When expectant mothers consume sufficient amounts of the nutrient choline during pregnancy, their offspring gain enduring cognitive benefits, a new Cornell University study suggests.
Choline, found in egg yolks, lean red meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, and cruciferous vegetables, has many functions, but this study focused on its role in prenatal brain development.
The researchers at Cornell used a rigorous study design to show cognitive benefits in the offspring of pregnant women who daily consumed close to twice the currently recommended amount of choline during their last trimester. The finding is important because choline is in high demand during pregnancy yet most women consume less than the recommended 450 milligrams per day.
Read more at Cornell University.
NIFA supports the research through Hatch funding.
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