Though your body produces small amounts of choline -- an essential nutrient involved in transferring signals through your brain -- you also need to consume choline as part of your daily diet. Most adults get the recommended 425 to 550 mg of choline each day by eating choline-rich foods, such as beef, eggs and broccoli, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports. Your physician may recommend the addition of a choline supplement to your diet if you have low levels of this nutrient in your body; however, certain people should not take high doses of choline. Talk with your physician about choline contraindications before using the type of supplement.
Kidney or Liver Disease
The tolerable upper intake level for choline was set at 3.5 g per day by the Food and Nutrition Board. Taking less than 3.5 g of choline each day is generally safe and is not contraindicated for any specific population. If you have kidney or liver disease, you should not consume more than the specified tolerable upper intake level for choline. Excessive consumption of this nutrient by people with kidney or liver disease may significantly elevate the risk of developing adverse side effects.
Depression
Depression is a mental health condition believed to be caused by an imbalance of specific chemicals in the brain. Treatment with choline supplements may further alter the chemical components of your brain, which may exacerbate symptoms of depression. As such, choline supplementation should be avoided by people suffering from depression unless otherwise recommended by a medical professional.
Parkinson's Disease
Like depression, Parkinson's disease is the result of imbalances in specific brain chemicals. This central nervous system disease occurs when the brain loses cells that produce the neurochemical dopamine. People who have this disease should not use choline supplements, Flora Health Supplement Encyclopedia reports. Improper use of choline supplements by people with Parkinson's disease may result in severe adverse effects, such worsened disease symptoms, liver toxicity and low blood pressure.
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