Pregnant? How to Help Prevent a Dangerous Choline Deficiency Choline is especially important in protecting the integrity of our DNA—it supports cell metabolism and cell division. Most prenatal vitamins do not contain this essential nutrient. When it comes to tasks like forming a new baby, nourishing brain cells, detoxifying the body, or making sure that tissue is free of cancer—choline is critical. While the body can make small amounts of choline, it isn’t enough to support our daily requirement. This is especially true for women during pregnancy and while nursing. You Might Have a Choline Deficiency Did you know that fetal tissue contains 14 times more choline than a mother’s blood? Choline in the diet during pregnancy is essential to a baby’s brain development. Studies estimate that roughly 90% of pregnant women in the United States are not meeting recommended choline intake levels. Most prenatal vitamins do not contain this essential nutrient. The current Adequate Intake (AI) for choline is: 450 mg if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant 550 mg if you are nursing What’s more, it seems that the recommended choline intake isn’t enough for the optimal health of your baby. Research shows that even consuming slightly more than the recommended intake (480 mg) still may not be enough to sustain adequate choline reserves. Choline moves through the placenta and concentrates in your growing baby. Fetal tissue contains 14 times more choline than the mother’s blood. Here’s why choline is important for the development of your baby: Women eating diets that contain little choline are at a greater risk for having a baby with neural tube defect or cleft palate. Choline also influences the development of your baby’s brain, improving memory and the ability to manage stress. Where to Find Dietary Choline Choline is a nutrient that works best within a network of other like-minded nutrients—like B-complex vitamins and a micronutrient called betaine (found in high amounts in spinach and beets). This means that the best way to get choline is through food. Foods are naturally equipped with co-factors that support many systems within the body. Per gram of food, animal foods contain significantly more choline than plant foods. The richest sources of choline include: Beef and chicken liver Egg yolk Caviar, or fish roe We suggest pairing choline-rich animal protein with alkaline vegetables, fermented vegetables, and ocean vegetables.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 21:30:01 +0000
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