Choline for Asthma

Nuts contain choline

Choline is an important nutrient that may someday be considered a vitamin. It is related to the B vitamins. It can be found in the body as part of another nutrient, acetylcholine. The average human consumes between 200 and 600 mg of choline every day, but only excretes 2-4 mg. Scientists are not yet sure how much choline a person needs. Scientists suspect that people who are deficient in choline are more at risk for liver, kidney, and pancreas disease. Choline is sometimes used to help treat those diseases.

Acetylcholine is much better understood. It is a neurotransmitter, which means that it helps nerves to transmit impulses. Neurotransmitters only affect the particular nerves that have receptors for them. Receptors for acetylcholine are concentrated in the smooth and skeletal muscle, the heart, the ganglia, and the glands. Because acetylcholine is so important for the healthy functioning of the nervous system, scientists are also studying choline as a treatment for various nervous system disorders.

Doctors are just beginning to use choline as a treatment for asthma. More evidence of its effectiveness is needed, but in some studies it lessened asthma symptoms and reduced asthma patients’ need to use bronchodilators (medicines that help to improve the flow of air into the lungs).

Using Choline to Treat Asthma

Method

• The safest and least expensive method for supplementing any nutrient is to eat foods containing it.
• Choline can be found in liver, muscle meats, fish, nuts, beans, peas, spinach, wheat germ, and eggs.
• Choline can also be taken as a supplement, in tablet form.
• Because choline can cause a fishy body odor, some people prefer to take lecithin, which contains choline.

Why It Works

Scientists are just beginning to study choline as a treatment for asthma. A 2007 study reported in Medical News Today found that choline reduced inflammation in the lungs, reduced the production of mucus, and helped to prevent airway obstruction. A 2009 study also found that choline was helpful as an adjunct therapy for asthma patients. Studies of the effects of choline on asthma are still preliminary, however; more research is needed.

Precautions

Asthma is a serious disease that can result in death. Any treatment for asthma should be undertaken with the help of a physician.

Choline is generally regarded as a safe supplement. In very high doses, however, it can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or other forms of gastrointestinal distress. It may also cause sweating or a fishy body odor. Some studies have found a possible link between increasing intake of choline and an increased risk of cancer of the colon or rectum.

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