Best Choline Supplement

You might be diligently tracking your nutrition, exercising regularly, and even taking a multivitamin — yet still fall short on one crucial nutrient: choline. This essential compound supports brain health, muscle function, and liver metabolism.1

Despite its importance, nearly 90% of Americans don’t get enough choline from food alone.2 The shortfall is especially concerning during pregnancy, when higher choline needs support fetal brain development.3

But deficiency isn’t the only reason people turn to choline supplements. Research suggests that certain forms of choline may enhance focus, improve endurance, and promote long-term cognitive resilience. Different forms appear to support different goals — something we’ll explore in detail later in this guide.

In the sections ahead, we’ll explain what choline is, review the science behind its benefits, and compare the best supplements for various needs. If you’re short on time, you can skip down to our top recommendations; otherwise, read on for the details behind our selection process.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

At Innerbody, we thoroughly evaluate every product and service we review, including the choline supplements in this guide. Our team has spent more than 1,000 hours examining choline and related nutrients, as well as reviewing dozens of scientific studies on how different forms of choline affect cognition, athletic performance, and overall health.

In addition to this research, we investigated the top choline supplements on the market, determining which were the best compared to available scientific research and, ultimately, taking on the role of a customer to purchase and try them for ourselves. Given choline’s performance in the literature, Innerbody Labs chose to include a potent form of choline in its Focus Support nootropic supplement, which we’ll also discuss in this guide.

As with all health-related content on our site, this guide was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy and will continue to be updated as new research and products emerge.

Identifying the market's best choline involved assessing brands on factors that normally influence consumer choices:

• Effectiveness
• Safety
• Cost
• Convenience

In the following sections, we explain how we chose the winner in each category.

Effectiveness

Advantage: Bestvite Cognizin Citicoline 500mg

Choosing the most effective choline supplement is tricky. Unlike some nutrients with one primary use, choline has multiple forms and a wide range of applications. Some forms have strong clinical evidence for brain health, others shine in prenatal nutrition or liver support, and some are best suited for filling a basic dietary gap. That means the “most effective” choline supplement for one person may not be the best choice for another.

Here’s how the evidence stacks up when we look at effectiveness by goal:

• Cognitive performance: Citicoline and alpha-glycerophosphocholine (alpha-GPC) are choline compounds that appear to cross the blood–brain barrier and support acetylcholine, which is critical for brain function.4 5 6 Citicoline has the strongest trial evidence at 250-500mg/day, while alpha-GPC shows promise but with fewer studies.7 8
• Athletic performance: Small preliminary trials suggest alpha-GPC may enhance lower-body power at 600mg/day and support post-exercise recovery at 1,000mg/day.9 10
• Liver health: Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a common supplemental form of choline that helps package and export fats from the liver. The polyunsaturated version — polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PPC) — has shown the clearest benefits, with studies reporting improvements in liver enzymes and ultrasound findings at 900-1,800mg/day.12 17
• General nutrition and pregnancy: Choline bitartrate is another supplemental form, providing about 40% elemental choline by weight. It’s dense, affordable, and effective for helping people meet daily requirements — which rise during pregnancy and lactation when choline needs are highest.6 13

As you can see, choosing “the most effective choline supplement for everyone” is difficult. Each form has its own strengths — from cognition and liver health to pregnancy. If you have a specific goal — such as boosting cognition or adding power to your workout — the best option may be a blend that pairs the right choline form with supportive ingredients (e.g., adaptogens or other nutrients). That’s why we recommend a few well-designed formulas in this guide.

Still, if we look at whether any specific product or branded form stands out, one does rise to the top: Cognizin, a branded form of citicoline (CDP-choline).

Several trials show Cognizin (250-500mg/day) can improve memory, attention, and psychomotor speed.14 15 16 That’s why we highlight Bestvite’s 500mg Cognizin: it delivers the same form and dose used in these studies, making it one of the strongest options for readers specifically interested in cognitive support. It’s also why we chose to include 500mg of Cognizin in our Innerbody Labs Focus Support, where we combine it with complementary nootropics to enhance clarity and focus.

Even so, effectiveness and the type of choline will be goal-dependent.

• In pregnancy and general nutrition, higher-yield forms such as choline bitartrate are the most practical way to reach daily requirements.
• For liver health, phosphatidylcholine has the strongest supporting data.12

Could citicoline cover those needs too? In theory, yes — it still contributes choline to the same metabolic pool. But we don’t have direct research showing citicoline is effective for pregnancy or liver outcomes, and because it delivers only about 21% elemental choline, it’s an impractical choice for high-dose needs compared to other forms.

