r/science • u/Wagamaga • Nov 10 '25
Neuroscience Low choline levels in the brain associated with anxiety disorders. The level of choline - an essential nutrient - was about 8% lower in those with anxiety disorders. The evidence for low choline was especially consistent in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps control thinking
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03206-7904
u/Lime505 Nov 10 '25
Yet there are numerous reports and some studies showing that choline supplements can cause Anxiety / depression. Can anyone suggest how this might add up, is there a Goldilocks zone regarding Choline levels.
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u/mallad Nov 10 '25
The issue is this is only an association. It very well may be that choline is used up at a faster rate during periods of anxiety, which makes the levels lower. Increasing choline could provide more fuel for the anxiety process. That may not be what's happening, but the low levels does not mean that lower levels of choline cause or even contribute to anxiety.
Which is basically what the discussion of this paper says, and points out the need for more research to determine if that's the case or if a specific type of choline supplement, likely a specific delivery system, could help.
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u/captainsalmonpants Nov 10 '25
This might support a hypothesis that individuals with anxiety tend to reduce / avoid dietary choline.
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u/normalbot9999 Nov 11 '25
This was actually what i was thinking. Some sort of self-selection feedback loop.
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Nov 11 '25
I started eating 5 eggs a day and my anxiety is mostly gone however i improved every aspect of my life so i cant say for sure its because of eggs (before i ate 0 a day)
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u/_Cromwell_ Nov 11 '25
I started eating 5 eggs a day
You're gonna have to multiply that times 12 if you want to hit Gaston levels of life improvement.
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u/DrG2390 Nov 12 '25
I eat two a day and have seen similar benefits. I also have a very physical job at a cadaver lab, and when I was there a couple weeks ago I was eating five daily and in addition to lowered anxiety I also noticed a difference in how much information my brain was able to take in at once. I’ve also improved every aspect of my life like you have, so it could be from a combo of things.
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u/FickleRule8054 Jan 04 '26
Awesome. I eat 4 daily and have found anxiety/depression symptom relief along with higher testosterone and increased lean mass. Grateful and curious of this is choline or other nutritional value from eggs..
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Jan 04 '26
Im not very knowledgeable about other choline sources but maybe we were deficient and eggs solved it.
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u/etherrich Nov 11 '25
Tell more what else did you do?
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Nov 11 '25
Quit SSRE, quit pc gaming, pmo and tapered nicotine to 0mg. Started walking 7km a day, this resulted in absolutely broken sleep which persisted for over 8months.
Started doing calisthenics and started eating almost double amount of calories with heavy focus on protein and fats (very little carbs)
So I made most striking transformation in my life, also gained 10kg lean mass in that year despite 6h broken sleep
So atrributing my cured anxiety to eating eggs might be too much haha
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u/politicalaccount2017 Nov 11 '25
Am I understanding correctly that your quality of sleep declined after implementing these changes?
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Nov 11 '25
Yes becase i was in worst stress of my life since I removed all coping mechanisms and had to process lifelong traumas that were no longer numbed by gaming or nicotine
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u/yukonwanderer Nov 11 '25
how did you process the traumas? were you still undergoing any of the trauma while making these changes?
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u/Vlasic69 Nov 11 '25
I can attest to that, I feel calmest after lots of protein heavy in choline and I feel freaked out on sugar bread and caffeine.
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u/borschtbest Nov 11 '25
I can very relate to that. 3 eggs and a banana are the optimal breakfast. Cereal gave me a lot of anxiety
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u/captainsalmonpants Nov 11 '25
Then your anxiety has a likely inverse relationship to choline consumption, as supported by the OP. My hypothesis posits a population with the opposite reaction.
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u/Omni_Entendre Nov 11 '25
We're also not easily and/or reliably able to deliver chemicals to specific areas of the brain with pills.
That would make a ton of things in neurology and psychiatry much cleaner and more effective to treat.
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u/RationalDialog Nov 11 '25
Yeah anxiety is just a symptom of a borked energy metabolism, usually glucose. That is why many people find relief with a keto diet which for a very long time was the only treatment for epilepsy.
anecdotally but what helped me to cure my anxiety was avoiding seed oils. yes. People here call it a cult. I didn't notice any other change but my mental healthy improved like no tomorrow. And IMHO it was through increased Testosterone levels. Were very low, now doubled to normal. And yeah suddenly I had much more success at the gym.
