title: Effects of choline on health across the life course: a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Choline is a precursor of both betaine and acetylcholine and might, therefore, influence cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes. There has been concern, however, that it may influence blood lipid levels because it is an essential component of very-low-density lipoproteins.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to systematically review, using PRISMA guidelines, the literature pertaining to the effects of choline on body composition and on metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological outcomes in different life stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to July 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty relevant articles were identified. These comprised trials and cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies that assessed blood levels of choline, dietary intake of choline, and supplementation with choline in a population free of diseases at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is some observational evidence that choline during pregnancy may be beneficial for the neurological health of the child. In adults, choline may have beneficial effects on cognition, but high-quality (intervention) studies are lacking. Results on the effects of choline on body composition, blood lipids, and cardiovascular health were inconsistent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence to confirm the suggested effects of choline on health in different stages of life is scarce. Potential effects of choline need to be confirmed by intervention studies. Possible harmful effects on cardiometabolic health need careful evaluation.
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elisabeth T M
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Leermakers
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eduardo M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jessica C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kiefte-de Jong
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sirwan K L
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Darweesh
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thirsa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Trudy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voortman
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paula K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Bautista
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Donal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wichor M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Bramer
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janine F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: E.T.M. Leermakers, E.M. Moreira, J.C. Kiefte-de Jong, S.K.L. Darweesh, T. Visser, T. Voortman, P.K. Bautista, J.F. Felix, and O.H. Franco are with the Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. R. Chowdhury and D. Gorman are with the Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom. W.M. Bramer is with the Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Franco
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002794:Choline / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D002794:Choline
keywords: body composition; cardiovascular health; choline; metabolic health; neurology