Just the other day, I asked myself why doesn’t someone come up with a test for choline deficiency. I constantly address this critical nutrient for patients, especially women of child bearing age and especially those with PEMT snps.
Women of child bearing age are at risk of choline deficiency since they give away tons of choline to their infants. Patients with PEMT snps (little genetic changes in their DNA code) can’t make enough phosphatidylcholine, a fat essential to cell membrane health. I have therefore prescribed a lot of eggs or liver which are both high in choline. If allergies or preferences prohibit adequate intake of these foods, supplement companies have products with soy or sunflower lecithin to make up the difference. They rank high on my dispense list.
Finally, someone read my mind. UNC researchers took seriously the CDC’s concern that 90% of Americans don’t eat enough choline. They knew that choline levels in the blood do not reflect whether someone is eating enough choline. They studied the issue and proposed a study that the NIH deemed worth of funding with 2.6 million dollars.
I am sure that we will be waiting a few years for an actually available test to use in patient care. I will await it eagerly so I can add to my functional MD tool chest. Until then, I will continue to recommend food or supplement sources of choline, helping patients to live healthier more abundant lives.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
