David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

The Brain Nutrient You’re Probably Missing

15 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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In this health talk, Dr. David Perlmutter highlights choline as a crucial brain nutrient that many people overlook. He explains that choline is essential for brain development and for synthesizing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is linked to memory and is often deficient in Alzheimer’s disease. He lists primary dietary sources—meat, liver, fish, and eggs—and notes that an egg provides about 145 mg of choline. Perlmutter identifies groups at higher risk of low choline intake, including vegans and anyone on a plant‑based diet, as well as pregnant women whose needs rise to roughly 450–550 mg per day. He advises that a daily intake of 300–500 mg is generally adequate and suggests that those at risk consider supplementation. The overall message urges viewers to assess their diets for choline content to support optimal brain health.

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There's a brain nutrient that many of you have probably not heard of before that actually plays a significant role in how well your brain works, and it's called choline. We get choline from eating meat, from eating liver, fish, and certainly eggs are a good source of choline as well. And it is important not only for brain development and the building of brain material, but also for the formation of a very important neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is seen to be deficient in Alzheimer's disease for that matter, and it is noted that there may be an increased risk of developing cognitive decline if an individual is low in dietary choline. So who's at risk? I would say that certainly vegans, those who are completely on plant-based diet, are at risk for low consumption of choline, and we know that the dietary requirements for pregnant women go way up as it relates to choline as well, to around 450 to 550 milligrams per day. What does that mean? Well, an egg will give you about 145 milligrams of choline. So for those people who are pregnant or who do not, who are vegetarian for example, and do not consume fish, animal proteins, you may be at risk for low choline. You can take a supplement. We do know that if you're consuming around 300, 400, 500 milligrams of choline a day, it's likely adequate, but keep it in mind. Take a look at your diet and see how it relates as it relates to choline.