When is the Best Time of Day to Take Choline?

Have you ever looked at the back of a prenatal multivitamin and seen Choline listed as one of the ingredients? If you are pregnant or have been in the past, you may have had a Choline prenatal supplement recommended. You might have more questions about Choline, such as what is Choline? What are some foods with Choline? What is Choline good for? On top of all that, what is the best time of day to take Choline supplements? We've got the answers here at Team Nature Made®, so let's get to it!

What is Choline, and Why is it Important?

Though you'll often find Choline alongside vitamins and minerals in many multivitamin supplements, Choline is neither a vitamin nor a mineral! Choline was once considered Vitamin B4, but not anymore! Choline is a vitamin-like nutrient found primarily in the body's phospholipids, a type of fat molecule.[1] Though it may not be a vitamin, Choline is still an essential nutrient that serves several bodily functions and is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in healthy brain function. While the body can produce some Choline in the liver, we need more than we can produce internally. That's why we must include sources of Choline in our diet or provide ourselves with Choline through supplementation.[2] There are several ways to get Choline, from prenatal vitamins with Choline, to Choline Bitartrate and more, so read on to pick the best Choline supplement for you!†

Best Time to Take Choline Supplements

There is no absolute best time of day to take Choline supplements; you can take them whenever is most convenient for you! However, Team Nature Made® always recommends taking supplements with water and a meal. The benefits of this are twofold; many fat-soluble vitamins that may be found in a Choline multivitamin are best absorbed alongside food with a source of fats in it, and by attaching your supplement routine to a regular meal, you increase the regularity of your routine! You are more likely to remember to take your supplements when you take them at the same time every day rather than hoping to remember them at random points during the day.

Did you know that over 90% of pregnant women do not consume enough Choline in their diet?[2] Pregnancy is an important time to ensure you are reaching your dietary requirements, so you may be interested in Nature Made® Prenatal Multivitamin Folic Acid + DHA + Choline Gummies, which help support your nutritional needs plus the development of your growing baby.†

Sources of Choline

So, Choline, it's not a mineral, it's not a vitamin, it's gotta be its own little special thing, sure. How unique. The least you can tell me is where to get it, right? Thankfully, that question has a much more straightforward answer: you can find foods with Choline sources on every grocery store shelf, foods like eggs, fish, beef, poultry, soybeans, wheat germ, and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli. In particular, beef liver and hard-boiled eggs are excellent Choline sources in your diet.[2] 

However, 90% of adults do not consume enough Choline in their daily diets.[3] If that sounds like you, there are a few ways to give your Choline intake a helping hand. Choline supplements can help supplement the Choline in your diet, helping to fill those nutritional gaps. Nature Made® Choline Gummies come in a delicious Green Apple flavor; you can support a healthy brain and nervous system with two tasty daily gummies.†

The Benefits of Choline Supplementation

So now that we know what Choline is, when to take it, and where it's from, what is Choline good for? Why all the hubbub? What are some Choline benefits? Here are a few!

Support for Mood

Choline is involved in several of the body's internal processes; one in particular is the production of neurotransmitters. Acetylcholine, one of those neurotransmitters, is essential in supporting mood regulation and healthy brain function!†

Supporting Memory and Cognitive Functions

Acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that Choline is needed to produce, doesn't just support your mood. It's also an important neurotransmitter to support memory and cognitive function in the brain. Is there a connection between Choline and focus? Choline Bitartrate (in doses of 800 mg) is a clinically studied ingredient to help support focused attention in young adults.†

Contribution to Muscle Health

Acetylcholine, what doesn't it do? In addition to the functions listed above, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine helps to regulate muscle control. Remember, Choline functions as a precursor to acetylcholine, so providing your body with adequate Choline helps produce this vital neurotransmitter that supports memory, mood, muscle control, and other functions.†

Dosage Recommendations for Choline

How much Choline should you take per day? How about how much Choline for pregnancy? The recommended dosage of Choline per day varies depending on age, sex, and life stage. Adult women aged 19 and up should get 425 milligrams of Choline in their daily diet or through supplementation. During pregnancy, this number is raised to 450 mg per day and then again to 550 mg while breastfeeding. Adult men should aim for 550 daily milligrams of Choline.

Combining Choline with Other Nutrients

Choline doesn't just have benefits alone; it can also work in tandem with other nutrients to provide even more! During pregnancy, it's important to ensure your baby gets all the nutrients they need for growth and development. Omega-3 Fatty Acid DHA and Choline are essential lipid-based nutrients necessary for the baby's growth and development and recent findings suggest that intakes of Choline and DHA in the diet through food and supplements may influence metabolism of the other.[4]†

You can find Choline and DHA together in our Nature Made® Prenatal Multivitamin Folic Acid + DHA + Choline Gummies! These gummies are specially formulated with Folic Acid, Choline, DHA, and other key nutrients to support the baby's development and mom's overall health. Choline helps support the baby's healthy brain and spinal cord development, and DHA helps to support the baby's brain and eye development.†

Buying Quality Choline Supplements

When selecting a Choline supplement, look for one sourced from high-quality ingredients. Nature Made® Choline Gummies are vegan and gluten-free and made without artificial flavors, synthetic dyes, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners! Nature Made® has over 50 years of expertise.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Choline. Choline. Linus Pauling Institute. Published April 28, 2014. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/choline
2. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Choline. Nih.gov. Published 2017. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/
3. Reider CA, et al. Inadequacy of Immune Health Nutrients: Intakes in US Adults, the 2005-2016 NHANES. Nutrients 2020, 12, 1735
4. Mun JG, Legette LL, Ikonte CJ, Mitmesser SH. Choline and DHA in Maternal and Infant Nutrition: Synergistic Implications in Brain and Eye Health. Nutrients. 2019 May 21;11(5):1125. doi: 10.3390/nu11051125.