If you’re reading this page, you may have been told by your doctor that you need to be taking a choline supplement.
Although choline is an essential nutrient, it wasn’t discovered until 1998, and it’s estimated that less than 10% of the United States population is getting enough of it. Apparently, the modern Western diet is just not providing enough of this essential nutrient. (1)
So that’s what we’ll be covering in this article: the best choline supplements available on the market.
But first, you may be wondering what choline is and if you should be taking it.
What is Choline and Should You be Taking a Choline Supplement?
As mentioned before, choline is an essential nutrient. It has a wide-ranging role in metabolism, cell structure, and neurotransmitter synthesis in human beings. (1)
In the twenty years since 1998 when choline became recognized as an essential nutrient, researchers have found several links between choline deficiency and diseases such as “liver disease, atherosclerosis, and, possibly, neurological disorders”. (1)
Choline is a water-soluble compound and has similar properties to vitamin B.
The human liver naturally produces some choline but very little of it, so the rest must be obtained through either regular diet or supplementation.
So should you take it? The bottom line is that you should be taking a choline supplement if you have a deficiency of it. You won’t benefit from taking a choline supplement if you don’t have a deficiency.
If you’ve determined with your doctor that you have a choline deficiency, here are the best choline supplements on the market.
#1: Double Wood Supplements Alpha GPC Choline Supplement
The product that made it to the top of our best choline supplements list is the Double Wood Supplements Alpha GPC Choline Supplement. We noticed very high consumer satisfaction with this product, so we decided to investigate and were impressed with what we saw.
One of the most important things we like about this supplement is the type of choline used. This choline in this supplement comes in the form of Alpha GPC, which stands for l-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine. This is the most bioavailable form of choline, meaning it is more likely to be absorbed into the body.
It has 600 mg of Alpha GPC, which is a potent dose.
If there’s any supplement out on the market that is going to provide the health benefits associated with choline (i.e. enhanced memory and cognitive function), it’s this.
The only thing we don’t like about it is that it comes in a gelatin (animal-based) capsule, and you have to take two pills to get a serving.
Pros:
- Gives a good mental boost
- Provides a feeling of energy
- Comes in choline’s most bioavailable form
Cons:
- Can cause headaches in some
- Capsule isn’t vegetarian-friendly
- You have to take 2 pills for a serving
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- Powerful Bioavailable Choline Support: Alpha GPC is the most bioavailable form of Choline currently available. Choline is a water-soluble nutrient which acts as a precursor to the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine, making Double Wood's Alpha GPC Choline Capsules easily absorbed by the body and fast acting.
- Advanced Memory Formula Nootropic: Double Woods Supplements' Alpha GPC Choline Supplement memory pills supports cognitive function, including memory, learning, and focus
- Supports Acetylcholine Levels: Our Alpha GPC is a natural precursor to the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine, which supports memory and brain function. Alpha GPC brain pills supports brain health, especially as one ages
- Monthly Supply: Each container of our Alpha GPC Choline brain health supplement contains 60 capsules allowing you to experience its potential benefits for a full month if taken as directed.
- USA Proud: All Doublewood supplements are Manufactured and tested for safety and quality in the USA, ensuring that only the highest quality ingredients are delivered to you. We are focused on giving you a natural, gluten free, and GMO-free supplement you can trust.
#2: Nature’s Way Choline and Inositol, 500mg
Up next is Nature’s Way Choline and Inositol.
This product contains 500mg of choline and 500mg of inositol, which is good for mental health. (2) Researchers are currently in the process of determining whether inositol could be used in the regular treatment of psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression.
This product does come in a gelatin capsule, so it’s not vegan-friendly unfortunately.
On the other hand, it’s good that it doesn’t contain milk, lactose, yeast, wheat, sugar, soy, or preservatives. It has 100 capsules, so at 2 capsules per serving, that’s a 50-day supply.
Pros:
- Reasonable price
- Has health benefits outside of just choline
Cons:
- Doesn’t come in l-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine form
- Isn’t vegan-friendly
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- BRAIN HEALTH & CELLULAR ENERGY.* With 1,000 mg choline and inositol per serving.
- RESPONSIBLE PACKAGING. Bottle made with 97% post-consumer recycled materials. Please recycle.
- GLUTEN-FREE. No sugar, salt, yeast-derived ingredients, wheat, dairy, or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
#3: Solgar Choline 350 MG
Solgar has formulated their choline 350 mg supplement with healthy brain function in mind.
It contains 350 mg (as bitartrate), so it’s not the more easily absorbed type of choline that we’d like to see, but it’s not a deal breaker and it has some good things going for it still.