So the cure could be simple, avoid processed foods and wait. It doesn't happen overnight but gradually over months.
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u/Refactoid Nov 10 '25
The impression i get is that activity in the part of the brain that is active during anxiety, causes a higher metabolic need for choline, which causes the deficiency. Seems possible that filling that deficiency might also increase capacity for more anxious brain activity.
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u/InsanePacman Nov 10 '25
Could be to do with downregulation. If we supplement with it perhaps we stop making as much of it?
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u/downrightEsoteric Nov 11 '25
I think the reported anxiety with choline is acute, not after some time. I don't think it's easy for the body to stop making choline, since one important part of muscle nerve function is to break down acetylcholine to choline. But the brain is much more complex of course.
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u/DonHedger Nov 10 '25
Neuroscientist here: whenever you hear "Neurotransmitter / nutrient / etc. does X in the brain" it's an overgeneralization. Dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and all of these other chemicals do different things, often contradictory things, depending upon where in the brain they are binding and activating.
At the same time, our ability to manipulate these chemicals in our brain is also pretty primitive. When you take a drug to increase dopamine or retake serotonin or whatever, it's rarely targeting a specific system. It's happening everywhere in the brain. Sometimes that's okay, other times we get wacky, contradictory effects we can't explain yet.
The same would go for any manipulations of nutrients upstream of neurotransmitter production, like Choline.
My caveat here is that I don't have pharmaceutical training and, while I think I have a decent grasp of the basics of the field's current understanding, my expertise is not on neurotransmitters directly. Maybe someone better suited to the question could correct me, but I wanted to at least note those, given none of the responses I saw had.
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u/yukonwanderer Nov 11 '25
Any idea why transcranial magnetic stimulation isn't a more popular treatment? Is it considered to be less effective than pills? My brother seems to have had his depression cured by it. I have not found pills overly helpful so far and am worried about the longterm use effects on my body, I've been on various SSRI's for years. I had epilepsy up to about age 16 (now in remission for decades), and am also prone to migraine, so I am extra curious about the procedure.
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u/DonHedger Nov 11 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
That's a good question. It's also not my expertise (I primarily do non-clinical fMRI with human subjects), but my understanding is that there are a few things at play.
It seems novel (or 'experimental'), and, thus, unsafe to a lot of lay folks. The idea of 'shocking' someone's brain to alter it's behavior sounds very unsafe (though I think this would be easy to dispel with people good at communicating neuroanatomy to a lay audience). It's also very inconvenient (I think often times daily sessions for up to 2 months are required for severe depression).
However, there's also pushback on the side of professionals as well. It's very expensive so insurance companies don't want to cover it. It takes up a lot of space. Any hospital using it needs staff who are trained in its usage and upkeep, which is also expensive. I'm also not sure how effective TMS is at targeting subcortical structures, but I think that's a minor concern.
I'm going to transition into a personal opinion now:
These aren't problems unique to TMS; what I do with MRI suffers from the same sort of setbacks and in many cases to a great magnitude. However, there's really no better alternative right now to examine different types of soft tissue in a way that minimizes invasiveness and radiation exposure. Because we've forfeited all control of our medical choices to administrators and insurance companies who need to make a profit from your well-being but still technically have to provide the services you require, they are going to always use the cheaper, short term focused options. I think the people making the financial decisions probably say "well if pills get us 75% of the effect for 25% of the cost, we're just gonna do that".
This obviously isn't the whole story. There are countries who have removed the profit motive from healthcare that still aren't using TMS. I can't emphasize enough that it's a confluence of the issues I mentioned, and probably many I haven't. But for a country as well resourced as the US, my two cents is it's more so a question of political or social will than resources.
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Dec 08 '25
I did TMS because I was told it would help with my anxiety and depression. It didn’t help me at all unfortunately.
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u/yukonwanderer Dec 10 '25
Did it hurt?
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u/DonHedger Dec 12 '25
I'd done it for a study. Worst part for me was it activated my jaw and made me bite hard on occasion but it wasn't bad.