Safety

Advantage: Life Extension HepatoPro

A safe choline supplement combines high-standard manufacturing practices, a low-risk ingredient profile, and a dose aligned with what’s been shown to be safe in research. In this respect, Life Extension HepatoPro succeeds in all three measures:

• The company is registered with NSF International, reflecting compliance with rigorous public health and safety standards. Both raw materials and finished products undergo third-party testing.
• Its formula is simple — a single active ingredient, phosphatidylcholine (PC) — without other compounds that could complicate the side-effect profile.
• Each 900mg softgel provides PC at a reasonable dose; trials in liver health have used up to 1,800mg/day, making this dose comfortably within safe margins.17

The main caveat is that the PC is soy-derived, which can be a clear allergen for a small percentage of people. However, for most users soy phospholipids are well tolerated — and the soy base may actually be part of the benefit.12

When gut bacteria metabolize certain forms of choline, they generate trimethylamine (TMA), which the liver converts into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). Elevated TMAO levels have been linked in some studies to cardiovascular risk.40Free choline salts and possibly alpha-GPC appear to fuel this pathway more readily, while phosphatidylcholine from soy seems less likely to produce large TMAO increases.27 65 That difference in metabolism may give Life Extension’s phosphatidylcholine a safety advantage over other forms of choline.

We’ll dig deeper into these questions, including the evidence around TMAO, in the section: “Are choline supplements safe?”

Cost

Advantage: Nutricost Choline Bitartrate Powder

Breaking down the cost of choline supplements is trickier than it looks. Price per bottle or serving isn’t the whole story, since different forms of choline vary in how much elemental choline they deliver — and in what they’re useful for.

The chart below compares our top contenders by their lowest achievable monthly cost and elemental choline per serving. This highlights how much the numbers can vary depending on form and intended use.

From this information, a few things stand out:

• Nutricost powder is the clear cost outlier. At about $4 per month, it delivers 400mg of elemental choline per serving, making it by far the cheapest way to cover general nutritional intake.
• Doctor’s Best offers capsule convenience with 550mg per serving for about $15 per month, enough to meet the adequate intake (AI) for adults in one daily dose.
• If you’re interested in citicoline because of its cognitive effects, Bestvite Cognizin is the most affordable way to go. A 60-count bottle costs $32.99, which works out to about $16.50 per month for the full 500mg daily dose used in trials. However, because its elemental choline yield is modest (about 105mg per capsule), it isn’t the most efficient way to meet dietary needs.
• Nootropics Depot Alpha-GPC is roughly the same monthly cost as Doctor’s Best but only provides about a tenth as much elemental choline. Instead, it’s better suited if you’re looking for a form of choline tied to cognition and sports performance.
• Complex formula products like Needed Prenatal or Transparent Labs Pre-Workout carry much higher monthly costs ($50 and $45 per month, respectively), but they include a broader nutrient or performance package that goes well beyond choline alone.

With these trade-offs in mind, Nutricost earns the cost advantage for basic choline intake. But depending on your goal — cognition, prenatal support, liver health, or athletic performance — other budget picks like Bestvite or Nootropics Depot may represent the better value for their specific form.

Convenience

Advantage: Life Extension HepatoPro (900 mg PC)

Although convenience is partly subjective, choline supplements generally aren’t difficult to take; however, the timing can vary by form. Citicoline is often taken in the morning for its cognitive effects, while alpha-GPC is best used 30-60 minutes before a workout. With blends like Transparent Labs Pre-Bulk, the inclusion of caffeine means late-day use may interfere with sleep.

Outside of timing differences by form, we can also look at the companies and how they stack up on convenience. Here, Life Extension earns the advantage, thanks to two features that set it apart:

• Flexible subscription system: You can choose monthly intervals for up to a year, set your own delivery dates, and save 8% with free shipping. This makes it easy to align shipments with your dosing schedule.
• Generous return policy: A 12-month window — the longest of any supplement in this guide — provides uncommon security if the product isn’t the right fit.

Where Life Extension falls short is in transparency. Brands like Nootropics Depot, Innerbody Labs, and Transparent Labs post third-party certificates of analysis (COAs) directly on their product pages. Life Extension also performs third-party testing and will provide COAs on request, but we wish those documents were available up front.

The chart below offers a quick reference of how our top picks compare in several major ways, including their cost, serving counts, and more.