One of those being the supplement’s vegetable capsule, making it kosher and vegan-friendly. It’s also free of gluten, wheat, sugar, soy, dairy, yeast, sodium, and artificial colors or flavors.
Pros:
- Contains a balanced amount of choline
- Comes in vegetarian capsules
Cons:
- Is not l-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- Involved in the chemistry of the brain, where it is used to synthesize acetylcholine, a critical neurotransmitter required for brain function
- Product Note: Exposure to heat or sunlight may lead to melting/damage of product. Hence customers are expected to be available during the product delivery
- Promotes normal fat metabolism and provides liver support
- Suitable for Vegetarians
#4: Flamingo Supplements – Choline Bitartrate Chewable Gummies
Have trouble swallowing and/or digesting pills? Flamingo Supplements’ Choline Bitartrate Chewable Gummies may be a good option for you then.
This gummy supplement contains 100 mg of choline, which is 72% of the daily value. For most people, this is probably going to be plenty, considering the rest can be obtained easily through your diet.
As with most gummy supplements, it does contain sugar, but we were at least happy to learn that it’s made with organic cane sugar. These gummies are indeed tasty, and fortunately, the sugar levels are very low.
It also contains organic tapioca syrup. It does contain natural beta-carotene color.
Pros:
- Has plenty of choline
- Great taste
- Good option if you don’t like pills
Cons:
- Contains sugar
- Contains artificial coloring
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- THE BEST WAY TO TAKE YOUR CHOLINE GUARANTEED. Our delicious lemon flavored choline gummies are designed so that you look forward taking them. We guarantee you will love the taste of these gummies or your money back.
- A QUALITY FORMULATION. Our choline L-bitartrate gummies contain very little sugar, and are made from quality ingredients like pectin which is plant based so it is suitable vegetarians. Plus they are non-GMO, made in the USA, and made in a FDA registered facility.
- SUITABLE FOR WOMEN, MEN, & CHILDREN: Our gummies have very little sugar, use minimal ingredients, and are dosed conservatively so you can adjust to your needs accordingly. They are delicious and easily chewed.
- ENJOY THE NOOTROPIC AND PRENATAL EFFECTS OF CHOLINE. Choline bitrartrate may improve memory, focus and mental clarity. It’s been shown to be so beneficial for prenatal brain development and cell building that doctors routinely prescribe it to expecting moms.*
- A NAME YOU TRUST. Flamingo Supplements is a leader in the gummy industry specializing in gummies for kids and adults alike with high quality ingredients. We use clean ingredients like pectin and keep our formulations as simple as possible.
#5: Bulksupplements Choline L-Bitartrate Powder (250 grams)
Another good option if you don’t like taking pills is Bulksupplements Choline L-Bitartrate Powder. The choline in this supplement does come in the more bioavailable l-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine form.
This supplement comes in powder form that you can add to either food or drink.
A serving size of this supplement is 600 mg, which is a 1/4 teaspoon. This product contains 416 servings, so you get a lot of bang for your buck.
It doesn’t have any dairy, soy, sugar, yeast, gluten, or any additives.
One issue with this product is that the powder gets bounced around in transit and can get lodged in the plastic zipper seal, making it difficult to close. One Amazon reviewer mentioned picking out the powder with a toothpick, which we tried and it worked well.
Pros:
- Very good value for the price
- Good alternative to choline in pill form
- Is mostly tasteless so it mixes well with food, shakes, and other drinks
Cons:
- Can be difficult to seal the bag it comes in
Active Ingredient Quality:
Price:
Average Consumer Rating:
- 🧠 Supports Brain Function* - Choline is an important nutrient for brain function. The human brain contains a high concentration of choline. Acetylcholine is used by neurons to communicate with other neurons and muscles throughout the body.*
- ❤️ Promotes Heart Health* - Choline has been shown to help reduce homocysteine levels in the blood, which may help promote heart health.*
- 🏃 Athletic Endurance* - Choline is essential for the body to produce and maintain acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps control muscle movement. It also aids in the production of lecithin, which helps cells retain nutrients.*
Conclusion
As with most supplements, finding the best choline supplement for you is a personal process. There are little things here and there that may make the perfect supplement for you not work out so well for someone else.
So for a one-size-fits-all type of choline supplement that’s going to work for a large number of people, the Double Wood Supplements Alpha GPC Choline Supplement is a fantastic option. It’s a little more expensive than some of the competition, but in many cases, it’s just costlier for manufacturers to use high-quality ingredients. You get what you pay for.
If you’re on a budget, supplements 2, 3, and 5 are great options. If you prefer not taking pills, option 4 or 5 might be the best choice.
Do you have any experience with the choline supplements listed here? Let us know in the comments section and tell us about your experience.
Sources