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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Are you getting enough choline in your diet? Do you even know what choline is? A new study finds American women are not getting adequate amounts of choline in their diet and a related poll reveals many Americans are just plain confused about the nutrient choline.
Choline is a nutrient essential for the human brain development, normal memory function and fertility. Choline is thought to be particularly important during pregnancy. Foods rich in choline include soy lecithin, beef liver and egg yolks.
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Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill report the typical American diet is lower in choline than recommended. Researchers studied the diets of more than 2,000 people using a new U.S. Department of Agriculture choline database. Authors report Americans are getting about 314 milligrams of choline each day. The recommended amount is 425 milligrams for women and 550 milligrams for men.
In a related poll, nearly 75 percent of people say they don't understand or don't know if they understand what function choline plays in a person's diet.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006;83:905-911
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