Choline is a vital nutrient involved in many key functions throughout your body. In fact, every cell in your body contains choline. While your body can make some choline, it's generally not enough, classifying it as an essential nutrient that needs to come from your diet.1

Proper intake becomes important when you consider that choline is critical for:

Our understanding of choline is relatively recent. While choline was first isolated in the 1860s, its biological importance wasn’t fully appreciated until the 20th century.26 In 1998, the Institute of Medicine officially classified it as an essential nutrient — highlighting its vital roles in liver health, cell signaling, and brain development.11 Since then, research on choline has expanded significantly, influencing dietary guidelines and supplement formulations.1

Choline appears in supplements under several different names. Each form has unique characteristics that affect cost, absorption, and how the body uses it.

Choline is an essential nutrient that plays key roles in brain function, liver health, and more. Unfortunately, most people don’t get enough choline — for example, about 90-95% of pregnant women fall short of the recommended intake.1 Below, we explore the scientific evidence for choline’s health benefits across major areas, from cognitive performance to cardiovascular and liver health.

Cognitive function

Choline is perhaps best known for its role in brain health and cognition. As a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, it supports memory, learning, and mental focus.11 It’s also needed to form cell membranes in the brain, which help neurons maintain their structure and signaling. Because of these roles, researchers have studied choline supplementation for preventing cognitive decline and improving memory in people of all ages.6

Observational research supports the link: in the Framingham Offspring cohort, higher choline intake correlated with better memory and a reduced risk of dementia over 10 years.31 Clinical trials have also zoomed in on forms that more readily cross the blood-brain barrier — citicoline (CDP-choline) and alpha-GPC.

• Citicoline: Considered one of the most brain-bioavailable forms of choline. In older adults with mild memory complaints, 500mg/day for 12 weeks improved overall memory, especially episodic memory, compared to placebo.14
• Alpha-GPC: Often prescribed in Europe for cognitive impairment. Trials using around 1,200mg/day in divided doses showed modest but consistent improvements in memory and executive function among patients with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, or post-stroke deficits.32 Some reviews also note benefits for mood symptoms (apathy, anxiety) alongside cognition.32

For healthy individuals, the benefits are more nuanced. In short trials, citicoline (250-500mg/day) improved attention, reaction time, and impulse control in middle-aged women and adolescent males.15 16 The gains were strongest in those with lower baseline performance, suggesting citicoline may be most useful when focus or processing speed is diminished — whether from stress or other factors — rather than in people already performing at their peak.

Liver health

One of the most critical roles of choline is in liver function and fat metabolism. The liver packages fats into very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles to ship them out to the body, and this process requires phosphatidylcholine. Without enough choline, fats build up in the liver, which can progress to NAFLD.11

Evidence for this is striking:

• In a feeding study, healthy adults on a choline-depleted diet for six weeks developed signs of fatty liver or liver damage in about two-thirds of cases.33 When choline was restored, liver markers normalized.
• In patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) — intravenous feeding used when people can’t eat or absorb food normally — the solutions sometimes lacked choline. Without it, many patients developed fatty liver. In a clinical trial, adding 2g/day of intravenous choline to TPN for 24 weeks significantly reduced liver fat (measured by CT scans) and improved liver enzymes, while those who continued on unsupplemented TPN showed no improvement.34 When the choline was discontinued, fatty liver returned, underscoring how essential the nutrient is for liver health.

Beyond deficiency models, population research also shows that higher dietary choline intake is linked to a lower risk of NAFLD. In a cohort of over 56,000 Chinese adults, women with the highest choline intake had a 32% lower risk of NAFLD than those with the lowest.35 The protective effect was strongest in normal-weight women, but genetics also play a role. About 40% of women carry a variant in the PEMT gene, which normally helps the body make some of its own choline under the influence of estrogen.36 With this variant, that backup pathway is less effective, leaving women more dependent on dietary intake.

When it comes to supplementation, different choline forms can support liver health in distinct ways:

• Phosphatidylcholine (PC): Found in lecithin (soy or sunflower), PC is often recommended for liver support. Daily doses of polyenylphosphatidylcholine in the 900-1,800mg range have shown promise in improving liver enzymes and reducing fat accumulation in NAFLD.17
• Other forms (choline bitartrate, citrate, citicoline): These boost blood choline levels and can help the body make more PC, indirectly supporting fat metabolism in the liver.6

Here is a practical takeaway: ensuring sufficient choline intake (about 400-550mg/day) is one of the most reliable nutritional strategies for protecting the liver.1 37

Cardiovascular health

Choline supports cardiovascular health in several interconnected ways. One of the most important is its role in homocysteine metabolism. In the liver, choline is converted into betaine, which provides methyl groups that help transform homocysteine into methionine.11 This matters because elevated homocysteine is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, linked to arterial plaque, blood clots, and stroke.38 While folate and vitamin B12 also contribute to this process, choline-derived betaine may provide as much as 60% of the methyl groups needed to keep homocysteine levels under control.11 By helping regulate homocysteine, adequate choline intake contributes to healthier blood vessels and reduced cardiovascular risk.

