Because of a high requirement for Choline in growing fetuses and infants, they also recommended intakes of 450 mg and 550 mg by pregnant and lactating women, respectively. During the 1970s, the average American diet contained about 6,000 mg of Lecithin per day. This translated to about 750 to 800 mg of Choline. Today, diet intakes of these substances are much less because of the trend to cut back on fatty foods such as eggs, organ meats, and other meats. Lecithin is abundant in nerve-cell membranes and is necessary for nerve growth and function.
Choline helps generate methyl groups.
Choline is also considered very important for the developing brain in a fetus or an infant. Both Lecithin and Choline serve other functions in reproduction and development. In laboratory studies, Lecithin has been shown to nearly double the ability of sperm to enter and fertilize an egg. Another Choline phospholipid is involved in implanting the egg in the uterine wall, fetal maturation, and in inducing labor.