Choline doesn’t get nearly the attention folate or vitamin B12 do, despite playing a similar role in brain health. Two separate long-running studies have now linked low choline intake to a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease — and most American adults don’t get enough of it.
Key Takeaways
- Choline is a nutrient found in eggs, meat, fish, and dairy that supports brain cell structure and the production of a key neurotransmitter involved in memory.
- The Framingham Heart Study, following over 3,200 people for an average of 16 years, found that low choline intake was significantly linked to a higher risk of both dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- A separate, more recent study of adults averaging 81 years old found the lowest Alzheimer’s risk at a choline intake of about 350 mg per day, with intake above that threshold linked to a 51% lower rate of Alzheimer’s diagnosis compared to the lowest intake group.
- Most American adults fall short of recommended choline intake, particularly women, for whom the recommended adequate intake is 425 mg per day (550 mg for men).
What the Framingham Heart Study Actually Found
Researchers analyzed dietary data from 3,224 participants in the Framingham Offspring Cohort, tracking them for an average of 16 years between 1991 and 2011, during which 247 people developed dementia, 177 of them Alzheimer’s specifically. After adjusting for other factors like age, education, and cardiovascular risk, low choline intake — defined in this study as 219 mg per day or below for dementia risk, and 215 mg per day or below for Alzheimer’s risk — was significantly associated with a higher risk of both conditions. The researchers found the lowest probability of developing dementia at a choline intake around 371 mg per day, and the lowest probability of Alzheimer’s specifically at around 385 mg per day.
A Second, More Recent Study Found a Similar Pattern
A separate study, published in 2025 by researchers including those from George Washington University and Tufts University, looked at a different group entirely: 991 older adults with a mean age of 81.4, enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project in Chicago, followed for an average of nearly 8 years. This study is the actual source of the frequently cited “350 mg per day” figure — its statistical modeling identified that specific intake level as the point of lowest Alzheimer’s risk. Compared to the lowest choline intake group, people consuming more than 350 mg per day had a 51% lower rate of Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The pattern held regardless of participants’ APOE ε4 geneti