Essential Takeaways
• Choline is an essential nutrient that supports brain development during pregnancy.*
• The American Academy of Pediatrics considers choline a key nutrient that supports fetal neurodevelopment, which means it's an important addition to a prenatal multivitamin.*
The importance of choline during pregnancy is being talked about more and more as over 90% of pregnant women don’t get enough choline in their diets. (3) According to NHANES data, pregnant women in the United States are getting about 62% of the RDA for choline from diet alone, leaving about a 38% gap in intake. (3) Read on to learn more about the benefits of choline, why it is important during pregnancy and what form of choline we use in our Essential Prenatal Multivitamin and all Ritual Essential Protein. *
What Is Choline?
Choline is a water-soluble essential nutrient that works alongside folate to support neural tube development during pregnancy. Choline is naturally present in various types of foods but also available as a dietary supplement to help fill nutrient gaps. It can be found in foods like eggs, beef liver, salmon, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Despite choline’s availability in foods, it can actually be difficult to get enough choline from food alone when pregnant, regardless of the diet being followed.*