ITHACA, N.Y. – A new Cornell University study suggests that choline, a nutrient many pregnant people consume too little of, may play an underappreciated role in keeping inflammation in check during pregnancy.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,300 pregnant participants enrolled in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort, one of the most detailed long-running pregnancy nutrition studies in North America. They found that higher recent dietary choline intake was associated with lower levels of inflammation in the third trimester.
“We all have these signaling proteins that can be inflammatory in our blood, but when they go beyond outside their normal range, we get worried,” said first author Elisabeth Larson, a doctoral student in nutritional sciences. “Inflammation can be caused by anything from viral infection to chronic disease, such as obesity or cardiovascular disease, and even things like psychological stress.”
Most strikingly, Larson found that participants with the highest choline intakes had dramatically lower odds of having clinically elevated inflammation than those with the lowest intakes.
Choline is an essential nutrient involved in many biological processes, including cell membrane structure, neurotransmitter production, methylation, immune cell receptor agonism, and fetal brain development, and some of these biochemical processes play a role in the regulation of inflammation. It is found primarily in eggs, meat, fish, dairy and some legumes and cruciferous vegetables.
“It’s most abundant in animal-source foods,” Larson said. “If you’re vegetarian or vegan and not taking supplements, I would be concerned that you aren’t consuming enough choline.”
Despite its importance, choline remains something of a nutritional afterthought. It is not always emphasized in prenatal counseling, and many prenatal vitamins contain little or none of it. Surveys suggest that most pregnant people fall short of recommended intake levels.
The study found inflammation dropped most steeply as intake rose from very low levels into moderate and higher ranges, suggesting potential thresholds rather than a simple “more is better” effect.
“We had fewer data points at the lower or higher intake ends, so we need to do more research about a potential threshold relationship,” Larson cautioned.
The current recommendation for choline during pregnancy is 450 mg, but there’s some evidence that that may not be enough, Larson said.
The findings also raise questions about whether current dietary guidelines adequately reflect choline’s role during pregnancy, and whether clinicians should pay closer attention to it alongside better-known nutrients like folate and iron.
“There really isn’t enough work on these under-appreciated nutrients that might be predictive of health for mother and child,” Larson said. “It’s important because Mom’s health is very predictive of Baby’s future health.”
For additional information, read this Cornell Chronicle story .
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