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Veganism and Choline deficiency


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This is really disturbing to me, because it seems impossible to get enough choline in most vegan diets. The highest source of choline I found was lecithin. Sunflower lecithin in particular seems to be the best source. I also have some questions, because I have doubts about the necessity of dietary choline. Sources say adult women need 425mg/day and adult men need 550mg/day. The highest sources of choline for vegans are:

 

 

Mushrooms, shiitake, dried: 202mg

 

Celery flakes, dried: 122mg

 

Tomatoes, sun-dried: 105mg

 

Peppers, sweet, green, freeze-dried: 89mg

 

Peppers, hot chile, sun-dried: 84mg

 

Carrot, dehydrated: 72mg

 

Seaweed, spirulina, dried: 66mg

 

Yeast extract spread: 65mg

 

By contrast, beef liver has almost 420mg/100g serving. Eggs? 112. Ground beef? 81.

 

So it is surely possible, but most of us are probably walking around with choline deficiency. I mean i could see myself including enough choline if i was rich enough to afford a variety like that. But I bey even a lot of meat eaters have choline deficiency, and what about poor vegan people in particular? After looking at this, I am certain that I am choline deficient.

 

I am allergic to expensive shitake mushrooms. If veganism makes it so hard to get choline, and there are so many healthy vegans, how essential is it really? This is the most difficult nutrient I have ever encountered.

Edited by Think_machine
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I feel fine too. But you can be nutrient dificient your whole life and not see bad results of that for half a century. I fail to see your point. Nutritionally speaking, there is no proof that you are not deficcient.

 

I think I found a good source; sunflower lecithin. Unrealistic, but it is abundant in choline. We do not really need cholesterol removal, but high levels help brain and liver function, as well as preventing gallstone buildup. Do vegans suffer from gallstones?

 

Choline has been added to the official b vitamins list, and with good reason! Check this out:

 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=50

 

I want to get the word out about this nutrient, because not only is important for proper body function and detoxification, it has an impact on the connection between muscle and nerve. Seeing as we are into fitness, we should be doing everything possible to enhance the connection between muscle and nerve tissues.

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weird, my multivitamin has choline added to it, but only at 15mg, the max i can find in a supplement is 50mg

 

i'm thinking, either we get alot of small doses in the diet, making up enough of it or

it's produced in our bodies

 

i don't remember anything about choline in my last blood test also, if i find a choline vitamin, i'll add it to my next order

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Choline and inositol are classed as vitamin B complex factors, they are not considered as essential vitamins because the human body can synthesise them. ~ info on some choline supplement on amazon

 

yeah, i'm thinking we produce and eat enough to be healthy, which is why we never hear about choline

 

this is a semi-stupid statement, but if beef has so much choline in it, then either grass is a amazing source of choline, or the body produces it naturally

could be stupid because it could be a cumulative effect of eating 2mg/day over 5 years

 

either way, i aint worried, if i find a supplement or something with extra choline, i'll give it a shot, but i'm not too concerned

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Choline and inositol are classed as vitamin B complex factors, they are not considered as essential vitamins because the human body can synthesise them. ~ info on some choline supplement on amazon

 

yeah, i'm thinking we produce and eat enough to be healthy, which is why we never hear about choline

 

this is a semi-stupid statement, but if beef has so much choline in it, then either grass is a amazing source of choline, or the body produces it naturally

could be stupid because it could be a cumulative effect of eating 2mg/day over 5 years

 

either way, i aint worried, if i find a supplement or something with extra choline, i'll give it a shot, but i'm not too concerned

 

Your beef-and-grass statement is actually a pretty good point. Bovines and other larger mammals like us seem to be the main ones that need dietary choline. But I would like to point out that there seems to be a HUGE difference in the internal production of choline for humans compared to smaller mammals and most other animals in general. Either way, it seems pretty obvious that there is SOME need for dietary choline.

 

The body does produce choline, but not enough. It is generally recognized that you need dietary choline. Read this: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/choline

 

Now I feel a little better about choline for a couple reasons:

 

1. I get the feeling that because one of the main functions of choline seems to be removing triglycerides from the liver, us vegan folk probably do not need as much as meat eaters.

2. Several factors such as getting enough vitamin b-12 and balanced hormonal levels contribute to healthy levels of choline production in the body. Once again, vegan folks have an advantage in this area.

 

In short, I am going to add soy lecithin to my regimen just to make sure and make it less of a big deal. I know it isn't ideal, but I am trying to simplify my diet as much as possible (which automatically means less variety) and so this is something I should take into consideration.

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