Observational and clinical studies support this connection.

• In one trial, supplementing with phosphatidylcholine (about 2.6g/day, roughly the equivalent of 3-4 egg yolks) lowered fasting homocysteine levels by nearly 30% in just two weeks.24
• A 2024 analysis of more than 14,000 U.S. adults found that those consuming around 400-550mg/day of choline had a 28% lower risk of stroke, while those above 550mg/day had a 46% lower risk compared to people with very low intake.39

One last point on choline and cardiovascular health: some research has raised questions about trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a compound produced when gut bacteria metabolize choline (and also carnitine from red meat). Elevated TMAO levels have been linked to cardiovascular risk in some studies, though whether it’s a cause or just a marker is still debated.40 We’ll return to this in the safety section, but at typical dietary intakes, choline is considered heart-healthy. Concerns mainly arise with very high supplemental doses (over 3g/day of elemental choline).1

Exercise performance

Because choline is required to make acetylcholine — the neurotransmitter that drives muscle contractions — researchers have long wondered if supplementation could enhance athletic output.

In short, choline isn’t a quick performance booster like caffeine or creatine. But meeting daily needs supports recovery and training progress — benefits most relevant to older adults and athletes with low dietary intake.

Pregnancy and neurodevelopment

Choline is critically important during pregnancy and early development. It supports neural tube closure, DNA methylation (with folate), and rapid brain growth in the fetus, especially in the hippocampus — the memory center.46 Low maternal choline has been linked to neural tube defects in animals, and human data suggest insufficiency may raise risk too.1

Research backs this up:

• In a landmark clinical trial at Cornell, women in their third trimester who doubled their intake to 930mg/day (vs. 480mg/day) had babies who processed information faster at 4-13 months — an early marker linked to stronger cognition later in life.47 48
• Long-term studies also show that mothers with higher choline intake during pregnancy tend to have children with better memory and even stronger social and emotional development years later.49

Most prenatal vitamins still lack meaningful amounts of choline — fewer than half sold in the U.S. include it, and those that do typically provide only small doses.50 Dietary surveys suggest over 90% of pregnant women fall short of the recommended intake.1 In 2017, the American Medical Association (AMA) advised that all prenatal vitamins should include adequate choline, but adoption has been slow.51

For the mother, choline also supports liver function under pregnancy stress and may play a role in reducing risks like preeclampsia and postpartum anxiety, though more research is needed.1 52

Mental health

Choline may also play a role in mood and emotional regulation. Because acetylcholine circuits influence stress responses and phosphatidylcholine supports brain cell signaling, insufficient choline could subtly affect mental health.

In short, choline isn’t a stand-alone antidepressant, but maintaining adequate intake may help buffer against anxiety, support mood, and complement brain health strategies — particularly in older adults with cognitive decline.

The right amount of choline depends on your overall diet, your life stage, and the health goals you’re targeting. The Institute of Medicine set Adequate Intake (AI) levels at 425mg/day for women and 550mg/day for men, including food and supplements together.1 During pregnancy and lactation, needs rise to 450mg/day and 550mg/day, respectively.1

The following table illustrates different forms of choline, their respective doses, and use cases:

While the chart gives an overview of forms, doses, and key uses, your optimal intake also depends on what you’re hoping to achieve. The following sections highlight how much choline has been studied for specific outcomes — from cognition to liver health, pregnancy, training, and general wellness.

Choline is essential for brain, liver, and muscle function, and moderate supplementation is well tolerated. But like many nutrients, there’s a point where benefits flatten out and risks begin to surface.

The Institute of Medicine set a UL of 3.5g/day for adults from food and supplements combined.1 That cap comes from human data showing that very high intakes (7.5g/day and up) can cause:30

• A fishy body odor
• Nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal discomfort
• Sweating
• Low blood pressure or dizziness

To keep everyday use safe, experts cut 7.5g/day in half (and rounded down) to set 3.5g/day as the ceiling.30

Why does excess choline create problems?

