NU FS305 Study Guide - Final Guide: Body Odor, Choline, Iodine

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Nutrition and Food Sciences
• Course: NU FS305
• Professor: Donna Vine

Document Summary

This is a nitrogen-containing compound that can either be synthesized from methionine or obtained from foods such as milk, eggs, coffee and peanuts. For men the ai is 550 mg/day and women it is 425 mg/day. The upper limit is set at 3500 mg/day. Toxicity leads to symptoms such as body odor, sweating, liver damage and low bp. A genetic disorder can be the cause of deficiency because choline is a precursor to trimethylamine and symptoms include as strong fishy body odor. It functions as an emulsifier when added to foods; it also makes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and synthesizes phosphatidylcholine (pc), which is the main membrane lipid. This phospholipid is important to brain development and learning. This mineral is also important to fetal development in supporting the development of the brain and spinal cord. First, it is taken up by an active transport mechanism and then pc is hydrolyzed by phospholipase and incorporated into the micelles.