Vegans could be lacking crucial nutrient for brain health, warns expert

Vegans and vegetarians could be missing out on an important nutrient that is crucial for brain health, an expert has warned.

Choline is important for memory, mood, muscle control and may even fend off mental decline in later life.

But the body does not produce enough in the liver to meet daily requirements and the best dietary sources are beef, eggs, dairy products, pork, chicken and salmon.

Writing in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, nutritional consultant Dr Emma Derbyshire, warned that many people already do not meet daily recommendations and the increasing rise of plant-based diets could make the problem worse.

“ Physiologically, choline is critical for a number of functions across the life cycle, with choline deficiency being linked to liver disease, offspring cognitive function and potential neurological disorders,” she said.

“The mounting evidence of choline’s importance makes it essential that it does not continue to be overlooked in the UK.

“This is now more important than ever given that accelerated food trends towards plant-based diets/ veganism could have further ramifications on choline intake/status.

“Government bodies and organisations should look to extended datasets to include this essential nutrient.”

Choline plays a critical role in many basic biological functions, such as keeping cell walls intact. It also speeds up the creation and release of a protein called acetylcholine which carries signals between brain cells.

The brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease have been found to have low levels of acetylcholine and drugs used to treat early stages of the disease work by boosting levels of the protein.

Research by Harvard University has found that people whose diets include a lot of choline do better on memory and cognitive tests and have healthier brain tissue.

In 2016, The European Food Safety Authority published dietary guidelines suggesting a daily intake of 400mg of choline for adults, and over 15s, and 480mg for pregnant women. However the average intake for Europeans is currently below that level.

Dr Derbyshire, of the dietary consultancy Nutritional Insight, based in Surrey, is now calling on the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SCAN) to add choline into UK dietary guidance and national population monitoring data.

Choline can also be found in nuts, beans, and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, but in much lower levels than meat and dairy products.

However Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, at King's College London, said it is possible to gain enough choline from other foods.

“Choline can be made in the body and it is also abundant in many plant foods including soybeans,” he said.

“There is no justification for suggesting that plant based diet risk damaging brain development. My own research on vegans and those of others in Europe and USA find the growth and development of vegans and vegetarians is normal.

“The main hazard of a vegan diet with regard to neurological development is vitamin B12 deficiency which can readily be avoided by consuming food fortified with the vitamin derived from microbial sources.”

Although choline can be taken as a supplement, too much of the protein can cause low blood pressure, sweating and excess saliva.