Choline is a nutrient that many people don’t know much about, but it plays a big role in keeping our bodies and brains healthy. While our liver can make a small amount of choline, we get most of it from the foods we eat.
Choline helps our brain work well, supports muscle movement, and keeps the liver healthy. Foods such as eggs, beans, broccoli, meat, and poultry are rich in choline. People who don’t eat much meat, like those on a plant-based diet, may not be getting enough of it.
Scientists at Arizona State University wanted to find out what happens when the body doesn’t get enough choline. To explore this, they studied mice and focused on how choline shortage affects the body and the brain.
One of their biggest questions was whether low choline could be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that slowly harms memory and thinking.
What they found was alarming. Mice that didn’t receive enough choline showed problems in many areas. Their livers were damaged, and their hearts became larger than normal. Most importantly, their brains started showing early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s is known for two main things that damage the brain. The first is the buildup of sticky clumps between brain cells, called amyloid plaques. The second is twisted strands called tau tangles that form inside brain cells. These changes make it harder for brain cells to work and communicate with each other.
The mice that were already more likely to get Alzheimer’s became worse when they had less choline. Their brains had more plaques and tangles. They also gained more weight, had problems with blood sugar, and moved less smoothly.
This research is especially important because many people today may not be getting enough choline from their food. Although the Institute of Medicine set daily choline guidelines in 1998, some researchers now think those amounts may be too low to keep the brain in top shape.
People who follow vegan or vegetarian diets could be at higher risk since choline is mostly found in animal-based foods. However, there are some plant sources that can help, such as soybeans, Brussels sprouts, and some nuts. Choline supplements are also available and are usually inexpensive.
Making sure you get enough choline might help protect your brain, your liver, and your heart. It could even reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. This study adds to growing evidence that what we eat has a big impact on our long-term health.
Other research also shows how important good nutrition is. Some studies have found that taking vitamins at the right time may lower the risk of heart disease. Vitamin D might reduce the chance of dying from cancer. Other plant nutrients could help manage high blood pressure. Antioxidants may lower the risk of dementia.
This latest study, led by researcher Ramon Velazquez, was published in the journal Aging Cell. It reminds us that small changes in our diet—like making sure we get enough choline—can make a big difference in how we feel and function, both now and in the future.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about why vitamin K is so important for older people, and this snack food may harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin that may protect you from type 2 diabetes, and results showing this common chemical in food may harm your blood pressure.
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