Is choline safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about choline during pregnancy?

1. 450 mg a day is the adequate intake for choline in pregnancy, the same at ages 14 to 18 and 19 and up, compared with 425 mg for non-pregnant adult women. 1
2. Choline has an adequate intake rather than a recommended dietary allowance because there was not enough data to establish an estimated average requirement. The value is anchored to avoiding liver damage as measured by serum alanine aminotransferase. 1
3. The upper limit in pregnancy is 3,500 mg a day for ages 19 and up and 3,000 mg for ages 14 to 18. It counts choline from food and supplements together, and it is set at the point associated with low blood pressure and a fishy body odor. 1
4. Roughly 90 to 95 percent of pregnant women take in less choline than the adequate intake, and average intake among women is about 278 mg a day. 1
5. Only about 40 percent of prenatal supplements contain choline, and those that do carry a median of just 25 mg per serving against a 450 mg target. 2

Is choline safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. The target applies from the start. Eggs are the most practical everyday source at about 147 mg each, which is awkward timing if eggs are exactly what you cannot face right now.
• Second trimester. Appetite usually returns and food sources get easier. This is a good window to check your prenatal label, since fewer than half of prenatal supplements contain choline at all.
• Third trimester. The number holds at 450 mg. If you are supplementing, note that the ceiling exists because very high doses have been linked to low blood pressure and a fishy body odor, not because moderate amounts are a concern.