Chart helps us chow down on choline

Agricultural Research, Oct, 2004 by Juliette C. Howe

Another new database is now available, free and online, to help ensure inclusion of adequate levels of the nutrient choline in daily diets. Among other functions, choline helps the body absorb and use fats, including those that become part of cell membranes. Choline also helps the body use acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that sends signals across nerve endings. The adequate daily intake is set at 425 mg for women and 550 mg for men. Top sources of choline include meat, nuts, and eggs--with just one large, hard-boiled egg providing 112 mg, one-quarter of a woman's daily need.

Just 2 years ago, scant analytical data existed on the choline content of foods. This new specialty database is the result of a cooperative project with University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill researchers, who analyzed the foods included in the compilation. The database will especially help those who need to minimize their choline intake. Access it at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.> Juliette C. Howe, USDA-ARS Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland; phone (301) 504-0643, e-mail howej@ba.ars.usda.gov.