Choline bitartrate is a supplemental form of the nutrient choline. Your body needs choline for a variety of vital functions, including the transmission of signals in your nervous system and maintenance of the structures of your cell walls. However, apart from treatment of choline deficiencies, there is no clear evidence that you will benefit from choline bitartrate or any other supplemental choline product.
Choline bitartrate is made by combining choline with a specific form of salt, the Linus Pauling Institute reports. You can also purchase choline supplements labeled as choline chloride, which contain a different salt. In addition, you can purchase supplements that contain phosphatidylcholine. Be aware that phosphatidylcholine supplements labeled as lecithin may actually contain as little as 20 percent of the nutrient or as much as 90 percent. You may receive choline supplements in forms that include powders, tablets and capsules.
Choline bitartrate and other choline supplements have been proposed as a treatment for a number of medical conditions, Brigham & Women’s Hospital explains, including Tourette’s syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, liver scarring or cirrhosis, fatty liver, presenile dementia and Huntington’s chorea. You may also receive choline to enhance athletic performance, or to treat additional conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and mood swings. However, Brigham & Women’s notes, none of these uses are currently verified by controlled studies or other verifiable forms of scientific evidence.
Choline bitartrate helps prevent fats from accumulating in the liver and is essential for its health, and also the health of the kidneys. Choline is involved in fat metabolism and in the transport of fats from the liver.
