The 4 Best Vegan Choline Supplements In 2026

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Choline is an essential nutrient that plays different important roles in the body, including the maintenance of healthy cell membranes, liver health, and fetal development.

It also appears to be involved in the synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that affects memory and muscle control.

Although it’s rarely the case for a healthy vegan, some groups of people may benefit from taking a choline supplement, namely pregnant women, who need adequate levels of choline for fetal development, and people with liver disease, who may not be able to endogenously produce choline, a process that occurs in the liver, but not in sufficient amounts.

If you want a vegan choline supplement, here are a few options I’d recommend:

In this article, I briefly review each one so that you can decide which one is best for you.

What To Look For In A Choline Supplement

When shopping for a vegan-friendly choline supplement, it’s important to consider several factors:

• Delivery form: As you’re probably aware, supplements have different delivery methods. Capsules, powders, and gummies are among the most popular ones. Capsules and gummies tend to be made with gelatin, so you must go with options that don’t contain this ingredient.
• Choline form: There isn’t much research to assess which forms of choline are more effective, but some may have certain uses. CDP-choline, or citicoline, appears to have an effect in terms of improving the ability to think. ^[1]
• Dose: The amount of choline you should take in supplement form may vary based on the type of choline in the supplement, as well as other factors such as your age, sex, and diet. It’s important to contact a healthcare provider to know if you need a choline supplement and how high the dose should be.
• Quality and brand reputation: Since supplements are not regulated by the FDA, it’s important to pick a reputable brand that has been tested by an independent third party to ensure the product is safe and effective.

The 4 Best Vegan Choline Supplements

Nested Naturals Choline Bitartrate

Nested Naturals is a supplement brand that focuses purely on creating plant-based formulas that complement the vegan diet.

This formula contains a 500 milligrams (mg) daily dose of choline birthrate which represents 90% of the DV for choline, making it a good complement to a prenatal supplement that may be lacking choline.

It is vegan-certified, third-party tested for safety and potency, and it is manufactured in an NSF-certified CGMP facility.

For me, the only downside to this supplement is that you need to take 2 capsules per serving, which isn’t convenient, particularly if you’re already taking other supplements (i.e. vitamin B12 or vitamin D).

Solgar Choline Bitartrate

Solgar has been around for 70 years as the gold standard for vitamins and supplements, following a small-batch approach to manufacturing with responsibly sourced ingredients.

This formula comes with 350 milligrams (mg) of choline per serving, which is 64% of the daily value (DV), a solid dose for those with relatively lower choline needs.

Solgar completely avoids the use of artificial ingredients or fillers, and they also use a recyclable amber glass bottle that protects its contents against heat, light, and moisture.

Additionally, it comes with a generous number of servings (100 servings) which is more than the previous choline supplement and many other alternatives.

Natural Stacks Alpha GPC Choline

According to Natural Stacks, their choline supplement can provide you with mental clarity by promoting the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital for mental processing.

It comes with additional ingredients such as thiamin, pantothenic acid, white peony root extract, and l-carnitine, all-natural compounds that play a role in acetylcholine formation.

However, the downside to this formula is that it only comes with 20 servings per bottle, making it quite an expensive product at the current price.

Furthermore, if you’re a conscientious vegan who takes vital supplements like vitamin B12 and Vitamin D, you probably don’t want to have to take an extra three capsules of choline, which is the amount required for one serving of this supplement.

Zazzee CDP Choline

Zazzee comes with 120 servings per bottle with each serving containing 300 milligrams (mg) of citicoline, a compound also known as cytidine diphosphate-choline, which may have additional neuroprotective and nootropic effects.

As referenced by certain epidemiological studies, CDP-choline or citicoline may improve cognitive performance, which makes it an alternative to common choline supplements.

Zazzee also manufactures its supplement in the USA, and they conduct individual third-party testing to ensure their products are safe and effective.

Each bottle is equal to a 4-month supply, which is a lot more generous than most choline supplements— and on top of that, it’s also more affordable than most if you account for the price per serving.

What Is Choline?

Choline is a water-soluble vitamin and essential nutrient that can be found in a variety of foods. It is involved in several important physiological processes in the body, including supporting liver function, as well as maintaining a healthy brain and nerve function. It also plays a role in muscle contractions. ^[2][3][4]

While choline is primarily found in animal foods, vegans can obtain choline from plant-based sources such as soybeans, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. In general, most people are able to get enough choline from their diet, so it’s usually not necessary to take a choline supplement. 

