Choline, Its Potential Role in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Jan 2016 ... Australian Professors
In this paper, they seem to suggest low choline may be a factor in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The mention a few possible reasons for low choline, and this paper's purpose seems to be to include the notion that bacteria in the gut is altering choline in the diet to (amongst other thins) trimethylamine, and thus leaving little choline for absorption to the bloodstream and to the liver. This would mean the person would be choline deficient even if taking plenty of choline in their diet. The paper is possibly also inspired by the Cleveland TMA-CVD research, which has put a spotlight on TMA in the gut, choline, and a possible link to CVD.
I can only see the abstract, so am guessing at the content. It looks like it may be an overview, rather than new research. And putting a hypothesis forward for others to take on.
My Comment on the paper :
Low Choline and TMAU even when taking choline in diet
I have for a while suspected that people with TMAU will naturally be choline deficient even before a low choline diet, as the choline in their diet would be altered by gut bacteria before the choline was absorbed to the bloodstream. I think people with TMAU should get their choline status checked, and that the group should compare, to see if this is the case. Choline is quite an important nutrient, and has an association with liver and brain health in particular. In respected 'liver tonics' I have used, choline is often the main ingredient. I believe it is meant to act as a 'decongestant' to the fat in the liver. Perhaps there may even be some way to take it sub lingually.
DMB pill and choline blood status:
For those who have been following, it seems likely that Proctor & Gamble will issue a DMB pill in the future, which will block choline being degraded to TMA in the gut. This should also mean choline in the diet will not be lost to the bacteria, and the person will get normal levels of choline into the bloodstream.
My suggested actions :
Get choline status tested (choline plasma test ?)
As a group. look at possible ways to get choline plasma levels to normal (if they are not)
Look out for the future DMB pill which will stop choline in the gut being degraded to TMA.
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