Lifelong intake of choline, a common nutrient that is naturally found in some foods may prevent Alzheimer’s disease
In a new study, researchers reveal that a lifelong dietary regimen of choline holds the potential to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Choline is a safe and easy-to-administer nutrient that is naturally present in some foods and can be used as a dietary supplement. A team of researchers looked into whether this nutrient could alleviate the effects of Alzheimer’s.
Earlier this year, the same team had found transgenerational benefits of AD-like symptoms in mice whose mothers were supplemented with choline. The latest work expands this line of research by exploring the effects of choline administered in adulthood rather than in fetal mice.
The study focused on female mice bred to develop AD-like symptoms, as the disease is more common in females. Results showed that when these mice were given high choline in their diet throughout life, they exhibit improvements in spatial memory, compared with those receiving a normal choline regimen.
Another study, published in July 2019 from a group in China found benefits of lifelong choline supplementation in male mice with AD-like symptoms.
The findings appeared in the journal Aging Cell.
high levels of choline are found in chicken liver (3oz; 247mg), eggs (1 large egg with yolk;147mg), beef grass-fed steak (3oz; 55mg), wheat germ (1oz toast; 51mg), milk (8oz; 38mg), and Brussel sprouts (1/2 cup; 32mg)
Choline acts to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease in at least two ways. First, choline blocks the production of amyloid-beta plaques. Amyloid-beta plaques are the hallmark pathology observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Secondly, choline supplementation reduces the activation of microglia. Over-activation of microglia causes brain inflammation and can eventually lead to nerve cell death, thereby compromising cognitive function.
In addition to causing disorientation and memory loss, the disease causes loss of motor control in those who are afflicted. Women are at a particular increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This study showed that the simple addition of choline in the diet throughout life may reduce AD pathology in those most affected by the disease.
The current established adequate intake level of choline for adult women (>19yrs of age) is 425mg/day, and 550mg/day for adult men. “Our choline supplemented diet regimen was only 4.5 times the recommended dietary intake, which is well below the tolerable upper limit and makes this a safe strategy,” said lead author Ramon Velazquez of the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center (NDRC).
Choline can be found in various foods. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), high levels of choline are found in chicken liver (3oz; 247mg), eggs (1 large egg with yolk;147mg), beef grass-fed steak (3oz; 55mg), wheat germ (1oz toast; 51mg), milk (8oz; 38mg), and Brussel sprouts (1/2 cup; 32mg). Additionally, vitamin supplements containing choline, for example choline bitartrate and choline chloride, are widely available at affordable costs. The vitamin supplements containing choline are particularly relevant for those who are on plant-based diets.
Although the results improve the understanding of the disease, the authors suggest that clinical trials will be necessary to confirm whether choline can be used as a viable treatment in the future.
