How to Get Enough Choline on a Plant Based Diet

How much choline per day?

The ESFU (European Food and Safety Authority) recommends 400mg of choline daily for adults (Link).

Benefits of choline

"Numerous studies confirm a key role for cholinergic nerve transmission in sexual responses. Simply speaking, with too little ACh (acetyl-choline), sexual activity goes down. Increase ACh levels, and sexual activity goes up." (Link).

Eggs are loaded with choline.

For vegetarians and omnivores, free-range egg yolks are very high in choline (roughly 147 mg per egg yolk). Note that 2 eggs also have 374 mg of cholesterol, which is over the daily recommended limit of 300mg for  preventing heart disease, or 200mg for those with heart disease LINK

Which plant based foods have choline?

Most plant foods have choline. Tofu, soy milk, flax seeds, broccoli, beans, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, peanut butter, mushrooms and qunioa are just a few of the vegan foods that are relatively high in choline. 

A smoothie that contains soy milk, a banana, pea protein powder and flax seeds will really help boost your choline for the day: 

According to one source, "Flax seeds and pistachio nuts have 70 to 80 mg per 3-oz serving" (Link).

Another source says, "In 50g of flax seeds (1/3 cup), there is 39mg of choline" (Link). 

"1 cup of soy milk contains ~57mg choline" (Link)

"Even one banana has 11.6 mg of choline" (Link).

"And when it comes to choline, green peas reign supreme, with over 45 mg per one cup cooked—all the more reason to start including them in more dishes" (Link).

A burrito bowl with tofu, black beans and avocado is another great source

1/2 cup of tofu contains ~35mg of choline. 

1 cup of black beans contain 56 mg of choline.

1 avocado contains roughly 25 mg of choline.

Add in broccoli to your dishes for extra choline.

"Choline is present in most green vegetables but most heavily concentrated in broccoli. One cup of cooked broccoli has more than 60 milligrams of choline, which makes it an excellent source for people who avoid meat and dairy products (Link).

Can you have too much choline?

One quite bizarre study reported that, "After 6 weeks of regular choline assumption, the [79 year old] patient showed a pathological increase in libido with sexual urges. As choline was withdrawn, the hypersexuality disappeared within 5 days (Link).