Choline is a nutrient that your body needs to stay healthy. It helps with many important jobs, like keeping your brain sharp, supporting your liver, and helping your muscles move.
Your body makes a small amount of choline in the liver, but not enough to meet your daily needs. That’s why it’s important to get most of your choline from the food you eat.
Choline is found in foods like eggs, meat, chicken, fish, and dairy products. Some vegetables like broccoli, soybeans, Brussels sprouts, and beans also contain choline, but not as much. Many people don’t get enough choline in their daily diet, which can lead to health problems.
A recent study from Arizona State University looked at what happens when the body doesn’t get enough choline. The researchers studied two groups of mice. One group was healthy but fed a diet low in choline.
The second group had genes that made them more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and they were also given a diet without enough choline.
In both groups, the mice had serious health problems. They gained too much weight, their blood sugar levels changed in a way that could lead to diabetes, and they had trouble moving normally. Their livers showed signs of damage, and their hearts became larger than normal, which is not healthy.
But the most concerning finding was what happened to the mice’s brains. The researchers found changes that were similar to what doctors see in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This condition usually affects older adults and causes memory loss, confusion, and difficulty doing everyday tasks.
In the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, there are two major signs: amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Amyloid plaques are clumps of protein that build up between brain cells, and tau tangles form inside the brain cells.
These problems make it harder for brain cells to send signals and work properly. The mice that didn’t get enough choline had similar changes in their brains, which suggests that not getting enough choline may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
This study shows that choline is not only important for general health but may also help protect the brain from serious conditions like Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, many people don’t eat enough choline-rich foods. Experts also think that the recommended daily amount might not be high enough to fully protect the brain.
People who follow plant-based diets may be more likely to have low choline levels because most choline-rich foods come from animals. While some vegetables do have choline, they may not provide enough. In these cases, a choline supplement might help.
The message from this study is simple: choline is very important. It helps your brain, liver, heart, and energy levels. If you’re not sure you’re getting enough choline, talk to a doctor or a dietitian. Eating a balanced diet with choline-rich foods or using supplements when needed can help protect your health now and in the future.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
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