Choline: adequate intake

Choline is required for acetylcholine synthesis, membrane phospholipids and methylation. The Adequate Intake (AI) per IOM/NAS is 550 mg/day for men and 425 mg/day for women, 450 mg during pregnancy and 550 mg during lactation. This is an AI, not an RDA – it is derived from average intake estimates, not from clinical endpoints. Deficiency is rare: total parenteral nutrition, PEMT genetic variants, severe steatohepatitis. In most healthy adults a usual diet with eggs, liver and legumes meets requirements.

1 drug

Also known as: Choline AI, Daily choline intake, Dietary choline deficiency

Drugs used for this condition

BCholine (umbrella: bitartrate, phosphatidylcholine, lecithin)Case-by-case decision · Essential nutrient-like substance; precursor of acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholineMeeting the choline Adequate Intake – 550 mg/day for men, 425 mg/day for women, 450 mg in pregnancy and 550 mg in lactation (FNB IOM 1998, confirmed by NIH ODS 2024). This is an AI, not an RDA – derived from average intake estimates, not clinical endpoints. In most healthy adults a usual diet meets the requirement: one egg contains about 150 mg of choline, 100 g of beef liver about 420 mg. Supplementation is reasonable in restricted diets (vegans – phosphatidylcholine is rare in plant foods), in pregnancy with egg intolerance, in low-activity PEMT genetic variants. The dose is selected with a clinician; self-exceeding the AI yields no benefit.

How to read tiers A–F

Evidence tiers belong to the drug-indication pair, not to the drug as a whole: the same substance can be A for one condition and F for another.

AStrong evidence – first or second line in international guidelines
BRecommended in selected cases
CStudy data contradict each other
DBenefit not proven, no documented harm
FDocumented harm, or risk without benefit