What is Choline Bitartrate?

Choline bitartrate is part of the B-complex vitamin family. It is water soluble and can naturally be produced by the body, but because it's an essential nutrient it should also be consumed as part of a balanced diet or through supplementation. Choline bitartrate may be found in foods such as egg yolks, meat and peanuts.

Choline provides many health benefits. It plays an important role in the proper functioning of the brain and the nervous system; it is essential in muscle movement and contraction, and plays an important role in coordination. It may also help prevent such diseases such arteriosclerosis and memory defects. It also supports the production of certain amino acids and also forms part of cell membranes.

It is especially important for women to consume adequate amounts of choline bitartrate. It may reduce the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. In pregnant women, insufficient amounts of choline may lead to a higher risk of premature birth. It may also negatively effect the baby's memory development and increase the possibility of neural tube defects.

Similar to other B vitamins, choline is also excreted through the urine. This may easily lead to a deficiency in the body and increase the need for additional supplementation or adding choline-rich foods to the daily diet. The recommended daily dosage for choline bitartrate is about 425 milligrams for women and about 550 milligrams for men. During pregnancy, a higher dosage of up to 550 milligrams may be needed. For a more specific dosage recommendation, a healthcare practitioner should be consulted.

Choline bitartrate also acts as a precursor to trimethylamine. In large dosages, it may result in the body's inability to break down larger amounts of trimethylamine; this in turn may result in an unpleasant body odor. In these cases, it may be necessary to reduce the amount of choline-rich foods that are consumed in order to reduce these symptoms. Alternatively, copper chlorophyll supplements may also be taken to eliminate this problem.

The B vitamin group plays an important role in cell metabolism and also supports a healthy immune system. There are eight different vitamins that form part of this group and they are all water soluble. They are mostly found in whole, unprocessed foods and in meat products. Although it is usually beneficial to take additional vitamin B complex supplementation, certain B vitamins may have negative effects if large amounts are taken simultaneously.