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| image credit: beechwoodeggs.co.uk |
Choline intake during pregnancy can influence infant metabolism and brain development, according to a series of studies from the University of Illinois. Although the role of choline in neurodevelopment has been studied before in rodents, the new research, done with pigs, has more relevance to humans.
"We know the pig is a good model for humans because they have the same nutrient requirements, similar metabolic function, and also have very similar brain development, following the same growth trajectories," explains Austin Mudd, a doctoral student in the Neuroscience Program at U of I. "The pig is bridging the gap between the mechanistic work we see in rodents and that higher-level cognitive function that they're looking at in humans."
Choline, found in liver, eggs, wheat germ, and other foods, is an essential nutrient in human and animal diets. It's required to make cell membranes, neurotransmitters, and myelin, the fatty sheath surrounding nerve cells. But most adults, including pregnant women, don't consume enough.
"In the U.S., 90 percent of us don't meet our choline requirement," Mudd says. "And the most recent data says pregnant women, who should consume 450 milligrams per day, may not even be reaching 300 milligrams."
"We know the pig is a good model for humans because they have the same nutrient requirements, similar metabolic function, and also have very similar brain development, following the same growth trajectories," explains Austin Mudd, a doctoral student in the Neuroscience Program at U of I. "The pig is bridging the gap between the mechanistic work we see in rodents and that higher-level cognitive function that they're looking at in humans."
Choline, found in liver, eggs, wheat germ, and other foods, is an essential nutrient in human and animal diets. It's required to make cell membranes, neurotransmitters, and myelin, the fatty sheath surrounding nerve cells. But most adults, including pregnant women, don't consume enough.
"In the U.S., 90 percent of us don't meet our choline requirement," Mudd says. "And the most recent data says pregnant women, who should consume 450 milligrams per day, may not even be reaching 300 milligrams."