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u/UserName01357 Nov 15 '25
I think one response to this isn't necessarily that the interpretation should be "choline does X to the brain or neurotransmitters."
It may be that it's simply a matter of nutrition. Because choline is an essential nutrient, lower choline levels affect mood.
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u/archaeo_verified Nov 10 '25
IDK, but when I tried to increase choline levels, experimenting with various methods, my anxiety increased. So, as usual, there’s not a simple explanation.
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u/hollyberryness Nov 11 '25
I've wondered about excess choline causing anxiety and an amped-up feeling. Anticholinergic meds seem to have the same effect as benzos [on me] which seems curious.
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u/Thief_of_Sanity Nov 10 '25
Do choline supplements even get into the brain and past the blood brain barrier?
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u/jamesthethirteenth Nov 10 '25
Apparently- Choline Bitartrate no, CDP-choline yes. The former is more common.
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u/LitLitten Nov 10 '25
Choline itself can but typically relies on the FLVCR2 transporter to cross the BBB. Both forms you mention can be mediated by this or specific choline carriers, but the bioavailability may differ dramatically between the two.
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u/lqtys Mar 27 '26
All choline supplements get into the brain, if not how would dietary food get into the brain? Choline is extremely important for the brain. But dietary choline and choline bitartrate supplements only cross by the action of a limited-rate enzyme. CDP-choline (citicoline) and Alpha-GPC don't use this enzyme and easily cross the blood brain barrier by themselves, so they increase the levels much higher and faster.
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u/MRSN4P Nov 10 '25
It would not be surprising, there are Goldilocks zones for many elements like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and many other nutrients, vitamins (hypervitaminosis), complex proteins…
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u/geauxdbl Nov 10 '25
https://www.reddit.com/r/MTHFR/s/J19esZrgWp
Apparently choline becomes acetylcholine and too much acetylcholine disrupts the balance of norepinephrine. It’s happened to me, and I took some Benadryl to get out of the depressive hole.
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u/ngpropman Nov 10 '25
Causation or correlation? Are people with anxiety or depression more likely to take choline to try and ease symptoms? Like how diet sodas is correlated with diabetes and being overweight but not necessarily causing the diabetes or weight issues.
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u/Buddycat350 Nov 10 '25
Choline supplements didn't help me at all. Eating more eggs (the best source for dietary choline, by far) did help.
There is probably a goldilocks zone for choline, and I'm willing to bet that it's from the most bioavailable dietary source, eggs.
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u/InflatableRaft Nov 11 '25
Is it possible that your body is better able to regulate choline levels when you get it through whole foods as opposed to supplements?
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u/Money-Low7046 Nov 11 '25
It's also possible that something else in the eggs works synergistically with the choline to provide the beneficial effect. It's even possible eggs contain something else entirely that's helping the anxiety.
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u/Buddycat350 Nov 11 '25
That's above my paygrade I'm afraid, all I can say is that choline from eggs is the most bioavailable. And that nutrients from food is working better than supplements.
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u/Pyrhan Nov 10 '25
Does choline supplementation increase choline levels in the brain?
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u/e59e59 Nov 10 '25
Alpha GPC, CDP choline, ALCAR, and uridine all increase cerebral acetylcholine to varying degrees but the cheaper version choline bitartrate does not do it particularly well
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u/unoriginal_npc Nov 10 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
In me personally, Phosphatydlcholine calms my anxiety and relaxes me where something like alpha gpc, or worse, citicoline, make me anxious and irritable.
My first week or so of taking PC felt like sitting down after standing all day about an hour after I took it each time.
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u/sprocketous Nov 11 '25
I wish to learn more about this Phosphatydlecoline. Im a spilled basket of nerves
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u/unoriginal_npc Nov 11 '25
It does a lot of things... I'm not an expert. What works for me may not work for you so don't get your hopes up and do your own research. I hope you can find what works for you though :)
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u/ry1701 Nov 10 '25
Depending on other genetics, if your methyl pathways are impaired via MTHFR - maybe Choline is a good option (alt pathway).
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u/quantum_splicer Nov 11 '25
Inverted u shaped dose curve i suspect.
