is a nutrient that your body needs but doesn’t make enough of on its own. It’s found in foods like eggs, broccoli, beans, poultry, and meat, and plays a key role in keeping your brain and body healthy.
Scientists at Arizona State University recently studied how not getting enough choline can affect health—and their results suggest it could be an important factor in diseases like Alzheimer’s.
In this study, the researchers explored what happens when the body doesn’t get enough choline from food. They looked at two groups of mice: healthy mice and genetically modified mice that already showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Both groups were put on a choline-deficient diet.
What they found was concerning. In both groups, not getting enough choline caused serious problems. The mice showed signs of liver damage, their hearts became enlarged, and the Alzheimer’s-prone mice had brain changes commonly seen in the disease.
These brain changes included the buildup of sticky amyloid plaques between brain cells and twisted tau tangles inside the cells—two key features linked to memory loss and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients.
The effects didn’t stop there. The mice also gained a lot of weight, had changes in blood sugar levels (which can lead to diabetes), and showed poor coordination and movement, pointing to deeper problems in the nervous system.
The researchers say this could be a real issue for people, too. First, many people simply don’t get enough choline in their diets. The recommended intake, set back in 1998 by the Institute of Medicine, is not being met by most adults. Second, new evidence suggests that even the recommended amount may not be enough to protect the brain over the long term.
This is especially important for people who follow plant-based diets. Many of the best sources of choline—like eggs, meat, and poultry—are animal-based.
While some plant foods do have choline (such as soybeans, Brussels sprouts, and certain nuts), it may be harder for people on vegetarian or vegan diets to get enough. For this reason, the researchers suggest that choline-rich plant foods and inexpensive over-the-counter supplements could be helpful ways to fill the gap.
Choline supports many functions in the body, including memory, movement, liver function, and even heart health. This study adds to growing evidence that having too little choline over time could increase the risk of not just Alzheimer’s disease, but also other serious health conditions.
The study was led by Dr. Ramon Velazquez and published in Aging Cell. It’s a strong reminder that paying attention to even small nutrients in our diets can have big impacts on long-term health. For those looking to stay sharp and protect their organs, making sure you’re getting enough choline each day may be a simple but powerful step.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease, and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
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