choline
Meaning of choline: Choline is an essential nutrient the body uses to build cell membranes and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and to move fat out of the liver.
Definition of choline
Choline is an essential nutrient, often grouped together with the B vitamins, that the body needs in order to function normally. It serves as a building block for phosphatidylcholine, a major component of cell membranes, and for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that nerve cells use to communicate with muscles and with each other.
Choline also plays a role in transporting fat out of the liver and participates in methylation reactions that affect how genes are regulated. It is found in foods including eggs, beef liver, soybeans, and peanuts, and the body can also produce a small amount of choline on its own, though generally not enough to meet its full needs without dietary intake.
A diet persistently low in choline can affect liver and muscle function, since both rely on an adequate supply of the nutrient, and choline needs can vary depending on factors such as pregnancy and overall diet composition.
Used in a sentence
The patient's diet was reviewed for adequate choline intake as part of the nutrition assessment.
Good to know
Choline is often grouped informally with the B vitamins though it is classified as its own distinct essential nutrient with separate dietary recommendations.
Word origin
Where “choline” comes from
Formed from Greek khole, meaning bile, since choline was first identified as a component of bile.