Differential metabolism of choline supplements in adult volunteers.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized crossover trial in humans
PubMed 34287673 · doi:10.1007/s00394-021-02637-6
What was done
In a prospective randomized crossover trial, six healthy adult men received a single dose of 550 mg choline equivalent from four different formulations: choline chloride, choline bitartrate, alpha-glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and egg-phosphatidylcholine (PC), separated by at least one week. Plasma concentrations and kinetics of choline, betaine, trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), and total PC were tracked via tandem mass spectrometry from baseline through 6 hours post-ingestion.
What was found
No significant differences were found in the AUC of plasma choline concentrations among the four supplements. Plasma kinetics differed by formulation, with egg-PC peaking latest at approximately 3 hours. All supplements similarly increased plasma betaine. All water-soluble forms (choline chloride, choline bitartrate, GPC) rapidly increased plasma TMAO concentrations, whereas egg-PC did not. Specific numerical medians and interquartile ranges were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
Different choline formulations offer equivalent choline and methyl-donor bioavailability, but phospholipid-bound choline (egg-PC) avoids the acute postprandial TMAO spikes generated by water-soluble choline salts.
Limits
The trial included an extremely small sample size (n = 6), was restricted exclusively to healthy adult men, evaluated only single-dose kinetics over a short 6-hour window, and the abstract provided no specific numerical values or dispersion statistics.
Cited by
- supports Alpha-GPC supplementation potently increases circulating levels of TMAO via biochemical conversion in the body.