Choline Supplements During Pregnancy May Prevent Schizophrenia ~ Mental Health Blog

Research
shows that the use of choline supplements during pregnancy may prevent
schizophrenia.  Specifically, lower rates
of physiological schizophrenic risk factors in infants 33 days old has been
noted when the dietary supplement is given during the second and third trimesters
of pregnancy and early infancy.

Robert Freedman, MD, professor and chairman
of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine and
one of the study’s authors states: “Basic research indicates that choline
supplementation during pregnancy facilitates cognitive functioning in
offspring. Our finding that it ameliorates some of the pathophysiology
associated with risk for schizophrenia now requires longer-term follow-up to
assess whether it decreases risk for the later development of illness as
well.”

Choline is a water-soluble essential nutrient, typically
grouped within the B-complex vitamins. It can be found naturally in foods such
as liver, muscle meats, fish, nuts and eggs. 
According to the American Institute of Medicine, pregnant women require
between 450 and 3500 milligrams of choline each day and 550 to 3500 milligrams while
lactating.  Infants aged 0-6 months need
a minimum daily dose of 125 milligrams of choline and 150 milligrams from 7-12
months of age.

“Choline
is also being studied for potential benefits in liver disease, including
chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, depression, memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease
and dementia, and certain types of seizures.”

To test their
theory, researchers observed infant responses to a clicking sound.  Typically, the brain responds fully to an
initial click, however the response to a second click immediately following the
first is inhibited.  This trait is often
absent among schizophrenia patients and relates to poor sensory filtering and
familial transmission of schizophrenia risk. 
Researchers observed this effect among infants to represent the illness
as schizophrenia does not normally appear until adolescence.


“Half the
healthy pregnant women in this study took 3,600 milligrams of
phosphatidylcholine each morning and 2,700 milligrams each evening; the other
half took placebo. After delivery, their infants received 100 milligrams of
phosphatidylcholine per day or placebo. Eighty-six percent of infants exposed
to pre- and postnatal choline supplementation, compared to 43% of unexposed
infants, inhibited the response to repeated sounds, as measured with EEG
sensors placed on the baby’s head during sleep.”

These results could not only assist in early detection of schizophrenia,
but may even help in preventing the illness or developing more effective
treatments.

Some examples of choline found in different food sources:

Choline Supplementation DuringPregnancy Presents a New Approach to Schizophrenia Prevention
Choline

Alzheimer’s, Choline, Cirrhosis, Dementia, Depression, Diet, Dietary Supplements, Hepatitis, Infant, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia, Vitamin B

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