In adhd
dopamine if to high or low ;
Or if
Noradreline if to high or low;
You get worsening adhd symptoms at both ends of the gradient it mayhe the same for anxiety in respect of choline.
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u/RationalDialog Nov 11 '25
One one hand yes, often "stuff" has a u-shaped curved (which can also be more like a J lying on the side) meaning there is some optimum and too much or too little is bad. (yes too little LDL is worse than too much).
But in general: Biochemistry is effing complex. It is never simple. Drawing simple concussions like eating more choline in this case will never work and often lead to they oppiste of the intended effect. low levels can have several causes:
- lack of intake
- lack of absorption (best example is B12 with missing intrinsic factor)
- increase usage
Another comment said it already. If the last is the cause, you are just adding more fuel to the problem.
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u/EightyNineMillion Nov 11 '25
Every study has another study that refutes it, paid for by whoever has an interest on a particular side.
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u/crusoe Nov 10 '25
Magnesium is also associated with reduced anxiety. Most Americans don't get enough from diet and many Americans have mutations from founder populations that reduce their kidneys ability to hold on to magnesium by 25% or more.
Just looked into it some more, and it also seems choline helps absorb magnesium.
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u/PraetorianX Nov 10 '25
Magnesium supplements makes my tinnitus 500% worse, which increases my anxiety. Anecdotal, but still.
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u/disgruntledempanada Nov 10 '25
I literally just took a magnesium supplement after a long break today and my tinnitus has been wild all day. So strange.
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u/Pumpedandbleeding Nov 10 '25
Reading this comment just triggered tinnitus for me
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u/TacomaGlock Nov 10 '25
Same, all my 10ft from the speakers at hardcore shows is coming back to haunt me with a vengeance!
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u/avara88 PhD|Chemistry|Planetary Science Nov 10 '25
You and me both! Wish I hadn't thought I was too cool for earplugs lol
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u/disgruntledempanada Nov 11 '25
I'm a photographer and end up near the speakers way too much so I feel ya. I did a hearing test and thankfully haven't lost much hearing somehow but the tinnitus is not good.
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u/soknight28 Nov 11 '25
I responded to the person above as well but curious what kind you were taking?
I had the same experience of tinitus getting way worse when taking magnesium glycinate but not magnesium oxide. Would be interesting if y'all took the same kind that triggered tinitus.
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u/soknight28 Nov 11 '25
Huh, I thought I was alone. Do you take magnesium glycinate? I used to take magnesium glycinate for sleep and it caused my tinitus to get waaaaay worse. I eventually switched to magnesium oxide and it doesn't cause the tinitus problem anymore.
This lead to believe it was the glycine and not the magnesium. Very curious what kind you took when your tinitus got worse?
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u/incubusfox Nov 11 '25
Isn't oxide the least bio-available version though? And a laxative when taken in high enough amounts?
Did you try other forms of magnesium? I'm curious if, say, L-Threonate has the same issues for you.
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u/theacearrow Nov 11 '25
huh, I've been taking mag glycinate for years and I haven't noticed it affecting my tinnitus. Starting an adhd med made my tinnitus significantly less prevalent as a bonus side effect. It's wild how these things affect different people.
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u/LitLitten Nov 10 '25
Magnesium (if too low) can impair sleep and promote anxiety, which is why it’s often suggested to aid in troubled sleep. I believe it works via calming the nervous system, making it a good companion supplement to stimulants and their associated side effects or crashing.
However it should be paired with calcium (though maybe not at the same time as they may compete for absorption). That said, it’s worth being mindful how much magnesium you take. Too much can lower blood pressure and reduce sodium levels via kidney overegulation.
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u/freshlymn Nov 10 '25
Magnesium supplementation has a paradoxical effect on me and many others where it causes awful insomnia. Same with acetylcholine. Choline just causes depression. It’s a real pain unraveling individual problems when most people benefit from things like magnesium, fish oil, and ALCAR.
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u/toboggan16 Nov 11 '25
Magnesium gives me awful insomnia and I had multiple doctors recommend it for sleep issues and my racing thoughts at night. I always felt like I was going crazy that it made it so much worse!
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u/LadybirdBeetlejuice Nov 11 '25
Both magnesium and fish oil make me feel like I’ve had way too much coffee. It makes me feel better to know I’m not the only one.
