Choline boosts maternal DHA during gestation
Choline made mothers’ DHA more available to nourish the baby. In this study, 30 gestating women in weeks 12 to 16 maintained their regular diets, took a prenatal vitamin-mineral, and took 200 mg of DHA; with 550 mg of choline, or with 25 mg of choline, per day. In the high-choline group, doctors labeled 50 mg of choline with deuterium in order to track the nutrient through the bloodstream; and did so with the 25 mg choline group, as well.
By tracking choline, doctors observed a chemical reaction which converted choline to phosphatidylcholine enriched with DHA. This new compound more easily transferred from the mothers’ liver into the bloodstream, becoming available to nourish tissues, including the child’s placenta. Maternal DHA levels rose nearly 75 percent in the high-choline group compared to the control group that got the low dose of choline.
Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 2022, nqac147
