In 2017, the American Medical Association (AMA) emphasized the importance of prenatal vitamins containing the nutrient, choline. The following year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a similar statement. (1) Long story short, medical experts agree that choline is a nutritional rockstar in pregnancy.* (2)

Why exactly is choline such a big deal in pregnancy? Well, choline is, as the AMA called it back in 2017, an essential nutrient and brain health supporter. (3) Here’s the plot twist – over 95% of pregnant women and people don’t get enough choline from their diet alone. Food for thought when it comes to supporting baby’s brain health.* (3)

How Maternal Intake of Choline Benefits Pregnancy

When a pregnant woman consumes choline, either through food or supplements, they pass the nutrient from the placenta to the growing fetus.* Maternal intake of choline:

• Contributes to normal brain function.*

• Supports cognitive function for baby.*

• Helps provide cognitive support in early childhood.*

• Helps the body efficiently use Omega-3 DHA.*

Let’s zoom in on that last point: What does choline have to do with how the body uses omega-3s? During pregnancy, women need at least 200 milligrams daily of omega-3 fatty acids to support the development of baby's brain, eyes and nervous system.*

Postnatal Choline Benefits

Women who are breastfeeding or lactating have a higher need for choline than women who are not. After the baby is born, moms and birthing parents can continue delivering the benefits of choline through breast milk. Choline supplementation when nursing has been clinically studied to increase breast milk choline content.*

Benefits of Choline From Infancy into Early Childhood

Choline isn’t just essential during pregnancy – it also plays a key role through lactation. Research shows that maternal choline intake of 930 mg per day during pregnancy, from both dietary and supplemental sources, supports brain health from infancy to early childhood.* (4) Supplementing with 550 mg of choline (plus consuming 380 mg from diet) during pregnancy was shown to:

• Support cognitive function and positive outcomes for brain health.*

• Help promote information processing speed in the first year of life.*

• Promote sustained attention in early childhood.*

FYI: Information processing speed and sustained attention are key indicators of cognitive development.

Why 930 mg of Choline Per Day?

930 mg is the recommended amount of choline during pregnancy and is clinically-backed to promote cognitive function from infancy through early childhood. (4) Ritual’s Natal Choline contains the same form and dose of choline (Choline Chloride) shown by leading choline researcher Dr. Marie Caudill to support sustained cognitive function in her groundbreaking 2018 study. (4) Dr. Marie Caudill is internationally known for her research on the importance of choline in pregnancy and has led the Cornell clinical study that inspired the formulation of our Natal Choline supplement.*

At Ritual, we’re choline enthusiasts which is why we’ve designed a new way to support choline levels during the pregnancy journey. We formulated our new Natal Choline with 550 mg of clinically-backed choline to help support a growing pregnancy and baby’s brain development.*

References:

1. Korsmo, H. W., Jiang, X., & Caudill, M. A. (2019). Choline: Exploring the Growing Science on Its Benefits for Moms and Babies. Nutrients, 11(8), 1823.

2. Bell, C. C., & Aujla, J. (2016). Prenatal Vitamins … Recommended Choline Intake for Pregnant Women. J Fam Med Dis Prev, 2(4), 48.

3. Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Fact Sheet for Health Professionals: Choline. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved November 12, 2023.

4. Caudill, M. A., et al. (2018). Maternal choline supplementation during the third trimester of pregnancy improves infant information processing speed: a randomized, double-blind, controlled feeding study. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 32(4), 2172–2180.