Choline: are our university students eating enough?
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional dietary survey in a convenience sample
PubMed 17087106 · doi:10.1590/s0043-31442006000300013
What was done
Researchers evaluated the dietary intake of choline, betaine, and folate among 62 medical students (first and second year) and final-year biochemistry students at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies using self-reported three-day food and drink records (two weekdays and one weekend day).
What was found
Daily choline intake failed to reach the Institute of Medicine adequate intake recommendation (425–550 mg/day) in 86.2% of female and 90.9% of male students. Betaine consumption ranged from 25 to 620 mg/day, whereas dietary folate intake exceeded the recommended daily allowance of 180–200 µg/day.
Why it matters
This study indicates that suboptimal dietary choline intake may be widespread among university students despite adequate folate intake, highlighting the need to evaluate nutritional habits and potential health implications in young adults.
Limits
The study is limited by a small convenience sample size (n = 62) restricted to medical and biochemistry students at a single university. Nutrient intake was estimated from self-reported records without biological markers of choline status or health outcome measurements.
Cited by
- context The recommended dietary intake target for choline is approximately 550 mg per day for adults.