Eggs are a natural way for women to meet their needs for choline–a key nutrient for baby’s brain

Canadian researchers have found that pregnant and breastfeeding women who eat eggs are more likely to meet their needs for choline, an essential nutrient that benefits the baby’s brain.¹

This is important because during a baby’s development, choline affects areas of the brain responsible for memory and learning.² Some evidence suggests that choline may also play a role in the proper formation of the neural tube, much like folic acid, although more research is needed to better understand this role.³

Researchers found pregnant women who consumed at least one egg in a 24-hour period were eight times more likely to meet the recommendation for choline, compared to those who did not consume eggs.¹ Higher milk intakes also had a positive, but smaller, impact on women’s choline intakes. The authors of this study concluded that eating eggs and milk can help women meet the daily recommendations for choline. Eggs are recognized by experts as a concentrated source of choline and contain much more choline than other common food sources (see the table below). Choline is found in the egg yolk, and women can meet 75% of their daily needs for choline by eating two eggs, which is the amount considered a serving by Canada’s Food Guide.

Choline content of some common food sources

Food (Canada’s Food Guide Serving)	Choline (mg)
Eggs (2 large, hard boiled)	410
Pork loin (75 g, broiled)	74
Chicken breast (75 g, roasted)	64
Halibut (75 g, baked)	56
Milk (250 mL / 1 cup, 1%)	46
Spinach (125 mL / 1/2 cup, boiled)	19

Research completed in 2023 found that, while most women now meet the recommended intake for folate, only 24.8% of women met the recommended choline intake, consistent with findings from previous studies.⁴    

Canada’s Dietary Guidelines highlight choline as a nutrient of interest during pregnancy and breastfeeding, due to the increased need and typically low intake from food sources.⁵ Health Canada recommends 425 mg of choline per day for women (19 years and older), as well as higher intakes of 450 mg during pregnancy and 550 mg while breastfeeding.⁶

Given a quarter of Canadian women aren’t meeting the recommended choline intake, it appears that few women are aware of this nutrient and the role it plays in baby’s brain development. This may in part be explained by the fact that choline was only formally recognized as an essential nutrient by Health Canada and the U.S. Institute of Medicine in 1998.⁷

Food sources of choline, like eggs, are especially important because few prenatal supplements currently contain choline, and our bodies do not produce adequate amounts to meet our needs. ⁷ Experts who recognize the important role choline plays in baby’s brain development suggest this deserves greater attention.

Eggs are a natural, convenient and versatile choice for women, providing 13 essential nutrients that are especially important during childbearing years, including choline, folate, vitamin B12, protein and iron. Enjoying eggs as part of a healthy eating pattern is a simple way for women to meet their choline requirements. Learn more about the nutrients in eggs.

¹ Lewis ED et al. Estimation of choline intake from 24 h dietary intake recalls and contribution of egg and milk consumption to intake among pregnant and breastfeeding women in Alberta. British Journal of Nutrition 2014; 112(1):112-21.

² Zeisel SH. Choline: Critical role during fetal development and dietary requirements in adults. Annual Review of Nutrition 2006; 26:229-50.

³ Obeid, R., Derbyshire, E., & Schön, C. (2022). Association between Maternal Choline, Fetal Brain Development, and Child Neurocognition: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Studies. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 13(6), 2445–2457. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac082

⁴ Wiedeman, A. M., Miliku, K., Moraes, T. J., Mandhane, P. J., Simons, E., Subbarao, P., Turvey, S. E., Zwicker, J. G., & Devlin, A. M. (2024). Women in Canada are consuming above the upper intake level of folic acid but few are meeting dietary choline recommendations in the second trimester of pregnancy: data from the CHILD cohort study. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 49(6). https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2023-0258

⁵ Health Canada. (2023). Nutrition considerations during pregnancy and support for breastfeeding.  https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/applying-guidelines/nutrition-considerations-during-pregnancy-support-breastfeeding/

⁶ Health Canada. (2023). Dietary reference intake tables: Reference values for vitamins. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/dietary-reference-intakes/tables/reference-values-vitamins.html#tbl3

⁷ Institute of Medicine (1998). Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Food and Nutrition Board.

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