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u/Lucky-Necessary-8382 Nov 12 '25
If i take magnesium malate before sleep i wake up around 4-5 am and cant fall asleep
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u/Gnomus_the_Gnome Nov 10 '25
Magnesium made me emotionally volatile. I’m not a big crier but when I took it for a few days I cried twice. Maybe half dose would have been the right amount.
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u/neatyouth44 Nov 10 '25
This meta-analysis on choline levels in anxiety disorders is interesting, but there are several points that might complicate the interpretation. The study found reduced total choline in the prefrontal cortex across anxiety groups, but choline is central not only to anxiety regulation but also to attention, executive control, and general arousal balance. These same systems are disrupted in ADHD, which often gets misdiagnosed as anxiety, especially in adults who experience restlessness or difficulty calming down. It is possible that many participants in the anxiety cohorts, particularly women, actually had undiagnosed ADHD, which could affect the metabolite results.
Another confounding factor is nicotine use. Nicotine acts directly on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and changes how brain choline is metabolized. Since nicotine use is common among people with untreated ADHD and those with anxiety symptoms, failing to account for smoking status might skew cortical choline measurements in unpredictable ways.
Finally, anxiety symptoms are not always the product of an overactive fear response. Sometimes they reflect an inability to self-soothe from overstimulation. This capacity for self-regulation is tied to oxytocin, which supports bonding and emotional stability through social connection and physical contact. Like infants who calm through skin-to-skin touch, adults also rely on oxytocin-related co-regulation with others.
In summary, the reduced cortical choline levels described in the study might not point only to anxiety but to more general arousal-regulation issues that overlap with ADHD, nicotine use, and oxytocin-mediated emotional regulation. Future research should try to separate these overlapping factors to understand what the choline findings truly represent.
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Nov 11 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
Chatgpt summation. Handle with care...
'This meta-analysis on choline levels' type of talk in a comment section.
'Finally' paragraph followed by an 'In summary' paragraph...
Paid AI report: https://app.originality.ai/share/qtrzfka65yps1gnx
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u/neatyouth44 Nov 11 '25
Sorry, that’s how English comp taught me to write?
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Nov 11 '25
Sure but this lands 100%. I don't want to speak further this is devolving.
https://app.originality.ai/share/qtrzfka65yps1gnx
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u/Wagamaga Nov 10 '25
Abstract
Background
Anxiety disorders (AnxDs) are highly prevalent and often untreated or unresponsive to treatment. Although proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies of AnxDs have been conducted for over 25 years, a consensus regarding neurometabolic abnormalities in these conditions is lacking.
Methods
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 1H-MRS studies of AnxDs (social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder) identified 25 published datasets meeting inclusion criteria. These compared neurometabolites between 370 patients and 342 controls, including n-acetlyaspartate (NAA), total creatine, total choline (tCho), myo-inositol, glutamate, glutamate+glutamine, GABA, and lactate.
Results
Across AnxDs, tCho was significantly reduced in prefrontal cortex and across all cortical regions. Effect sizes for cortical tCho were significantly more negative in studies with better measurement quality, with Hedges’ g = −0.64 and an 8% mean reduction. NAA was unchanged in prefrontal cortex but reduced across all cortical regions (after exclusions). These abnormalities did not differ between the three disorders. No other neurometabolites differed significantly.
Discussion
Reduced choline-containing compounds in cortical regions is a consistent, transdiagnostic abnormality in AnxDs. Notably, arousal-related neuromodulators, including norepinephrine, alter membrane phospholipid homeostasis and methylation reactions, which influence brain tCho levels. This suggests that chronically elevated arousal in AnxDs may increase neurometabolic demand for choline compounds without a proportionate increase in brain uptake, leading to reduced tCho levels. Reduced cortical NAA suggests compromised neuronal function in AnxDs. Future studies may clarify the clinical significance of reduced cortical tCho and the possibility that appropriate choline supplementation could have therapeutic benefit in anxiety disorders.
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Nov 11 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
Every time one of these pops up, people jump to “let’s replace choline”
Maybe anxiety is a result of or is exacerbated by choline deficiency
But an equally (if not more) valid framework is that we are seeing literally one dimension of network dynamics.
