Study: Dietary Choline Intake May Help Reduce Inflammation Levels in Pregnant Women

Designed by Cornell University nutritional sciences doctoral student Elisabeth Larson, the study analyzed data from 1,300 pregnant women and found an association between higher recent dietary choline intake and lower levels of inflammation in the third trimester. Study participants with the highest intake of choline, an essential nutrient found primarily in eggs, meat, fish, dairy, and some legumes and cruciferous vegetables, had significantly lower odds of having clinically elevated inflammation levels compared with those with the lowest intakes, the analysis found.

“We all have these signaling proteins that can be inflammatory in our blood, but when they go outside their normal range, we get worried,” Larson said in a press release. “Inflammation can be caused by anything from viral infection to chronic disease, such as obesity or cardiovascular disease, and even things like psychological stress.”

According to the study, inflammation declined most steeply when intake moved from very low levels to moderate and higher levels. “We had fewer data points at the lower or higher intake ends, so we need to do more research about a potential threshold relationship,” Larson said.

She added that the current recommendation for daily choline intake during pregnancy is 450 mg, but there’s some evidence that may not be adequate.

“There really isn’t enough work on these under-appreciated nutrients that might be predictive of health for mother and child,” Larson observed. “It’s important because mom’s health is very predictive of baby’s future health.”