nutrient
Choline
Choline is an essential nutrient used in cell membranes, methyl-group transfer and acetylcholine production.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Food contains free choline and choline compounds such as phosphatidylcholine; the body can make some choline but dietary supply remains important.
Food sources
Per 100 g| Food | Per 100 g | Daily reference |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018) | 90.5 mg | 22.63% |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 78.5 mg | 19.63% |
| Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018) | 75 mg | 18.75% |
| Almonds, dry-roasted and salted | 60.8 mg | 15.2% |
| Hummus, commercial | 46.6 mg | 11.65% |
Show 5 more foods
| Food | Per 100 g | Daily reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018) | 32.7 mg | 8.18% |
| Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 19.3 mg | 4.83% |
| Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified | 17.4 mg | 4.35% |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 15.1 mg | 3.78% |
| Grape tomatoes, raw | 9.8 mg | 2.45% |
Compared with EFSA’s adult reference of 400 mg/day.
About these amounts
These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.
Healthy European adults; pregnancy and lactation have separate values. Adequate intake: 400 mg/day. These are population references, not individual targets.
Portions recorded by the source
- Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 82.08 mg, 20.52% of the daily reference.
- Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 15.8 mg, 3.95% of the daily reference.
- Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 42.8 mg, 10.7% of the daily reference.
- Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 23.56 mg, 5.89% of the daily reference.
The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.
How it works
Membranes and chemical messages
Choline is used to make phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, major membrane phospholipids. It also contributes to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, and to methyl-group metabolism.
Worth knowing
EFSA adult adequate intake. EFSA proposes an adequate intake of 400 mg/day for adults. It uses an adequate-intake category because an average requirement and population reference intake could not be derived.
A closer look
Food forms differ
Choline occurs in free and esterified forms, and these forms are handled differently during digestion and absorption.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Dietary Reference Values for cholineChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Choline: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central Foundation Foods, April 2026 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central SR Legacy, April 2018 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
Take it into the kitchen
Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.
Tomato pepper egg bean pan · 25 min →
Lentil egg breakfast bowl · 20 min →
Egg mushroom brown rice · 20 min →
Compare meals by choline →