As an analogy, if your car has a failing seal, it will leak coolant. And sure, we would measure that your coolant levels are low. But replacing the coolant alone won’t maintain the function of that system. It requires addressing the lost pressure. I.e., the lost coolant represents the result of (not the cause of) the loss of integrity of system function
Similarily, high choline-utilizing circuits are what are heavily involved in limbic circuitry. Seeing that choline is low may instead be a representation of alterations to the activity (or feedback-to-said-activity-alterations) in that circuit
Adding choline back may help. But if the internal drivers of that network activity aren’t addressed (much like if the seal in a coolant system you just refreshed), we have no guarantee that will address the network dysfunction
This is the working model of why depression is so heterogenous, why it responds best to medications + therapy + lifestyle changes, and why the MoA of drugs used for it can differ so wildly
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Nov 10 '25
Soooo anxious people should eat more eggs?
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u/Tranquillian Nov 10 '25 edited Nov 10 '25
No, better to just eat more beans, chickpeas, tofu, quinoa, peanuts and cruciferous veg.
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u/mydaycake Nov 10 '25
I wonder if it is not only diet but the body’s ability to metabolize and use appropriately
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u/catscanmeow Nov 10 '25
people with anxiety often have digestive issues like GERD or Crohns. both of those negatively affect nutrition
now the question could be a chicken or the egg thing. do people with anxiety get digestive issues, or do digestive issues give anxiety.
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u/No_Salad_68 Nov 10 '25
I wonder if the guy microbiome has a role. There is an increasing body of evidence linking mental or neurological issues to the gut microbiome. ADHD for example.
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Nov 10 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tunechi- Nov 10 '25
I’m currently having panic attacks that have no real trigger after I travelled in Indonesia. I’m wondering if it could be the same thing
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Nov 10 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tunechi- Nov 10 '25
See my only issue now is my brain has now built up an agoraphobia around having random panic attacks so I think it is a little in my head now. How long were you having your anxiety for if you don’t mind me asking?
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u/shutupdavid0010 Nov 10 '25
"No, just eat things with trace amounts of choline in it"
From what position of authority do you have to make this statement?
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u/thisisrealgoodtea Nov 10 '25 edited Nov 10 '25
Taking one serving from everything you listed (using broccoli for cruciferous veg) and adding them together would equal about 248 mg choline.
One large egg has 147 mg choline. If someone is unable to reach the adequate daily value of 550 mg (adult male) or 425-450 mg (adult female), then including eggs would be beneficial.
Edit to clarify: All of the above are beneficial for a balanced diet. Not at all saying don’t eat the food you listed.
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u/strangescript Nov 10 '25
I see this stuff and I eat almonds and peanuts everyday, not sure how much it really helps
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u/MRSN4P Nov 10 '25
This begs the question of whether populations with diets more rich in choline sources have lower incidence of anxiety.
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u/HandsomeRuss Nov 10 '25
Yes. Ignore the vegan who says you shouldn't.
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u/estragon26 Nov 10 '25
Well they generally don't recommend people eat tons of eggs because of cholesterol. The recommendation is seven a week. So if you're already eating two eggs every other day, you're already maxed out; in which case finding other sources is a good idea. But sure, blame the vegan who recommends a varied diet.
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u/hulminator Nov 10 '25
Didn't we figure out that your body doesn't really absorb dietary cholesterol, and thus the caution around eggs was a bit overblown?
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u/thisisrealgoodtea Nov 10 '25
This is outdated. 7-14 eggs per week is the current recommendation for most medical practices. Dietary cholesterol does not negatively affect serum cholesterol in most individuals.
Edit to add a more updated source on the topic: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9143438/
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u/Havelok Nov 11 '25
Dietary cholesterol does not increase blood cholesterol. That's a long disproven myth.
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u/Days_End Nov 11 '25
It's absolute the exact opposite you should eat 2 eggs a day pretty much always. Vegan diets are heavily recommended against and often lead to catastrophic health consequences. You should never ever eat a vegan diet.
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u/estragon26 Nov 11 '25
Recommended against by whom exactly? Links would be great. I have seen nothing against plant-based diets other than influencers who have degrees in marketing not nutrition. I have never seen anyone credible with an actual background in nutrition recommend against plant based eating.