When you flood the system with more choline than the body can use for membranes and acetylcholine, gut bacteria step in. They metabolize the surplus into trimethylamine (TMA), which the liver converts into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is the compound responsible for the odor at high doses, and it’s also at the center of debates about heart health.61 62

Choline and TMAO

Elevated blood TMAO has been linked to higher cardiovascular risk in observational studies, but the story is complicated.40Fish is one of the richest sources of TMAO, yet it consistently protects against heart disease.63 Individual microbiomes, kidney function, and the type of choline all affect how much TMAO you make.6 27 64 65 66 67

• Free choline salts (like bitartrate, citrate, or chloride) tend to raise TMAO the most.
• Phosphatidylcholine (PC) from foods and supplements often raises it less, though results vary.
• Citicoline and alpha-GPC are absorbed quickly in the small intestine, so less choline reaches gut microbes — potentially lowering TMAO formation, though direct comparisons are limited.5

For most healthy adults consuming choline within typical ranges — about 425-550mg/day from diet or supplements — the TMAO story is more of a caution than a clear danger.68 Higher blood TMAO has been linked with cardiovascular risk, but cause and effect remain unproven, and the biggest concerns show up in people with kidney or metabolic disease.69 At these common intake levels, the benefits of choline for brain and liver health generally outweigh the theoretical risks.70

Is alpha-GPC safe?

Alpha-GPC has been used clinically for memory and stroke recovery, with short-term safety well established.71 But a large 2021 Korean cohort study tied long-term, high-dose use (around 1,200mg/day) to an increased risk of stroke.18 More recent research has pointed the opposite way, suggesting potential protective effects in some groups.19 That inconsistency means we can’t draw firm conclusions yet.

The practical takeaway: Alpha-GPC looks safe in the studied ranges (250-600)mg/day for weeks to months, but routine megadosing (1g/day or more, long term) should be approached cautiously, especially for people with vascular risk factors.

Certain groups may particularly benefit from choline supplementation:

Who are they not for?

Choline is generally safe, but it’s not universally helpful — and sometimes expectations exceed the evidence.

Best cognitive support blend with choline

Many nootropic blends on the market fall into one of two traps: too few ingredients to justify their price, or too many at underdosed levels. Innerbody Labs created Focus Support to sidestep both issues, building a formula with clinically supported doses of every ingredient while avoiding the unproven “kitchen sink” approach.

Part of its foundation is 500mg of Cognizin, a branded form of citicoline, which has been researched in multiple studies for enhancing cognitive function. In one study, a 500mg daily dose led to better performance on various memory tests compared to a placebo.14 In another, doses of 500mg and 2,000mg of Cognizin boosted brain ATP levels and accelerated brain membrane formation.78

Focus Support also adds in:

• Rhodiolife Rhodiola rosea extract (5% rosavins, 1.8% salidrosides): 350mg
• Phosphatidylserine (50%): 300mg
• KSM-66 Ashwagandha: 300mg
• N-Acetyl L-tyrosine (NALT): 200mg
• L-Theanine: 160mg
• Lion’s Mane extract (20:1): 100mg
• Caffeine (Coffeeberry organic extract): 80mg
• Saffron extract (2% safranals): 30mg
• Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ): 20mg
• Vitamin B3: 16mg
• Vitamin B5: 5mg
• Vitamin B6: 2mg
• Vitamin B9: 400mcg
• Vitamin B12: 2.4mcg

The result is a cognitive formula that addresses focus, memory, mood, and long-term brain health in a single daily serving. While the other complex formulas in this guide target prenatal health (Needed) and athletic performance (Transparent Labs), Focus Support stands out as the most comprehensive option for brain health.

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

Focus Support is available as a one-time purchase or via subscription. The savings increase with longer subscription intervals:

You’ll get the best value at the six-month subscription level, with the lowest cost per month and per dose, but it does mean putting down $414 upfront. Additionally, every bottle ships free in the U.S. We should note that Focus Support is currently available to U.S. customers only. If you’re shopping from outside the U.S., consider Revive Brain+ — a comparable nootropic that also provides 500mg of Cognizin per serving. You can check out our nootropics guide to learn more, as well as find other options.

Finally, Innerbody Labs backs Focus Support with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It isn’t as long as Life Extension’s full year, but it’s still more flexible than policies from Needed or Nootropics Depot, which only cover unopened bottles.

Best budget choline supplement for cognition

Founded in 2006, Bestvite is a U.S.-based supplement company that has built its reputation around affordability and quality control. The brand manufactures in NSF-GMP certified facilities and uses ISO-certified third-party laboratories for its testing. This is a level of quality control not always seen in more budget-friendly supplement companies.

