Metagenics Meta Choline 90 capsules

Vegan Choline for Healthy Pregnancy, Brain Function and Liver Health 

MetaCholine has been shown to:

• Support healthy pregnancy, as well as foetal brain and nervous system development.
• Maintain healthy liver function and detoxification processes.
• Provide a vegan source of choline to assist brain and cognitive function. 

Clinical Benefits: 
Choline is a key nutrient involved in methylation, a process important for healthy cell function, fat metabolism, gene expression and detoxification. In the liver, choline is oxidised to betaine, a compound providing 60% of the methyl groups involved in homocysteine methylation. Betaine, choline, methionine and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) provide methyl groups used to regenerate methionine from homocysteine to produce the major methyl donor S-adenosulmethionine (SAMe). SAMe is important for DNA methylation and the synthesis of the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine (PC), a key component of cell membranes, lipoproteins and bile. Although the body is able to produce choline via certain methylation processes, it is not sufficient to meet human requirements.
Pregnancy and lactation are times when demand for choline is especially high, whereby transport of choline from mother to foetus depletes maternal plasma choline. This nutrient is needed for brain development, acetylcholine production and placental growth. Choline is required in large amounts in the third trimester when foetal organ growth is extremely rapid. Research has shown that pregnant women do not consume sufficient amounts of choline, levels which have found to be significantly higher in serum concentrations in pregnant women, compared to adults, and are six to seven times higher in the foetus and newborn. Choline also shows synergistic benefits when combined with DHA during pregnancy, enhancing neurodevelopment of foetal hippocampus compared to choline or DHA alone.
Certain populations, including vegans and pregnant/lactating women, are not consuming sufficient amounts of choline with as many as 50% of the population having genetic variations who require a higher intake of choline. Extra choline may also be required for the health of the liver, an organ involved in choline metabolism. Choline contributes to liver health in several ways including secretion of bile salts, synthesis of PC and metabolism of fat, cholesterol and VLDL. A deficiency of this nutrient has been linked to hepatic dysfunction.

Choline is critical for synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, essential for brain health, cognition and healthy mental functioning. Choline is involved in an array of key reactions, including muscle control, memory and mediation of emotion and behaviour in the brain. Adequate concentrations of choline in the brain are believed to protect against age-related cognitive decline and certain types of dementia, because adequate concentrations potentially preserve neurons, brain volume, and neuronal transmissions.

VitaCholine™ is a trademark of Balchem Corporation