Choline :
Needed for Normal Development of Memory and more
Choline is a member of the Vitamin B complex family and is required for proper functioning of the nervous
system. Because it is needed by the nervous system, it is also tied in with every other bodily function : without it, even the heart
will stop beating.
Choline is a main or essential ingredient of the nerve fluid called acetylcholine, which is needed to jump the
gap between nerve cells so that impulses can be transmitted.
This is apparent at the point where a nerve cell all but joins the
muscle cell which it controls. In order for the muscle to carry out instruction or
an order from the brain, it must first receive the message. It receives the message
by way of a gap or ‘synapse’ that separates the nerve cell from the muscle, and it
is the acetylcholine that bridges that gap allowing the message to cross. Acetylcholine is stored in the ‘synaptic vesicles’ of every nerve cell where it waits to relay
messages it receives. The inactive acetylcholine is jolted by a nerve impulse rippling through that cell which then rushes into the synaptic gap to allow the message to
cross over to the next nerve receptor sites, where another chemical, cholinesterase, breaks down the acetylcholine into its own components, allowing the cells to once
again come to rest until the next message comes along and crosses over.
The
ability of acetylcholine to relay an impulse is essential to healthy nerve functioning,
and choline is an essential component of
acetylcholine. If there is a shortage, the
muscles can’t be properly stimulated and will become damaged ; if that happens, the whole body will become weak and listless. A severe
deficiency can result in paralysis, cardiac arrest, and death.
The liver also needs Choline
Without
sufficient choline,
fatty deposits build up within the liver, blocking its ability to function properly and throwing the entire body into a state of ill
health. Histological and biochemical evidence shows that withdrawal of choline from the diet in one single meal will cause accumulation of lipids (also called fats)
in the liver.
Fats must leave the liver in the form of phospholipids. Choline allows the liver to burn up fatty acids. If choline is
deficient in the diet, the phospholipid turnover is reduced. However, if there is sufficient choline and the phospholipid turnover is adequate, the liver cells are able to clear the fatty acids brought
to it by the bloodstream, whether from ingested fats of from the breakdown of fats
elsewhere such as the subcutaneous tissues and other areas.
If choline is not available to the body,
fat droplets (or lipids) settle within the liver cells where they can form cyst-like structures. If this happens, the liver’s
ability to detoxify substances that
enter the bloodstream, to metabolize proteins and carbohydrates,
or to regulate the electrolyte balance in the body’s tissues are greatly reduced if not stopped. In time, the whole body
will become diseased by poisons that the liver has not been able to eliminate. This scenario is less likely
to happen if there is a maximum of choline and a minimum of fats in the diet.
Choline Deficiency can Raise Blood Pressure or Lower Resistance
A choline deficiency may cause a rise in blood
pressure which can be reduced by adding choline to the diet. In humans,
when choline is added to their diets, research has found that those patients who suffered from headaches, dizziness, palpitations,
and constipation got partial or complete relief within ten days of supplementation.
Choline is one of the three B-complex factors identified as being of enormous importance in building life-long resistance to disease. Choline,
folic acid, and Vitamin B12,
along with the amino acid methionine are the key nutrients associated with the development of a healthy immune system. If folate (folic acid) isn’t available in the first
few weeks of pregnancy, the brain does not form normally. Studies have
shown that it only takes a slight reduction of these nutrients in
pregnant animals to short-change the immune system of offspring. Those
offspring may appear to be normal at birth, but in later life they turn
out to be more susceptible to infections than those who received sufficient supplementation. There is also reason to believe that those that are deficient are more likely to succumb to cancer.
All four
nutrients are classified as lipotropes and are involved in a very basic metabolic process known as
the transfer of the methyl groups. All four nutrients are also needed for the synthesis of nucleic acids in the formation of new
cells. This means that even the slightest shortage of these nutrients could interfere with
the rapid growth of the fetus. The Lymph
system and especially the Thymus is crucial to the body’s immune response in fighting infections.
Choline is a basic ingredient of Lecithin, which is
the emulsified phospholipids (combination of
fatty acids and phosphorous). Its most common source in the diet is found in egg yolk
although abundant supplies of Lecithin have also been found in soybeans.
Each
gram of desiccated liver contains about 10mg of choline, while brewer’s yeast contains only 2.4 to 3.6mg per gram. There is no official intake of choline set, but estimates are from 500 to 900mg daily.
Foods Rich in Choline are : Beef liver, Fish,
Soybeans, Eggs, Brewer’s yeast, Wheat
germ and Lecithin. |