However, certain groups of people, namely pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions, may be at a higher risk of choline deficiency and may benefit from a choline supplement. For this reason, It’s important to speak to a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement to determine if it’s right for you and the appropriate dosage.

How Much Choline Do You Need?

Unfortunately, there’s currently not enough evidence establishing a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for choline.

However, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has established Adequate Intake (AI) levels for all ages and adequate for individual health. ^[5]

Age Group	Recommended Intake (mg/day)
0-6 months	125-150
7-12 months	150-200
1-3 years	200
4-8 years	250
9-13 years	375
14-18 years (male)	550
14-18 years (female)	400-450
19+ years (male)	550
19+ years (female)	425-450
Pregnancy	450-550
Breastfeeding	550-650

On the other hand, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created a Daily Value (DA) for choline to be used on food and supplement packaging.

The current DV for choline is 550 milligrams (mg) for all people over the age of 4.

Given the lack of unanimity, it’s even more important to determine the optimal amount of choline that is specific to your current health needs. This can be done by contacting a healthcare provider about how much choline you should be getting through diet or supplements.

Who Can Benefit From A Choline Supplement?

As I’ve briefly mentioned, any healthy adult can meet their choline needs through diet alone. Choline supplementation may only be required for certain individuals that may be more likely to experience choline deficiency.

Some research suggests that the following people may benefit from choline supplementation ^[6][7][8]:

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women
• Endurance athletes
• People with certain genetic variations

If you’re among the people in the following group, discuss supplement use with a trusted healthcare provider to ensure you’re actually getting the best advice.

Is It Safe To Take A Choline Supplement?

As it transpires with many nutrients, you have to be mindful about not consuming choline in excess— something the Institute of Medicine denominated as the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of choline.

This is essentially the maximum amount of choline that can be consumed daily without adverse effects.

Here is a table showing the UL for choline adjusted for different age groups:

Age Group	Tolerable Upper Intake Level (mg/day)
1-8 years	1000
9-13 years	2000
14-18 years	3000
19+ years	3500
Pregnancy	3500
Lactation	3500

People that exceed the UL for choline may experience several symptoms, including:

• liver toxicity
• vomiting
• low blood pressure
• excessive sweating and salivation
• fishy body odor

This is why I reinforce the importance of consulting a healthcare provider to determine the right dose and type of choline for your individual needs.

Conclusion

Choline is an essential nutrient that is vital for the liver, brain, and nerve health, and it plays an even more important role in fetal brain development.

Since choline is present in various foods, most people meet their choline needs, including vegans as it’s present in soybeans, lentils, quinoa, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and even peanuts.

Taking a choline supplement is generally only recommended if you’re not getting enough choline in your diet, or in some cases if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, as your choline needs increase. A medical condition may also warrant that you take a choline supplement, but that is usually followed by your doctor’s advice.

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Medical Disclaimer: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.

References: 

1. Synoradzki K, Grieb P. Citicoline: A Superior Form of Choline? Nutrients. 2019.

2. Wallace TC, Blusztajn JK, Caudill MA, et al. Choline: The Underconsumed and Underappreciated Essential Nutrient. Nutr Today. 2018.

3. Wallace TC, Blusztajn JK, Caudill MA, Klatt KC, Zeisel SH. Choline: The Neurocognitive Essential Nutrient of Interest to Obstetricians and Gynecologists. J Diet Suppl. 2020.

4. López-Sobaler AM, Lorenzo Mora AM, Salas González MªD, Peral Suárez Á, Aparicio A, Ortega RMª. Importancia de la colina en la función cognitiva [Importance of choline in cognitive function]. Nutr Hosp. 2021.

5. Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes and its Panel on Folate, Other B Vitamins, and Choline. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B₆, Folate, Vitamin B₁₂, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1998.

6. Irvine N, England-Mason G, Field CJ, Dewey D, Aghajafari F. Prenatal Folate and Choline Levels and Brain and Cognitive Development in Children: A Critical Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2022.

7. Gage M, Phillips K, Noh B, Yoon T. Choline-Based Multi-Ingredient Supplementation Can Improve Explosive Strength during a Fatiguing Task. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11400. Published 2021 Oct.

8. Ganz AB, Klatt KC, Caudill MA. Common Genetic Variants Alter Metabolism and Influence Dietary Choline Requirements. Nutrients. 2017 Aug.