Choline May Help Cystic Fibrosis Patients

VANCOUVERA 14-day intervention found dietary supplementation with choline-relatedcompounds improves a low S-adenosylmethionine to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAM:SAH) and glutathione balancein juvenile Cystic Fibrosis patients. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, randomly assigned children with CF to one of three treatment groupsthe first received 2 g/d lecithin; the second received 2 g/d choline; and the third received 2 g/d choline. The control group was healthy children without CF. Researchers then evaluated plasma homocysteine levels in each group by measuring methionine, adenosine, cysteine, cysteinyl-glycine, glutathione, glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and fatty acids, in addition to testing for SAM:SAH, and red blood cell phospholipid concentrations. They found supplementation with lecithin,choline, or betaine resulted in a significant increase in plasmamethionine, SAM, SAM:SAH and glutathione:GSSG, and a decreasein SAH. These positive upward swings in the SAM:SAH ratio and methionine levels led researchers to conclude choline and related supplements could benefit juvenile cystic fibrosis patients. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (85, 3, 702-708, 2007).