In this episode of Mind Pump, at around 32 minutes, Sal reviews a study paper published in PubMed about choline and its benefits for preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Choline is a nutrient which behaves similarly to B vitamins. It is extremely important for brain development, and helps with neurotransmitter synthesis. Which basically means, it helps your brains’ neurons send and receive messages to and from other parts of your body.
It is a nutrient which can be produced by your own body, and is therefore currently considered a non-essential nutrient. However, the amount of choline your body can produce is not enough for the benefits it brings and the work it needs to do. Therefore a lot of scientists are beginning to say choline should be reclassified as an essential nutrient.
This study states that a lifelong dietary regimen of choline helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease. The discovery says that eating a regular amount of choline throughout a lifetime is highly protective against many disorders and diseases of the brain
The authors also wrote that vegans should supplement with choline, as choline is mainly found in animal products. This is directed to what we can call the average vegan. The vegan who has turned to this way of life without researching the vitamins and minerals they would become deficient in by removing animal products from their diet.
The study is quite clear, and the growing body of evidence points towards the importance of choline for the brain.
Here are the top 10 foods which are high in choline:
- Eggs
- Organ meat
- Caviar
- Fish. Almost all fish contains choline.
- Shitake mushrooms
- Soybeans
- Beef
- Wheatgerm
- Turkey, Chicken
- Cruciferous vegetables
Please read this Healthline article to give you more information on the amounts of choline the above foods provide, as well as some other lesser known options.
So don’t wait any longer. Be sure to always add these foods into your diet to give your brain the nutrients and protection it needs.