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Choline, an essential nutrient for humans.

S H Zeisel1, K A Da Costa, P D Franklin

  • 1Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7400.

FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
|April 1, 1991
PubMed
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Choline is essential for human health, acting as a vital nutrient. A choline-deficient diet in healthy men led to depleted tissue stores and early signs of liver dysfunction, confirming its essentiality.

Area of Science:

  • Human Nutrition and Metabolism
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Choline is crucial for synthesizing membrane phospholipids and acetylcholine.
  • It serves as a source of methyl groups for various metabolic processes.
  • While essential for mammals, choline's essentiality in humans was debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of a choline-deficient diet on healthy human volunteers.
  • To determine if choline is an essential nutrient for humans under specific dietary conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Healthy male volunteers consumed a choline-deficient diet for three weeks.
  • Plasma and erythrocyte choline and phosphatidylcholine levels were measured.
  • Liver function tests, including serum alanine aminotransferase activity, were monitored.

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Main Results:

  • Choline-deficient diet reduced plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine by 30%.
  • Erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine decreased by 15% in the deficient group.
  • Serum alanine aminotransferase increased, indicating incipient liver dysfunction.

Conclusions:

  • Choline deficiency in humans depletes tissue choline stores.
  • A choline-deficient diet induces signs of liver dysfunction in healthy individuals.
  • Choline is an essential nutrient for humans, particularly when methionine and folate are not in excess.