Choline is a nutrient derived from the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine (lecithin). A number of foods including eggs are a good source of choline. Choline is able to affect brain function and this may result from the ability of choline to alter levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine as well as second messenger systems. Choline has been suggested to be effective against rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. In one study, patients received 2 to 4 grams choline as choline bitartrate initially, then this was increased to 3 to 8 grams subsequently. Five of the six patients who took the choline experienced significant reductions in their symptoms of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and these patients also experienced increases in the choline content of their basal ganglia. These results suggest that choline is well tolerated and is an effective treatment for bipolar disorder. The authors suggested that interaction between phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine second-messenger systems may have lead to patient improvements.
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