Bestvite’s Cognizin Citicoline 500mg stands out as one of the most cost-effective ways to access this branded form of citicoline. Citicoline is valued for its brain bioavailability and cytidine contribution, which supports phospholipid synthesis and has been shown to improve measures of memory, attention, and cognitive performance in clinical studies.6 Additionally, by using Bestvite, you're gaining access to Cognizin, which has specifically been used in many clinical trials for improving cognition.14 15 16 78

There are some downsides to using Bestvite’s Cognizin. While citicoline is generally well tolerated and side effects are rare, sensitive users who experience GI discomfort can’t practically reduce the dose below 500mg to test their tolerance.79 Additionally, since citicoline has a low elemental yield of 21%, you’d have to take about 3g of it to reach the AI for an adult male (550mg of choline). Using citicoline isn’t the most practical or advisable way to reach choline dietary needs.

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

At $32.99 for 60 capsules — a full two-month supply at the clinical 500mg dose — Bestvite is one of the most affordable ways to access Cognizin. Larger bottles (120 or 240 caps) are available, but the per-capsule savings are minor. Bestvite also offers a 5% subscription discount, though that pales in comparison to the deeper savings from some of our other budget picks, like Nutricost’s 20% discount subscription option.

Bestvite backs its Cognizin with a 60-day money-back guarantee. That may not match Life Extension’s year-long policy, but it’s long enough to cover the timeframes used in several clinical trials of citicoline, where benefits were observed within 4-12 weeks.78 Combined with free U.S. shipping, that makes trying Bestvite relatively low-risk for anyone curious about Cognizin’s cognitive effects.

Best prenatal with choline

Founded in 2017, Needed is a California-based brand focused on nutrition for women before, during, and after pregnancy. The company partners with nutritionists and healthcare practitioners to design formulas that cover nutrients often left out of mainstream prenatals — with choline as one of the biggest differentiators.

Most prenatal vitamins on the market contain little to no choline. In fact, fewer than half of U.S. products include it at all, and when they do, the amounts are usually minimal.50 Needed’s Prenatal Multi Capsules deliver 400mg of elemental choline per daily serving, bringing users close to the AI of 450mg required for pregnancy. For most people, the remaining gap can be easily covered through a balanced diet.1

In addition to choline, Needed also includes

Iron and omega-3s are the only key nutrients missing from Needed’s otherwise complete prenatal formula. The company’s rationale is that iron needs vary widely and high doses can cause digestive side effects, so it’s better tailored individually. Omega-3s are also omitted, as they require separate softgel delivery to reach effective doses. Needed sells both nutrients as add-ons, but it does mean the Prenatal Multi isn’t truly all-in-one, and costs rise if you want a complete supplement.

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

At $62.99 for a one-month supply, Needed is one of the most expensive prenatals on the market. Subscriptions bring the price down modestly: $6 off monthly, $28 off quarterly, and $76 off with a six-month plan. That means to maximize savings, you incur an upfront cost of $302.35

Only orders over $80 ship free, which means single bottles tack on a $7 shipping fee.

For context, Ritual’s Essential Prenatal is a common competitor that sells for $44 as a one-time purchase or $31.20/month with a subscription (plus free shipping). But it contains only 55mg of elemental choline — barely over 10% of the AI for pregnancy. That makes Needed the pricier option, but also the far more comprehensive one for choline and overall prenatal nutrition.

Regarding Needed’s return policy, it’s more restrictive than most. Only unopened bottles are eligible for a refund within 30 days, and shipping charges are non-refundable.

Best pre-workout blend with choline

Founded in 2015, Transparent Labs aims to make its processes and ingredient quality visible. To do so, each formula is independently tested, and customers can access batch-specific COAs directly on the company’s website.

The Bulk Pre-Workout formula is built to enhance training performance by combining well-studied endurance and strength ingredients with nootropic support. Choline plays a secondary role here, with 300mg of AlphaSize providing about 150mg of alpha-GPC. Research suggests alpha-GPC may boost power output at higher doses (around 600mg/day), so at the level included here, it’s more likely to support focus and mental clarity during workouts rather than serve as a primary performance driver.80

The real strength of the blend comes from its heavy clinical doses of:

The formula also balances stimulation with calm focus: 200mg of caffeine is paired with 200mg of L-theanine, an amino acid known to counter some of caffeine’s jitters. Clinical studies have shown that theanine and caffeine can work synergistically to improve attention and reduce mental fatigue, though most trials used slightly different ratios (for example, 250mg theanine with 150mg caffeine).85

Transparent Labs also makes a caffeine-free option called Stim-Free Pre-Workout for those who prefer to avoid stimulants. However, that version leaves out alpha-GPC.

