On the level I admit that I get a bit of a rush every time the so-called health "experts" are forced to eat a little crow. Of course, it doesn't happen as much as it probably should, since they don't admit their mistakes very often. So when it does, you know it must be important. Which is why you need to know about the latest admission: that the current recommended intake levels of choline are too low. I'm sure there are a few of you who didn't know there even was a recommended intake level. But there is and the fact that it may not be adequate can cause some serious damage to your system. Right now, the recommendations are 550 milligrams of choline per day for men and 425 milligrams per day for women. But when researchers at Penn State gave 57 subjects diets containing these levels for 10 days, then decreased the level to just 50 milligrams per day for another 40 days, they found that 77 percent of the men and 80 percent of the women showed signs of fatty liver or muscle damage. When they increased the subjects' choline intake again, these problems subsided. But some of the participants needed as much as 825 milligrams a day to reverse the damage and prevent more from occurring. That's nearly double the current recommendation. If you're not sure how much choline you're getting, it's time to find out and adjust accordingly. The primary food sources of this nutrient are eggs (200-300 mg), beef liver (150 mg/oz.), pork 30 mg/oz.), and wheat germ (21 mg/Tbsp). Choline supplements are also available in most natural food and vitamin stores. Sources:
"Choline recommendations may be too low, study," NutraIngredients(www.nutraingredients.com), 6/7/07 "Sex and menopausal status influence human dietary requirements for the nutrient choline," The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007; 85(5): 1,275-1,285 | 
