Like all nutrients necessary for our well-being, choline - useful for the brain and liver function - must also be guaranteed in a vegan diet.
So more or less thunders yet another investigation into vegan eating styles: a diet without products of animal origin may not benefit the health of our brain due to the scarcity of a fundamental element, choline. But everything is, experts say, to to plan and to balance nutrients for the best.
This is what nutritionist Emma Derbyshire, specializing in biomedical sciences, says, who illustrated the risks of the vegan diet to the British medical journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.
People on vegan or plant-based diets should make sure they are maintaining a decent level of a key nutrient for the brain and important for liver function: hill, often also called vitamin J, which helps transfer signals between nerve cells.
Eggs, cow's milk and beef are the main sources. But it is also present in foods including:
- Roasted soy nuts
- Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts
- beans
- Mushrooms
- Quinoa Salad
- Peanuts
Choline is a molecule similar to B vitamins which is synthesized by the liver and which acts as a coenzyme in many metabolic reactions. It is used to keep blood cholesterol levels under control and to safeguard the liver and in addition it plays a fundamental role in the good functioning of the nervous system, so much so that it is recommended in cases of depression, memory loss, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, Tourette's syndrome, cerebellar ataxia, bipolar disorder and some forms of seizures and schizophrenia.
The most important thing? We know that there can be many health benefits to following a more plant-based diet, but it remains vital to have a plan and provide our bodies with all the necessary nutrients. Just like iron, B12, omega-3s, and calcium, people on a plant-based diet need to make sure they are getting enough choline in their diet as well.
Read also:
- How many emissions could be cut if you switched to a vegan diet?
- Eating healthy is also good for the environment. Here is the research that confirms it
- The vegan diet is good for the environment: it impacts 4,5 less than the omnivorous one
Germana Carillo
