Choline bitartrate is an essential nutrients needed by the nervous system to produce acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that facilitates the transmission of impulses between neurons. Choline is extremely important in maintaining healthy cell membranes because it produces phosphatidyl choline. It helps in the production of lipotropic agents which inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates to fat and assists in the production of HDL (good) cholesterol. Choline is very helpful in hormone production, as well as bladder, kidney, pancreatic, testicular, and liver function.
There are two reasons for the body’s need for choline - classified as an essential nutrient in 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. Number one, choline is required for the synthesis of one of our body’s primary neurotransmitters, acetylcholine. Number two, it is used for the building and maintenance of the body’s membranes. Acetylcholine is vital for thought, memory and sleep, and is also involved in the control of movement. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are the main driver of the liver, pancreas and adrenal/testicular functions, and are the major regulators of the cardiovascular functions. Uptake of circulating choline decreases with age and choline is essential for nerve structure and function. FACT: Acetylcholine is a type of compound known as a neurotransmitter. These are chemicals are stored in nerve cells and are involved in transmitting messages between the nerve cells and muscle cells. Acetylcholine is found in nerve
endings and is constantly being manufactured and broken down by the body.
Choline bitartrate and other choline supplements have been proposed as a treatment for a number of medical conditions, Brigham & Women's Hospital explains, including Tourette's syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, liver scarring or cirrhosis, fatty liver, presenile dementia and Huntington's chorea. You may also receive choline to enhance physical performance, or to treat additional conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and mood swings. However, Brigham & Women's notes, none of these uses are currently verified by controlled studies or other verifiable forms of scientific evidence.
Since the brain uses choline to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, high-dose phosphatidylcholine supplements have been tested as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville reporting their findings in the Journal of Nutrition in 2003 found that giving women a combination of choline and L-carnitine supplements helped them burn more fatter when they exercised. Giving women 940 mg of choline bitartrate a day, along with 648 mg of L-carnitine a day, resulted in 23 to 27% greater fat burning.
In practical terms, this is less than a pound a month (about 200 grams in most cases) for all but those who exercise much. Still, even fractions of pound or a few hundred grams of additional fat loss add up over a year or more of exercise. The researchers found that is was not necessary to take the supplements absolutely every day for fat burning to be accelerated. If you forget your supplements one day, you won't suddenly gain weight.
Studies of lab rats given a combination of choline bitartrate, L-carnitine, and caffeine, conducted by the same researchers at the University of Tennessee suggested even greater fat loss might be possible. However, the scientists conducting the experiments, Nobuko Hongu and Dileep S. Sachan, noted that the amount of caffeine the human volunteers in the second experiment ordinary consumed was roughly equivalent to the amount of caffeine they had given their lab rats in the first experiment. For that reason, Hogu and Sachan did not test giving additional caffeine along with choline bitartrate and L-carnitine to people on weight loss diets.
If you are a woman, take 1,000 mg of choline bitartrate and at least 500 mg of L-carnitine every day. Up to 1,000 mg of L-carnitine daily may be helpful.
If you are a man, take 2,000 mg of choline bitartrate and at least 1,000 mg of L-carnitine every day. Up to 2,000 mg of L-carnitine daily may be helpful.
Cluster headaches are nicknamed "suicide headaches" because the intense pain of the headache predisposes some to suicide. And we hope no one will commit suicide! They typically occur on just one side of the head, causing throbbing pain that may last for 15 minutes to 3 hours. The headache is accompanied by tears, runny nose, blushing, swelling, sweating, constriction of the pupil, or drooping of the eyelid on the same side of the face as the headache. Cluster headaches are also known as "alarm clock headaches" because they tend to occur early in the morning and to recur on the same day of the month.
Taiwanese researchers have found that the ratio of choline to creatine in the brains of sufferers of cluster headaches is relatively low. This information does not translate well to a recommendation for supplements, although if you have cluster headaches and you take supplemental creatine, it would seem to be a very good idea to try supplemental choline (1,000 mg a day or less). Otherwise, supplemental choline is at least worth an experiment to see if it helps stop the frequency or severity of cluster headache attacks.
Migraine headaches may or may not cause excruciating pain. Some people experience painful migraines after a prodrome of other symptoms. Warning signs of a migraine attack include slurred speech, loss of sensation in the fingers or toes, severe mood swings, slurred speech, or visual changes that sometimes replace part or all of the field of vision with "static" or kaleidoscope-like images. Some people have the prodrome without the headache.
Some people experience visual or auditory hallucinations before migraines, without psychiatric illness. The prodrome of a migraine headache can cause transient global amnesia, in which the sufferer forgets everything about who they are, where they are, and the identity of family members, friends, and surroundings. Fortunately, transient global amnesia almost resolves itself as quickly as a migraine.
Drugs that convert choline into acetylcholine, such as carbachol, sometimes relieve the prodrome of migraine headaches (which would be something of considerable interest to you if your prodrome makes you go blind or causes hallucinations or triggers transient global amnesia).
Naturopaths take this as a cue to give migraine sufferers choline bitartrate to stop the symptoms of prodrome, but there has been no rigorous clinical testing of how much choline to take or whether it really helps.
If you have recurrent migraines, however, you probably actively seek any remedies you can, especially those that do not have side effects. Up to 1,000 mg of choline bitartrate a day may help. Give the product 30 days to see.
After taking a dose of choline bitartrate, you may develop stomach discomfort. Nausea may contribute to loss of appetite and may be exacerbated by motion activities, such as riding in a car or running. If stomach discomfort becomes severe or does not subside, consult your medical provider for further evaluation and care.
Diarrhea may occur as a side effect of choline bitartrate treatment, Brigham and Women's Hospital explains. You may experience urgent, loose bowel movements in conjunction with stomach fullness, discomfort or pain. Chronic or recurrent episodes of diarrhea may cause your body to lose too much fluid and may result in dehydration. Seek additional care from your physician if you experience diarrhea for more than a couple of days.
Ingesting large doses of choline bitartrate may significantly elevate the amount of choline in your bloodstream and may cause choline toxicity. Choline toxicity may cause side effects of excessive sweating, increased salivation and a fish-like body odor, the Linus Pauling Institute warns. You may also feel unusually dizzy, vomit or lose consciousness. Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you exhibit any of these signs of choline toxicity while receiving treatment with choline bitartrate.
5.0 out of 5 stars Works well!!!, August 19, 2011, By micah
Works Well!!! Its worth every cent, can't wait to reorder, this stuff lasts forever. Works well with Piracetam. Enjoy life!
5.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff, October 20, 2011, By Danielle
I'm not sure choline has too much use on its own unless you don't get enough in your diet. I use it as a supplement to increase the effects of piracetam, and it works very well. I just dissolve in a shot of water and drink it. You get used to the taste pretty quickly. If you eat more than a gram of it a day though, your armpits will start smelling like soy sauce.
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome and totally worth it!, February 1, 2012, By Jane
I'm 30 and was diagnosed w/ ADD in 2nd grade and have been on/off Ritalin/Adderall for the majority of my life.
On top of this, I have a traumatice brain injury as a result of a car accident a little over 10 years ago.
I've stopped taking all ADHD medication, b/c I can't stand the peaks and valleys and being reliant on medication for energy or just to function.
I started taking ... Choline Bitartrate and the results were pretty instant. The cloud in my brain is gone and I'm more focused.
I love it and would recommend it to anyone!