Choline Bitartrate: Facts That You Should Know

Not too many people know that essential nutrients cannot be formed by the human body alone. In order for the body to acquire them, we need to obtain them from external resources such as food, fruits and vegetables. There are also nutrients that can be obtained both from external resources and by being produced by our body such as cholesterol which help us with cell formation. Unlike cholesterol though, essential nutrients like choline bitartrate can only be obtained from other sources and cannot be produced by any organs of our body.

It is a member of the B vitamin complex family, which assists the human body in cell matabolism. Unlike other nutrients, it does not need to be dissolved by any compounds as it is water soluble.

If you are active in rough sports that are likely to cause you injury, you might need to take choline bitartrate supplements. This is because this nutrient helps in making cells work toward your recovery whenever any of your tissues are injured. Aside from helping your body recover in a much faster pace, this nutrient is also known as being effective in treating Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. It could also help lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease as it can lower the amount of homocysteine in the body.

You might have heard of it advertised as effective in increasing mental functioning. While there may be truth to this, it is not proven by any clinical trials yet.

Choline bitartrate can be found in a number of resources such as supplemental vitamins. These can be purchased over the counter, and can be found under a number of product names. This nutrient can also be found from natural resources like legumes, wheat germ, peanuts and egg yolks.

If you are considering taking it as a supplement, please talk to your doctor first. Aside from possible side effects like diarrhea, it could also cause depression. Manic- depressive patients are known to have a worsen case of depression, and even people who do not have this condition are known to be depressed after taking choline bitartrate at least 20 grams a day.

It is possible to overdose on choline bitartrate, and symptoms of this includes dizziness, vomiting and nausea. It could also cause insomnia, a stiff neck, restlessness and headaches when taken at a high dose. If you are taking choline bitartrate at more than 16 grams/ day, you may notice yourself emitting a fishy body odor. This is due to an intestinal bacteria which is necessary for breaking choline down. You can stop the fishy body odor by eating a high- fiber diet, eating yogurt or drinking milk.

While choline bitartrate supplements can help increase one's memory, not all people can take it. If you are pregnant or suspects that you are pregnant, or if you are breast feeding, you need to talk to your doctor about choline bitartrate first. Failing to do so might lead to serious conditions as well as overdosing.