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And the UK fails to recommend or monitor choline levels in the diet, warns a nutritionist.
The momentum behind switching to vegetal and vegan diets for the sake of the planet is laudable, but it may worsen an already weak ingestion of an essential nutrient involved in brain health, warns a nutritionist in the online news BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.
To make matters worse, the UK government has not recommended or monitored the dietary levels of this nutrient – choline – that is found primarily in foods of animal origin, said Emma Derbyshire , Nutritional Insight, a consulting company specializing in the fields of nutrition and biomedical sciences.
Choline is an essential dietary nutrient, but the amount produced by the liver is not enough to meet the needs of the human body.
Choline is essential for brain health, especially during the development of the fetus. It also influences liver function, resulting in deficiencies related to irregularities in blood fat metabolism as well as excessive cellular damage caused by free radicals, Dr. Derbyshire writes.
The main sources of dietary choline are found in beef, eggs, dairy products, fish and chicken, while much lower concentrations are found in nuts, beans and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli.
In 1998, recognizing the importance of choline, the US Institute of Medicine recommended minimum daily doses. These range from 425 mg / day for women to 550 mg / day for men, and 450 mg / day and 550 mg / day for pregnant and lactating women, respectively, because of the essential role played by women. Nutrient in the development of the fetus.
In 2016, the European Food Safety Authority issued similar daily requirements. However, national food surveys conducted in North America, Australia and Europe show that average choline intake is on average below these recommendations.
"This is … worrying, given that the current trend seems to be in the reduction of meat and herbal diets," said Dr. Derbyshire.
It commends the first report (EAT-Lancet) on developing a healthy food plan based on the promotion of environmental sustainability, but suggests that the limited intake of whole milk, eggs and animal protein recommendations recommend that it be used for consumption. of choline.
And she does not understand why choline is not included in British dietary recommendations or in national population monitoring data.
"Given the important physiological roles of choline and the authorization of certain health claims, one may wonder why choline has been neglected for so long in the UK," she writes. "Choline is currently excluded from the United Kingdom's food composition databases, major food surveys, and diet recommendations," she adds.
It may be time for the UK's Independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition to reverse this trend, especially as the importance of choline for human health and the growing concern about the sustainability of food production in the UK. planet are increasingly worrying.
"There is still a lot of work to be done to educate health professionals and consumers about the importance of a high-choline diet and how to achieve it," she wrote.
"If choline is not obtained in the amounts needed from dietary sources proper, supplementation strategies will be needed, particularly with respect to key life cycle stages, such as pregnancy, when Choline intakes are essential for infant development, "she concludes.
Reference: "Can we neglect a possible choline crisis in the UK?" By Emma Derbyshire, August 29, 2019, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.
DOI: 10.1136 / bmjnph-2019-000037
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