These days we are told that what’s good for the plant is normally good for us, (as Hermetic teaching would suggest “As above, so below, as within so without”. This would suggest for the planet a greater density of plant life is desirable, and for our internal environment a greater level of plant-based foods in our diets, helps to keep our all-important mitochondrial & thus biophoton function working optimally, enabling an ability to hold and convert light into energy (ATP), which we believe to be the true meaning of enlightened.
There is a strengthening movement towards a vegan or plant-based diet, with a reported quadrupling in the levels of veganism between 2012 and 2017. According to research carried out by The Oxford Martin School researchers shows, a global switch that rely less on animal products and more on fruit and vegetables could save eight million human lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds and would result in an estimated healthcare-related saving of 1.5 trillion dollars.
As we grapple with the growing need to optimise our own inner cellular environment, it’s worth noting that a recently published article in the British Medical Journal has suggested that this trend could have some serious longer-term consequences for our health. According to Dr Emma Derbyshire, the growing adoption of plant-based diets means that a large portion of the population could be missing out on an important nutrient known as ‘choline’.
Helping to support our brain health, choline is an essential dietary component that’s found in animal-based foods, and by adopting a meat-free menu, many individuals are now at risk of becoming deficient.
The importance of choline
Found in foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy. Phosphatidylcholines are a class of phospholipids that incorporate choline as a head group and appear in every cell of our bodies. Contributing to the healthy functioning of the brain and the nervous system, choline is essential for regulating memory, mood, and muscle control, meaning that this vitamin-like nutrient plays an important role in the body.
While a small amount of choline is produced by our livers, the majority comes from the food we consume, with animal-based sources often being the biggest contributors, performing the additional functions of liver support and helping to form the membranes that surround our body’s cells, it is essential that we get enough of it. The best sources of choline are raw liver, or eggs, although less abundant, for vegans and plant-based diets one could consider sources like lentils, and vegetable sources from cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli, or one could consider a lecithin supplement which has a concentrated source of phosphatidyl choline, ideally from a sunflower source, rather than the more common soya source. Despite this, experts reveal that its importance is often overlooked by government bodies and organisations, meaning that many do not understand the significance of including it in their diets.
EFSA advice
While the UK government has been slow to recognise the vital role of choline in supporting a healthy body, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has not, and has gone to great lengths to establish dietary reference values. Using these as a baseline, the average adult is recommended to have a daily intake of at least 400 milligrams per day.
However, Dr Derbyshire, an expert in the field, warns that the current trend toward vegetarianism and veganism places this in jeopardy. With foods such as whole milk, eggs, and animal protein not featuring in these plant-based diets, she notes that choline intake is significantly reduced – a topic which requires further study in order to fully understand its impact on long-term health.
Her report emphasises the need for additional research within the UK, which does not currently include choline in its food composition databases, nutrition surveys, or official recommendations.
This would help to place the UK on an equal footing with Australia, which has recently expanded its AUSNUT 2011-13 database to include the nutrient’s values – a step in the right direction in the eyes of Dr. Derbyshire.
Indeed, given the important physiological roles of choline, and statistics which indicate that less than 10 percent of the population achieves adequate choline consumption, it is questionable why it has been overlooked for so long already.
The McCance and Widdowson database
Dr Derbyshire suggests that the UK could follow a similar plan of action to Australia by expanding data stats such as the McCance and Widdowson database, which was last updated this year, but without the inclusion of choline.
She posits that this information could easily be embedded alongside similar B vitamins, such as folate, in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, in order to help quantify how much of it the average Brit is actually consuming – a subject which is particularly pertinent given the growing trend toward plant-based diets.
As well as a series of recommendations on how data should be collected and collated, Dr Derbyshire also stresses the importance of education on the topic, for both healthcare professionals and consumers. Warning that supplementation strategies must be considered if the levels required are not provided from dietary sources alone, she urges that the only way to avoid a potential crisis is to be proactive and act now.
With choline performing such a fundamental role in supporting our health, we believe that it’s essential to know when we’re not getting enough and how to redress this. To find out more, why not contact Conella today for further information on how you can maintain a healthy and nutritionally complete diet with a little bit of help from us?
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