Taste and mixability

Bulk Pre-Workout comes as a powder that you mix with water and is available in the following flavors:

• Sour Grape
• Watermelon
• Blue Raspberry
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Pineapple Coconut
• Strawberry Kiwi
• Black Cherry
• Peach Mango
• Tropical Punch

Our testers tried the Blue Raspberry and Strawberry Lemonade flavors, which dissolved quickly in water and went down easily. They weren't as sweet or refreshing as something like Gatorade, but they were still easy to drink.

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

At $49.99 for 30 servings, Bulk Pre-Workout comes out to $1.67 per serving. You can also subscribe, which brings the cost down to $44.99 with free shipping.

For context, a comparable option is JYM’s Pre JYM High-Performance Pre-Workout, which is also priced at $49.99. Like Transparent Labs, it includes alpha-GPC and adds 2g of creatine, but its doses of citrulline malate, beta-alanine, and betaine anhydrous are lower. Both products cost the same, but they take slightly different approaches to supporting athletic performance.

When it comes to refunds, Transparent Labs backs its products with a 45-day satisfaction guarantee when purchased through its website or authorized U.S. sellers. This is more generous than Needed or Nootropic Depot, which will only accept returns on unopened products within 30 days.

Best budget choline supplement for athletic performance

What sets Nootropics Depot apart is its commitment to quality control. Every batch undergoes both in-house testing and third-party analysis through Omnient Labs, with COAs posted directly on product pages. That level of transparency is still uncommon in the supplement industry, and it’s a big part of why Nootropics Depot has earned such trust in the nootropic community.

Alongside its broad catalog of single-ingredient supplements, the company offers alpha-GPC 150mg capsules, one of the most affordable entry points into brain-penetrant choline supplementation. While this is below the 300-600mg/day range tested in most athletic performance studies, the smaller dose makes it easy to titrate upward by taking multiple capsules — a practical option for users who want flexibility in dosing without committing to higher amounts right away.

That combination of affordability, dosing flexibility, and rigorous testing makes Nootropics Depot a strong budget choice for alpha-GPC.

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

Nootropics Depot offers a discount for its alpha-GPC as the bottle size increases:

Even factoring in shipping, the 60-count bottle comes out to about $13.98/month, while the 180- and 365-count bottles significantly reduce per-serving cost. However, there’s no subscription program — a drawback compared to brands like Nutricost or Innerbody Labs, which offer deeper discounts for autoship.

Nootropics Depot does offer a 30-day return policy, but only for unopened products. That puts it behind competitors like Life Extension, which allows returns for up to a year, or Bestvite, which honors a 60-day money-back guarantee even on opened bottles.

Best for liver health

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Life Extension is among the most established supplement companies operating in the United States. All Life Extension products undergo third-party testing for purity and potency, and its facilities carry NSF and GMP certifications. Additionally, the company will share COAs on request.

Life Extension’s HepatoPro supplement provides 900mg of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PPC) per softgel. PPC, a major component of cell membranes, is noted for its enhanced absorption due to its unsaturated fatty acid content and has been studied for decades as a therapy for liver disorders:95

• In one observational study, 1,800mg/day of PPC as adjunctive therapy for 24 weeks significantly reduced liver enzyme levels in patients with newly diagnosed NAFLD and metabolic comorbidities.17
• In another clinical study, doses of 1,800mg/day were used for active treatment for 24 weeks, while 900mg/day served as a maintenance dose once liver function improved.94

HepatoPro’s dosing aligns closely with studied amounts, allowing consumers to take one or two capsules to achieve effective levels.

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

HepatoPro runs $37.50 for 60 softgels, or 60 servings. Subscribing drops the bottle price to $34.50 (8% off) with free shipping. That ends up looking like:

Additionally, you can set delivery for every 1-12 months, so it’s easy to match shipments to your dosing schedule.

If your goal is maximizing elemental choline per dollar, simple salts like choline bitartrate will be cheaper. A single serving of Doctor’s Best delivers about 550mg of elemental choline, compared to roughly 117mg from one softgel of HepatoPro. HepatoPro’s value is less about raw choline content and more about the form and its evidence base — using a clinically referenced phosphatidylcholine dose targeted for liver support.17

For a refund policy, Life Extension provides the most extended guarantee among the brands in our guide, offering a full year for returns. The next longest is Bestvite’s 60-day guarantee.

Best for meeting daily choline needs

Founded in 1990, Doctor’s Best is a Tustin, California-based company that offers a broad selection of dietary supplements. Its choline bitartrate provides 550mg of elemental choline per daily serving (2 capsules) — the AI for adult men and pregnant women.