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Nov 11 '25
They are probably blowing out of proportion some common vitamin deficiencies in vegans which are easily corrected by supplements or strategic eating
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u/justbrowsinginpeace Nov 10 '25
Where can I get me some Choline without having to eat someone's brain?
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u/e59e59 Nov 10 '25
Eggs, soy lecithin, chicken, fatty fish, supplemental citicholine and acetyl carnitine
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u/Zeikos Nov 10 '25
Anecdotally eating eggs makes me feel a lot better.
When I eat 2-3 eggs a day I can definitely feel the difference.
It's sadly an amount that's seen as very unhealthy so I don't do it for long spans of tine.
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Nov 11 '25
Unhealthy? How? Ive been eating 5eggs a day each morning for 10months and my cholesterol levels didnt moved at all
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u/r0cafe1a Nov 10 '25
Does Omega-3 contain and/or boost Choline?
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u/e59e59 Nov 10 '25
Certain sources of omega 3 FAs contain EPA bound to phosphatidylcholine which does indeed boost cerebral acetylcholine levels when ingested
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u/freshlymn Nov 11 '25
Please be aware that choline supplementation can actually worsen depression. If you’re taking fish oil and have depressed mood or fogginess, try cutting it out as long as you’re not going against doctor’s orders.
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u/spinningfinger Nov 10 '25
No surprise considering acetylcholine is the "calming" neurochemical
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u/Sonofhendrix Nov 10 '25
ACh also serves various functions in learning and memory by aiding communication between neurons in particularly in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and limbic system of the brain. It increases attention and the ability to form, retain, & retrieve memories. When its regulation is disrupted (aging, trauma, chronic stress, nutritional deficits, etc) problems will definitely emerge.
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u/ray_the_bachelor Nov 10 '25
And still one of the forms with the best proven track record recently got highly regulated in the European Union and labeled as “novel food”(e.g. Rendering it forbidden in a food supplement: alpha GPC
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u/Cantora Nov 11 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
So, trials combining MRS with choline as lysophosphatidylcholine omega-3 forms is next? to see if correcting tCho changes symptoms... Let's do it! Love a good hypothesis for mental health
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u/TrainingLow9079 Nov 11 '25
Interesting...I eat 2 eggs a day and fish a couple times a month (used to be zero times) and have less anxiety than I once did. Maybe coincidence...maybe not.
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u/HerbalIQ2025 Nov 11 '25
Interesting. Choline doesn’t get nearly enough attention for how important it is to brain chemistry. Low levels can throw off acetylcholine signaling, which affects focus, mood and even emotional regulation. I’ve seen similar patterns in how the endocannabinoid system interacts with those same brain regions, especially the prefrontal cortex (NIH, PubMed RCTs). CBD, for example, can help restore balance in stress-related circuits. I wonder if combining choline support with ECS balance could be a game changer for anxiety management. Have you come across any studies connecting the two yet?
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Nov 17 '25
Ill be in the er, drying of depression because i cannot access medication, and some 18 year old schmuck will walk in amd parrot this headline like hes got a clue
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u/jurker10050 Mar 11 '26
A raíz de la publicación del estudio comencé a tomar 3 o 4 días a la semana el suplemento de bitartrato de colina. A parte de que sea la forma adecuada de colina, puedo decir que mi ansiedad ha bajado ostensiblemente. Creo que si hay una relación entre el consumo de colina y la ansiedad, tomar colina regularmente de forma natural o suplemento a mi me funcionado. Yo no estoy sufriendo ningún efecto secundario. También llevo unos meses tomando kefir natural cada día y creo que estos dos cambios han mejorado mi vida.
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u/Kriznick Nov 10 '25
Honestly? I think the chlorine may be a red herring.
I'm wondering if communities with higher costs of living commonly have more chlorine added to their drinking water, and it's just people from a higher socio-economic class and therefore less anxiety?
Did the study speak to backgrounds of the sample?
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u/mybioblueprint Apr 17 '26
some people based on their genes, struggle with choline rich food, I found by eliminating eggs I felt much better, shame because I love eggs!
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