Giving Birth with Confidence, Nutrition & Wellness
A Key Nutrient During Pregnancy: Choline
Choline is worth paying closer attention to, especially if you are pregnant.
Lauren Liacouras
The following is a sponsored post from MegaFood.
When I was pregnant with my now 13-year old son, nobody was talking about choline, not even my healthcare providers. Fortunately, times have changed, and there is more awareness about its importance today. Choline is worth paying closer attention to, especially if you are pregnant.
Although not technically a vitamin, it has been recognized as an essential nutrient by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and was recently given an AI (adequate intake) level of 425 mg/day.1 Choline is generally placed on the B vitamin team, and it plays several key roles in the body, especially during pregnancy. It’s needed to make all of our cell membranes, helps the liver and heart function properly, and perhaps has a vital role in cognitive health.*2
“Choline, like folate, is critical during pregnancy and breastfeeding to support brain and cognitive development.*”
-Tieraona Low Dog, MD, Physician, women’s health expert, and MegaFood Chief Medical Advisor
Most of us don’t focus on choline in our daily diets, and it shows in the data. A 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).3 When you’re pregnant, the AI increases to 450 mg/day and to 550 mg/day during lactation.
Food First
So how should a pregnant mama ensure choline is in her diet? I like to think food is always first for meeting our nutritional needs. The food we eat each and every day nourishes us on many levels. One food at the top of my list for choline is beef liver. That being said, if you are as unenthusiastic about eating organ meat on a regular basis as I am, there are other alternatives! A good second choice (and maybe the most realistic source) of choline can be found in a hard-boiled egg. If you eat two large hard-boiled eggs you’ll get 300 mg of choline. Keep in mind that the choline and other key nutrients are concentrated in the yolk.
I always wondered why I craved eggs so much when I was pregnant, and once I learned about the significant role of choline, it all made sense to me! There is genuine wisdom in the adage “listen to your body”.
Now if eggs still don’t sound appealing, additional food sources you can consider are beef, chicken, scallops, cod, soybeans, kidney beans and cruciferous vegetables. They all have choline in them, although in lesser amounts than liver and eggs.
Although I know I have a healthy diet, when I review the list of choline food sources, I realize that I’m not getting enough from my diet alone. You may feel this way too.
A Supplement to Fill Gaps
As I mentioned, the data shows that most of us are simply not getting enough choline from our diet. That’s where a high quality supplement can fill the gaps, both for this nutrient and others. I believe that a winning combination for pregnant and breastfeeding women is a focus first on eating more choline-rich foods, while also supplementing with a prenatal vitamin containing choline.*
MegaFood® Baby & Me 2™ combines important nutrients to support the health of mother and developing child.* It contains optimal levels of iron, methylated folate and B12, B6, vitamin D, and is an excellent source of choline as well.* Baby & Me 2 is formulated by women’s health and dietary supplementation expert Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. To meet your individual needs, remember to check in with your doctor before beginning a new supplement.
Knowledge is power. I always find that deepening my nutrition and supplement education gives me the opportunity to make better choices for myself and my family. Now that you’ve had the chance to learn more about the importance of choline, you have the power to bring this essential nutrient into your everyday diet and supplement routine during pregnancy and beyond.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.