What Is Phosphocholine & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Phosphocholine is a member of the Choline family, it belongs to the choline phospholipids.

Phosphocholine is a complex essential nutrient involved in several diverse body functions.

Phosphocholine is made in the liver from a dietary source.

Phosphocholine is found in foods like egg yolks, fish, milk, and meats.

It is a precursor to choline, which is an important nutrient that is used in many vital functions of the body.

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Phosphocholine Phosphate

Phosphocholine is a water-soluble nutrient. (source )

It is an essential component of both animal and bacterial membranes.

Phosphocholine is a phosphate of choline. Choline is a source of methyl groups needed in metabolism. (source )

Phosphocholine has many tasks

Phosphocholine is a major component of the bacterial cell wall and is considered to be an essential component of the cell envelope.

Phosphocholine is involved in several essential cellular functions including regulation of membrane fluidity, pH, and the transport of small molecules such as fatty acids and ions.

Phosphocholine in foods

Naturally occurring phosphocholine can be obtained from food sources like meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk, and vegetable oil.

It can also be synthesized from other choline-rich foods.

Different Cholines

There are several different cholines.

But the most common sources of choline in foods are phosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, glycerophosphocholine, and free choline. (source )

Cholines in the body help, for instance, to maintain the balance of water and electrolytes.

Phosphocholine In The Body

It appears that phosphocholine inhibits the uptake of other cholines competitively. (source )

Phosphocholine is absorbed in the small intestine and then stored in the liver. (source )

Phosphocholine in the body help with signal transduction, bone health, and the immune system.

Uses Of Phosphocholine

The synthesis of phosphocholine derivatives has been investigated extensively.

Among the phosphocholine derivatives, phosphocholine esters have been used as surfactants and various pharmaceuticals.

Phosphocholine esters are also known to possess a variety of biological activities, including antitumor activity, and antibacterial activity, and have been reported to be used as prodrugs.

(Prodrugs are molecules with little or no pharmacological activity that are converted to the active parent drug.)

Benefits Of Phosphocholine

The addition of phosphocholine to the diet is believed to improve growth performance, and increased the concentrations of both choline and phosphocholine in the liver, muscles, and brain.

Phosphocholine is also a constituent of the central nervous system. It is an essential component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Phosphocholine is beneficial for a wide variety of health conditions, including a reduction in liver steatosis, improved immune function, and improved cholesterol metabolism.

Phosphocholine As Supplements

Phosphocholine as a supplement is believed to have some beneficial effects.

People with low folate levels may need more choline.

Phosphocholine as a supplement is popular in the fitness community and among bodybuilders to grow muscle mass.

But it is also popular in the fight against aging.

Foods You Can Find Phosphocholine In

You find Phosphocholine mostly in dairy, egg, nuts, seeds, beef, sausage and luncheon meat.

Examples of food sources include

Foods in our nutrition tool

You can find regularly updated top-ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most Phosphocholine, we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top-ranked list of foods that contain Phosphocholine.

Sara Niemelä

co-founder Care Omnia, Head Content Creator

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Nutrition is my passion. I've spent thousands upon thousands of hours reading, analyzing, categorizing and comparing research studies.

I’m a wife and a mother of three. I enjoy the outdoors, cooking, and spending time with my family.