Since each capsule covers about half of the daily AI, it’s easy to take one and make up the rest through food sources. That could look like any one of the following:1

• Two large eggs with one cup of broccoli
• A chicken breast (150g) with one cup of tofu plus 100g of salmon
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa with 100g cooked shiitake mushrooms, 200g cooked spinach, and a cup of milk

Adding a single capsule to any one of these daily food combinations typically brings you to the AI. Taking both capsules, on the other hand, ensures you meet the AI outright without planning your diet around high-choline foods. Since fewer than 10% of U.S. adults consistently reach the AI through diet alone — this makes Doctor’s Best a practical and flexible option.1

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

Doctor’s Best is priced competitively. A typical bottle (60 capsules) costs $10.32, which works out to about $0.17 per serving. However, single bottles do not qualify for free shipping; you’ll need to spend $30 or more, or bundle with other products, to unlock it.

Unlike some competitors, Doctor’s Best doesn’t offer subscription savings on its website. Customers looking for autoship will need to purchase through a third party like iHerb (which offers a 20% subscription discount) or Amazon.

Lastly, Doctor’s Best offers a 60-day refund policy on direct purchases. Requests are submitted through the website, though the language is a little vague on whether products must be returned.

Best budget option for daily choline intake

Nutricost has a reputation for offering straightforward supplements at some of the lowest costs per serving in the industry, and its Choline Bitartrate Powder is no exception. Each 1g scoop provides about 400mg of elemental choline, making it one of the most affordable ways to cover daily choline needs.

Unlike capsules, the powder format gives you flexibility. One scoop gets you close to the AI (550mg for men and pregnant women), while a scoop and a half easily covers it. If your diet already contains some choline-rich foods — like eggs, salmon, or quinoa — you may only need a partial scoop.

Taste and mixability

Nutricost’s Choline Bitartrate Powder is unflavored and unsweetened, which means you’re consuming choline bitartrate in its raw form. The flavor is mildly acidic, a little like lemon, and can be masked easily in juice or smoothies. It dissolves quickly in water without much grit, so most people won’t find it unpleasant. On its own, the taste is noticeable but not harsh, making it an easy powder to work into a daily routine.

By comparison, Transparent Labs’ pre-workout powders also have an acidic edge and a bit more grit than Nutricost, but the added flavoring generally makes them easier to drink.

Pricing, subscriptions, and refunds

Nutricost’s 500g tub costs $21.97, which translates to 500 servings. That works out to about $0.04 per serving — the lowest per-serving cost of any supplement in this guide.

Compared to Doctor’s Best, Nutricost powder is more than five times cheaper.

The trade-off is convenience: capsules are quicker and more portable, while the powder requires measuring and mixing.

When it comes to subscribing, the only option is every 30 days, which is impractical for a tub that has 500 servings in it. That makes the 20% subscription discount unlikely to be achieved.

For refunds, Nutricost stands out with a 60-day money-back guarantee, even if the tub has been opened. Customers who purchase a $2.98 “free returns” add-on at checkout can also receive a prepaid label for store credit or exchange. Without it, return shipping is the customer’s responsibility.

You might be exploring choline supplements for sharper cognition, better exercise performance, or liver health support. While nothing replaces choline as an essential nutrient, other supplements can help target specific areas of brain, body, and liver health.

These alternatives don’t replace choline directly, but if your primary concern is brain health, athletic output, or liver function, they may provide comparable or complementary benefits.

Diet

Supplements can help people with higher needs or restrictive diets, but for most, food remains the best and most reliable source of choline. Research shows that dietary choline is often better utilized by the body than supplemental forms, likely because it comes packaged with other nutrients that aid absorption and metabolism.86

Here are some rich food sources of choline:

• Soy flour (defatted): 201mg per cup — a standout plant-based option
• Sockeye salmon (smoked): 187mg per 3oz — also provides omega-3s
• Whole eggs: 125mg per large egg — concentrated in the yolk
• Roasted chicken (meat and skin): 56mg per 3oz
• Wheat germ (toasted): 50mg per 2tbsp — easy to add to smoothies
• Milk (nonfat): 38mg per 8oz glass
• Cauliflower (boiled): 24mg per ½ cup
• Green peas (cooked): 22mg per ½ cup
• Almonds: 15mg per 1oz

Including a variety of these foods in your diet can help you meet your daily needs — particularly if you prefer to avoid or limit supplementation. However, for people with increased needs or dietary restrictions, choline supplements remain a practical and effective option.